Leo Yu

Leo Yu obtained his J.D. and LL.M from SMU Dedman School of Law. After law school, he joined the Constitutional Law Center for Muslims in America, where he litigated a series of federal cases involving complex civil rights and constitutional issues. He then joined the City of Dallas as a Senior Assistant City Attorney, and he handled cases relating to land use, environmental violations, and public nuisance.

Professor Yu’s primary research interests are civil rights litigation and Asian American jurisprudence. As an educator who received legal educations from the U.S. and China, he is fully bilingual, and passionate about comparative law issues between China and the U.S., and the legal education for foreign attorneys in America. Professor Yu holds multiple leadership positions at the Bar. He currently serves as a director of the Texas Young Lawyers Association (TYLA), representing young attorneys in the Dallas area.

Professor Yu is a frequent speaker and moderator on civil rights, equality, and diversity issues. He is the creator of Plead the Fifth (Cir.) podcast, a platform for attorneys to discuss the Fifth Circuit’s jurisprudence on constitutional issues and criminal justice reform.