Leichty earned his Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude, from Wabash College, a Master of Letters from the University of Aberdeen, and his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law.

He went on to join the South Bend office of the law firm of Barnes & Thornburg, where he became a partner.

His practice focused on complex civil litigation, including federal product liability cases.

President Donald Trump nominated Leichty to the seat vacated by Judge Robert Lowell Miller Jr., who assumed senior status on January 11, 2016.

[5] On January 3, 2019, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the United States Senate.