Lesley is a graduate of Centre College and the University of Kentucky College of Law. She also holds an M.Phil. in International Relations from the University of Cambridge. Prior to law school, Lesley worked in Washington, D.C. in the office of U.S. Rep. Ed Whitfield, handling energy, environmental, labor, and education issues. After law school, Lesley served as a law clerk on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky and later as a law clerk on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. She then worked in private practice in Louisville. Lesley previously served as General Counsel for the Cabinet.