LeRoy Potts, the founder of Potts Polaris Advisory, is a seasoned policy professional with deep government experience who began his career as an aide to the late U.S. Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania. Potts had significant roles in the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security. He is well-positioned to help clients address questions about compliance with US and EU forced labor laws and due diligence strategies.

As the Director of the Entity List Office (2023–2025), Mr. Potts directed a research team that enforced the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) and designated entities linked to forced labor in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, ensuring that goods mined, produced, or manufactured with forced labor did not enter the U.S. market.

From 2008 to 2023, he served as Chief of the Research Division in the Refugee, Asylum, and International Operations Directorate and directed a team producing open-source intelligence that supported over 1,500 officers in adjudicating complex refugee and asylum cases.

He was the managing editor of the State Department’s Congressionally mandated annual human rights report. In the Office of Inspector General, Potts honed his investigative skills by inspecting some of the largest and most complex U.S. diplomatic posts, including U.S. Embassies and consulates in China and Mexico.

Mr. Potts holds a B.A. from Colgate University in International Relations and Political Science, an M.P.A. from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, and a J.D. from The George Washington University School of Law, where he served as Associate Articles Editor of the International Law Review.