Leo Adler was born on April 8, 1947. He is married, as are his son and daughter. He is a grandfather to several grandchildren.

Mr. Adler was raised and educated in Montreal. In 1970 he graduated from McGill University with a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in sociology and political science. While at McGill, Mr. Adler worked for the public relations firm of Edward Bantey and Associates on a variety of projects.

While attending Osgoode Hall Law School, Mr. Adler co-authored a study and report entitled "The Police Function in Our Changing Society", which was jointly sponsored by the Solicitor General of Canada and the Foundation for Human Development.

In 1972 and 1973, Mr. Adler was named Special Project Directory for the Ministry of the Attorney General of Ontario and worked with Chief Judge Ted Andrews of the (then) Provincial Court (Family Division) in the complete re-organization and overhaul of that court.

Mr. Adler graduated law school in 1973 and articled for the firm of Robertson, Lane, Frankish, Perrett and Estey. He was called to the Ontario Bar in 1975, and practiced briefly with Goodman and Carr before opening his own law firm.

While Mr. Adler’s practice is almost exclusively criminal, he has also appeared before various boards, tribunals and inquests and he has been retained or consulted in cases involving extradition matters, trials and administrative and quasi-criminal hearings throughout Ontario, as well as in Quebec, Manitoba, New Brunswick, the Northwest Territories, Alberta and British Columbia, right up to the Supreme Court of Canada. Mr. Adler has represented individuals arrested in the U.S. in courts from Florida, to Michigan, to New York, California, North Carolina and elsewhere, including Europe, and his advice has been sought out in numerous instances. Mr. Adler’s experience in DNA cases and other forensic issues has caused him to be consulted by other counsel.

Since becoming a lawyer, Mr. Adler has authored numerous articles that have been published in the Globe and Mail and other journals. He has appeared frequently on radio and television programs as a commentator with regards to various issues dealing with the criminal justice system. As well, he has either spoken to or chaired a number of committees, groups and seminars dealing with different aspects of criminal law. He is an adjunct professor at Osgoode Hall Law School of York University, and a participant in the Intensive Law Program of that school. Several of his cases have been reported as legal precedents.

Mr. Adler is a member of the Criminal Lawyers Association, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the International Association of Defence Attorneys and the Canadian Forensic Society.

In late 1999, Mr. Adler was named as Counsel and Director of National Affairs for Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies. In that capacity, Mr. Adler has spoken at and attended conferences and seminars around the world, and has provided public commentary in the media on matters relating to war crimes, the International Criminal Court, human rights, the Internet, national security and terrorism and other issues.

In February 2005, Mr. Adler was one of 15 people appointed by the Canadian Government to the Cross-Cultural Roundtable on National Security to review the Anti-Terrorism Act and assess its impact upon society.

To contact Leo Adler please call 416-365-1731 or e-mail Adler@CrimLawCanada.com.