Leo James Terrell (born February 1, 1955) is an American civil rights attorney and talk radio host based in Los Angeles, California.
[2] On January 9, 2025, President-elect Donald Trump announced his intention to appoint Terrell as Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division in the United States Department of Justice.
[3] Terrell graduated from Gardena High School in Harbor Gateway, Los Angeles, in 1972[4] and California State University, Dominguez Hills in 1977 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
He holds a master's degree in education from Pepperdine University and earned a Juris Doctor from the UCLA School of Law.
[17] On January 21, 2025, Terell was nominated as Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division.
[18] In 1995, Terrell represented Kumasi Simmons, a former football player from Centennial High School in Compton expelled for hitting a referee.
[19][20] Terrell accused the Beverly Hills Police Department of intimidating witnesses who could back up Simmons's claim.