He studied the law in his own time and was admitted to the Washington State Bar Association before moving in 1917 to what would become Anchorage, Alaska.

He served two terms as major of Anchorage and was a practicing attorney before joining the Board of Regents of the University of Alaska.

In 1904, he was assigned to Fort Egbert on the Yukon River near Eagle, Alaska, where he worked as a pharmacist's assistant.

He served as an ex-officio probate judge, studying law on his own time and gaining admission into the Washington State Bar Association.

He was survived by his wife Anna and children Caroline and Leopold Jr, and buried in Anchorage Memorial Park.