Kristina Leslie

Kristina Leslie is the Director of the Federal Capital Trial Project, where she works alongside a dedicated team to support federal capital defense teams nationwide. Before stepping into this role, Kristina served for three years as an attorney with the Capital Resource Counsel side of the project, providing direct representation and consultation services in complex capital litigation.

Her experience in capital defense began in Virginia as a trial attorney at the Capital Defender Office. While there, she was active in the successful effort to abolish Virginia’s death penalty by serving as President of the Board of Directors for Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. She continued working on capital cases and representing clients facing serious felony charges with the Federal Defender Office in Maryland. She began her career as a state public defender in Baltimore City.

Kristina approaches this work with a deep sense of responsibility, grounded in the belief that every person deserves dignity and fairness. She is committed to listening, learning, and collaborating with others to meet the challenges of this moment in federal capital defense.