David G. Leitch is Global General Counsel for Bank of America and a member of the bank’s executive management team. Based in Charlotte, Leitch is responsible for overseeing the company’s legal functions around the world.

Leitch joined the bank from Ford Motor Company, where he was General Counsel and Group Vice President from 2005 through 2015. Previously, he served as Deputy Counsel to President George W. Bush; Chief Counsel for the Federal Aviation Administration; Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Legal Counsel; and Partner with Hogan & Hartson, L.L.P. (now Hogan Lovells) in Washington, D.C. Leitch served as law clerk to former Chief Justice of the United States William H. Rehnquist, as well as to Federal Circuit Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III. He graduated first in his class from the University of Virginia School of Law and received his undergraduate degree from Duke University.

Leitch is a member of the American Law Institute, the Duke University Sanford School of Public Policy Board of Visitors, the George W. Bush Institute Military Service Initiative Advisory Council, the Clearing House Association Board, the Corporate Pro Bono Advisory Board, and the United Way of Central Carolinas Board of Directors. He is also a trustee of the Supreme Court Historical Society. In 2017, Leitch was recognized as a “Legend in the Law” by the Burton Foundation.

Bank of America’s legal department, a Corporate Pro Bono Challenge^® charter signatory, comprises nearly 1,000 attorneys, paralegals, and legal administrative paraprofessionals.  Since the 2005 formation of its Pro Bono Committee, the department has been a steady and dedicated supporter of pro bono service. Because of its robust commitment to service and variety of opportunities presented, hundreds of attorneys, paralegals, and administrative staff have contributed their time, resources, and talent to a wide variety of pro bono opportunities.  Examples of their volunteer activities include:

Naturalization Workshops: Since June 2017, attorneys, legal interns, and other volunteers from the department have partnered with the Latin American Coalition of Charlotte and the Central America Resource Center of Washington, D.C. to assist almost 75 clients in completing naturalization paperwork for permanent citizenship.

Justice Bus/Pro Bono Clinic for Veterans:  In partnership with Public Counsel, OneJustice, and Bryan Cave, volunteers traveled on the “Justice Bus” in August 2017 to rural Los Angeles County, where they conducted intake sessions with veterans concerning benefit claims and misdemeanor criminal record expungement issues.

Supportive Housing Communities Legal Relief Day: In October 2016 and November 2017, the legal department partnered with McGuireWoods and the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy to sponsor a legal clinic at an apartment complex for homeless people transitioning to permanent housing. Legal department lawyers and other employee volunteers assisted more than 100 clients with estate planning, veterans’ benefits issues, low-income taxpayer assistance, criminal expunctions, and benefits assessments. The third annual Legal Relief Day is scheduled for October 2018.

Court Volunteer Attorney Program: Legal department volunteers staff family court clinics throughout numerous counties several times per month. Volunteers provide legal advice on custody, visitation, child support, paternity, and similar issues. The legal department coordinated trainings in the fall of 2015 and winter of 2016 hosted by New York State Court System staff attorneys and Proskauer Rose.

Volunteer Lawyers for Veterans (VLV): Legal department volunteers staffed a clinic organized by VLV that provided a full range of legal services to low-income and homeless veterans in New York City. Between August 2013 and March 2015, VLV volunteers counseled nearly 250 veterans on more than 350 legal issues.

The dedication of the members of the Bank of America legal department to pro bono service is one example of the company’s commitment to making a positive impact through volunteerism and building thriving communities as part of responsible growth.

Click here to read about PBI’s other Dinner Co-Chair, David R. McAtee II.