Leah Pollard

Leah Pollard

Year of Call: 2010
Clerk: Michael Lieberman

Leah accepts instructions in civil litigation and immigration matters. 

Leah's civil litigation experience includes property, insolvency, contract, credit hire and personal injury claims and she has undertaken infant settlement hearings, directions and allocation hearings, mortgage possession hearings, bankruptcies, summary judgment applications and applications to set aside judgment. Additionally, she has been instructed in a variety of matters including licensing and health and safety proceedings on behalf of local authorities. 

Leah has developed a particular expertise in immigration cases both in crime and public law having represented defendants charged with possession of false identity documents in the Crown Court and represented both Appellants and the Secretary of State at the First Tier Tribunal in asylum and immigration appeals. Her immigration caseload includes:

  • Asylum and Humanitarian Protection
  • Bail Applications
  • Entry Clearance
  • Nationality
  • Visa Applications
  • Applications to extend/vary leave to remain
  • Settlement applications
  • Points Based System applications
  • The Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2006

Previously Leah was regularly instructed for both the prosecution and the defence in the Crown Court, Magistrates' and Youth Court.  She has considerable experience of dealing with vulnerable witnesses and defendants including representing youths charged with grave crimes appearing in the Crown Court. She has undertaken a variety of instructions in the Crown Court including appeals, trials and confiscation proceedings.

In R v Boston, she represented a young defendant charged with drug supply offences who successfully avoided an immediate custodial sentence after trial. Most recently in R v Owen, Leah was instructed to represent a former coroner and solicitor charged with theft and false accounting carried out over an eight year period and amounting to over £1,000,000 in stolen funds from a trust. She has also represented defendants charged with trading standards offences, companies facing criminal prosecution and prosecuted individuals charged with benefit fraud on behalf of the Department of Work and Pensions.

Before commencing her pupillage Leah worked for two firms of Cardiff-based solicitors during which time she worked on high-profile murder and conspiracy cases as well as preparing cases on behalf of the Police Federation in relation to disciplinary proceedings brought against officers of South Wales Police. She has been instructed on behalf of the Federation to assist in the preparation of a civil claim for misfeasance in a public office.

Leah was educated at Cams Hill School, Fareham and the City of Bath Sixth Form College. She studied law at Cardiff University and graduated with a First Class Honours degree, before completing the Bar Vocational Course at Cardiff Law School. She was taken on as a member of chambers in September 2013 following the successful completion of her pupillage during which time her pupil supervisors were David Elias and Emily Davies.