The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has named Robert Leider, PhD, as the new Assistant Director/Chief Counsel.
Leider brings substantial legal credentials and a history of deep engagement with Second Amendment legal issues to his new role at the ATF. Most recently, he was an Associate Professor at Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University, where he taught criminal law and torts.
Leider specialized in criminal law, criminal procedure, and constitutional law with particular focus on questions related to the use of force and the rule of law. He has addressed areas such as self-defense law, constitutional allocation of military power, and gun control, and has published in the Florida Law Review, Indiana Law Journal, and The Wall Street Journal.
Before joining Antonin Scalia Law School, Leider worked at prestigious law firms including Arnold & Porter in Washington, DC, and Mayer Brown LLP. His judicial experience includes clerkships for Judge Diane S. Sykes of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
Leider’s educational background includes a BA, summa cum laude, from The George Washington University; a JD from Yale Law School where he served as an articles editor for the Yale Law Journal; and a PhD in Philosophy from Georgetown University.
In December 2024, Leider authored a column titled “Analysis: Gun-Rights Advocates Would Benefit More From ATF Reform Than the Agency’s Elimination” for The Reload, indicating his perspective on the agency he now helps lead:
“Instead of using their political capital to try and dismantle the ATF, gun advocates would likely see more success working within the system. While federal firearms laws cannot be repealed by executive action, they still delegate significant power to the Attorney General (who subdelegates to ATF) on how the laws are implemented. The Trump Administration could shift many ATF policies in their favor.”
He has also published scholarly work on the Second Amendment, such as “The Individual Right To Bear Arms For Common Defense,” and Leider’s own website, “Standing His Ground,” focuses on self-defense, gun control, and Second Amendment issues (the last blog article was posted in April 2024).
Leider’s appointment follows the February 20 dismissal of former Chief Counsel Pamela Hicks by Attorney General Pam Bondi. Hicks had served as ATF’s Chief Counsel since 2021 under the Biden administration, following her role as Deputy Chief Counsel during the first Trump administration. Her career included positions within the Department of Justice, and Department of the Treasury, as well as the ATF, according to her LinkedIn profile.