Leigh A. Bradley recently retired from federal service after over 35 years in a variety of legal and leadership positions. Prior to her retirement, she served for three years as General Counsel of the Defense Health Agency (DHA), a combat support agency in the Department of Defense. DHA is responsible for managing the integrated health care system for approximately 9 million active-duty Service members, their families, and military retirees, and administers the multi-billion dollar TRICARE contract.

From 2014-2016, Leigh served as General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), a position she also held from 1998-2001. In that Senate-confirmed role, she was the chief legal officer of the second largest Cabinet Department, managing over 500 attorneys and paralegals assigned across the country. She has also held several senior positions in DoD. From 2008-2014, she served as Director of the DoD Standards of Conduct Office where she was responsible for the Department’s ethics program and policies and directly advised the Secretary of Defense and subordinate leaders in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. From 1994-1998, she was the Principal Deputy General Counsel of the Navy, the second highest ranking civilian attorney in the Navy Department. From 1987-1994, she was a senior attorney in the DoD Office of General Counsel where she was responsible for an array of legal issues related to military justice, civilian personnel and health policy. Leigh has also worked in the charitable and private sectors. From 2004-2008, she served as Chief of Staff, and later as Chief Risk Officer, of the American Red Cross and from 2001-2004, she was a partner in the national law firm Holland & Knight LLP, practicing in both its government contracts and government affairs groups.

Leigh began her legal career as an active-duty Air Force judge advocate where she served as both a felony prosecutor and defense counsel, trying courts-marital at a variety of Air Force bases in the U.S. and abroad. As a Reservist, she taught trial advocacy at the Air Force JAG School.

She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Alabama in 1978 and from its law school in 1981, where she and her partner won first place honors at a national moot court competition. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She has been awarded the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service, the Secretary of Defense Medal for Meritorious Civilian Service, and twice been awarded the Department of Veterans Affairs Exceptional Service Award. In 2012 she earned the rank of Meritorious Executive in the Senior Executive Service.

Leigh is married to an Air Force veteran and they have a daughter on active-duty in the Air Force who is a pediatrician.