Dr. Leonard Taylor is a lecturer in law, with an LLM and PhD in human rights law from the Irish Centre for Human Rights. He researches on human rights law, the history of human rights and political Catholicism.  Leonard was previously a lecturer at the Irish Centre for Human Rights. Leonard worked as a Research Project Manager for the Irish Section of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRANET-Ireland). He managed data collection and research services on fundamental rights issues in Ireland for the EU Fundamental Rights Agency. He was also a lecturer in law at the Irish Centre for Human Rights (NUI Galway), where he coordinated the Bachelor of Arts BA Connect (with Human Rights).

He has recently published a monograph with Cambridge University Press, titled Catholic Cosmopolitanism and Human Rights. This work details the contribution and relationship between the growth of human rights ideas and Catholic jurisprudence and legal tradition that developed from the middle ages to the present time.

Leonard has presented in a number of international conferences with a focus on the history of human rights and political Catholicism. In the past Leonard has taught modules in human rights law, and economic, social and cultural rights, and in business law.  He currently lectures in law, political theory and social justice, human rights and policy, and corporate social responsibility, in both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.   

Leonard has been a member of development teams for an undergraduate BA Business and Law degree (QQI level 8), a postgraduate MA in Professional Leadership (QQI level 9), and a postgraduate MA in Social Work (QQI level 9), where he developed modules in law, professional ethics, and corporate social responsibility. Leonard is also a membership of IT Sligo Research Ethics Committee. Leonard is currently an external examiner for Health and Social Care undergraduate programmes in the School of Science of Letterkenny Institute of Technology. 

Leonard is a member of the Irish Association of Law Teachers (2020-2021), the Law and Society Association (LSA) (2020-2021), the International Consortium for Law and Religion Studies (ICLARS) (2020-2021), and the Law and Religion Scholars Network (LARSN) (2020-2021).