Leah Connolly Maintains Leading Associate Status in The Legal 500 2027

The Legal 500 2027 has once again recognised Leah Connolly as a Leading Associate in the Crime: General category in London, marking her continued recognition as a standout practitioner in criminal defence.

The Legal 500 recognises Leading Associates as lawyers who are regularly involved in their team’s key work and have gained recognition from peers and clients as practitioners to watch.

Leah jointly leads Sonn Macmillan Walker’s Crime: General practice and is particularly recognised for her expertise in representing young and vulnerable individuals across the full range of criminal proceedings in both the Youth and Crown Courts.

Leah specialises in defending young people from the earliest stages of an investigation through to court proceedings. She has extensive experience representing vulnerable clients, including those with learning difficulties and mental health issues, and is committed to ensuring that young people are able to understand and effectively participate in the criminal justice process.

Comments in this year's edition include:

"Leah Connolly is a youth justice specialist and provides an outstanding service for children in the criminal justice system. She has extensive knowledge of complicated procedures and laws as they apply. She combines a fierce intellect with a desire to exhaust all options to achieve a fair and just outcome for children with rehabilitation in mind. As an advocate, she provides representation but also knows when to bring in counsel. As a litigator for cases that move to the Crown Court, she provides valuable support to counsel in case preparation and client engagement. She always provides precise and realistic advice tailored to communication needs, which is vital when representing children."

Alongside her casework, Leah is a co-founder of the Youth Practitioners’ Association (YPA), a pan-profession organisation dedicated to improving the representation of young people within the criminal justice system.

Her continued recognition as a Leading Associate reflects her expertise, commitment to vulnerable clients and significant contribution to Sonn Macmillan Walker’s criminal defence practice.

We are extremely proud to see Leah’s work recognised once again by The Legal 500.

Visit our Legal 500 profile here.