John McLeish received an Honours B.A. in Economics from the University of Western Ontario in 1970, an LL.B. from Dalhousie University in 1973 and was called to the Ontario Bar in 1975. He is certified as a specialist in civil litigation by the Law Society of Upper Canada.
John has dedicated almost his entire legal career to representing individuals who have suffered traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries and serious orthopaedic injuries, as well as families where a family member has been killed through negligence. He has been the lead counsel on a number of precedent setting jury and judge alone trials. John has authored a procedural Manual on motor vehicle litigation and is a co-author of a Guide to Personal Injury Practice in Motor Vehicle Cases. He lectures and publishes extensively for various continuing legal education programs on trial advocacy and all matters related to actions for personal injury and wrongful death damages.
John is a past president of the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association, a past governor of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, and a past director of the Ontario Brain Injury Association. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and other legal organizations related to trial advocacy and personal injury practice.