As a new inductee in Coral Gables Senior High’s Hall of Fame, award-winning lawyer Theodore “Ted” J. Leopold has reached a reflective milestone after achieving honorable accomplishments in his law career. Coming back to Gables to step onto a familiar stage facing an auditorium full of curious admirers, Leopold shifts from his usual speeches in courtrooms to deliver a heartfelt and inspirational message to the current Cavaliers.
Before reflecting on his career, Leopold told his story of becoming a Cavalier. Having originally made his way from Coral Gables Elementary to Ponce De Leon Middle, Leopold found himself following the path of his three older brothers to their alma mater, Gables. Playing football as a 5-year-old, Leopold trained at the Coral Gables War Memorial Youth Center, which would go on to be his second home that nurtured his long-lived passion for the sport.
“I grew up spending all my time at the Coral Gables Youth Center, playing football at all different ages. When I got to Gables, football was an important part of my life. It helped a lot with understanding what it takes to be successful, hard-working and learning to work with others,” Leopold said.
Busying himself with the jock life in Gables, Leopold played on the varsity football team until his graduation in 1976. Thinking about the next stage of his life, Leopold dreamed of teaching, alongside coaching the classic American sport.
“The school was a wonderful environment, a family environment and it gave me all the tools I needed to try to be successful. There were a lot of mentors when I was at Gables; teachers, counselors and coaches. These were the people that have been the foundation for everything that I’ve done,” Leopold said.
Acquiring the skillsets of tactical plays through football, melded with the considerate ideals he learned to uphold at Gables. These lifelong lessons would later serve him in his career in law, a pathway he had always felt interested in, through which he strives to assist his community in various sectors of legal action.
“Almost all of my litigation has been involved in helping individuals who, with no fault of their own, have suffered injuries or catastrophic types of situations, either in large groups or individuals. The ability to help them with their lives has been a great benefit to me,” Leopold said.
Before going into law school, Leopold received his Bachelor’s degree at the University of Miami in 1980. During his time at UM, Leopold spent his last year and a half as an undergraduate substitute at Gables. Reflecting his community-oriented nature, Leopold fulfilled his dreams by eventually teaching social studies and coaching football.
After experiencing his time at Gables as a student-teacher, Leopold got married to his wife, Rosalyn Leopold, in 1983. Now well into their marriage, the two balance themselves by lifting each other. Having to get past certain obstacles like building up his public speaking, Leopold believes that overcoming challenges is always possible.
“Growing up, I had a very difficult time reading because I had severe dyslexia. I think in a way, that helped me become successful in how to navigate around disabilities that I still struggle with today, but you find a way to work around them and still prosper,” Leopold said.
Showing his determination to move forward, Leopold marched into Cumberland School of Law in 1984. Maintaining a strong tenacity, it was here that Leopold began practicing law studies. Finishing in 1987, when he received his Juris Doctor degree, Leopold continued with the spirit of a Cavalier as a lawyer.
“It was cool to see how Ted Leopold was reminiscing. This is my 24th year here, so I knew some of the people he mentioned, so it was nice to be able to look back at those memories,” Mrs. Vazquezbello said.
Fast forwarding 39 years later, Leopold is currently a member of the executive committee of Cohen Milstein, covering a broad range of areas, from human rights to consumer protection as a law firm.
Holding close to his interests in making sure people are safe, Leopold additionally serves as co-chair of the Consumer Protection and Complex Tort Litigation practices. Dedicating his efforts to the well-being of consumer safety, Leopold focuses on faulty products, wrongful death and environmental cases in an attempt to raise awareness.
“We are a firm that does a lot of work in human rights work, environmental work and trust litigation, and it is all on the plaintiff side. We are a public advocacy group that focuses on doing public justice work,” Leopold said.
Showing his dedication, lit by the spark that began flaring during his time in Gables, the endless integrity that he was left with in 1976 when he graduated never left his side, with the lessons guiding him. Leopold endeavors to bring his community justice and goodness as a lawyer, but also as a Cavalier, serving as an inspiration for future law-bound students.
“It was moving to see that it doesn’t matter what high school you go to if you want to accomplish something, all you need to do is put your mind to it. Seeing someone that has reached such heights was very encouraging,” sophomore Avril Donner said.
