James Leonard

Jim Leonard is a lifelong resident of Philadelphia, who has spent most of his career in public service on behalf of the City of Philadelphia.

He has served as the Commissioner of the City of Philadelphia Department of Records since 2016.  As Commissioner, Jim serves as the Recorder of Deeds for Philadelphia, manages the City’s records management program for all departments, and administers the Department’s public access to records program, including the City’s historical archives.

Prior to being appointed Commissioner of Records, Jim practiced law in Pennsylvania for approximately 17 years, with a focus on real estate transactional law, mostly at the City of Philadelphia Law Department.