Leana S. Taing

Lecturer in Law
Last Updated: August 12, 2024

Taing is a deputy county counsel for the Los Angeles County Office of Counsel. In 2017, Taing contributed to dependency case law in California on the issue of language access through In re J.P., 14 Cal. App. 5th 616 (2017). The appellate court reversed the trial court’s decision and quoted the arguments made by Taing as trial counsel in its published decision. The case ensures that parents have the right to meaningful language access in the disposition of their dependency cases.

In addition, Taing teaches Legal Writing as a Lecturer in Law for USC Gould School of Law. She earned her JD from UCLA School of Law. She specialized in Critical Race Studies and Public Interest Law & Policy Program. Taing earned her B.A. in Political Science from UC Berkeley.

Taing is an executive officer of the Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles (WLALA) and the WLALA Foundation. She is a past president of the Asian Pacific American Women Lawyers Alliance (APAWLA) and continues to serve on its board of governors. Taing serves on the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Council for Diversity in the Educational Pipeline as the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) liaison.

Taing is a recipient of the 2024 ABA “On the Rise” – Top 40 Young Lawyers Award, a prestigious national honor in recognition of exceptional achievement, innovation, vision, leadership and commitment to both legal and community service. She is also a fellow of the American Bar Foundation.

Taing is the first in her family to go to law school and become an attorney. Her family fled the Cambodian genocide and started anew in Stockton, California. Their experiences compelled her to become a public interest attorney and dedicate herself to public service. As a part of her legal journey, Taing assisted the Office of the Co-Prosecutor in the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) to prosecute Khmer Rouge leaders for crimes against humanity and genocide. She interned for the United Nations in Phnom Penh, Cambodia as a part of the international team and was the only international member with Cambodian heritage.