Born Leneen Kavanagh in Ottawa, Canada, Leneen worked as a medical laboratory technician in Ontario and studied part-time for a Bachelor of Arts before moving to Australia in 1954. In 1955, she married Francis Gerard Forde, the son of the Right Honorable Francis Michael Forde, former Prime Minister of Australia and High Commissioner to Canada. Forde worked in the Haematology Department of Royal Brisbane Hospital for two years prior to full-time legal study following her husband's death in 1966.

She graduated a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Queensland in 1970 and from 1971 was employed as a solicitor at Cannan and Peterson. In 1973, Leneen became the founding President of the Queensland Women Lawyers’ Association. In 1974, she was made a partner at Cannan and Peterson and that same year, represented Queensland in the Australian Women Lawyers’ Association.

In 1992, Leneen Forde was appointed Governor of Queensland, a position she held until 1997.

In 1998, she was appointed Chair of the Commission of Inquiry into the Abuse of Children in Queensland Institutions, a position she held for one year.

At present, Leneen is a member of the National Committee on Human Rights Education, she is the Vice Chair of the National Executive Defence Reserves Support Council and is also the Chancellor of Griffith University.

She has been involved with the following groups and organisations:

• Chair Defence Reserves Support Council 2002-06
• Forde Foundation Advisory Board. 2000-07
• Board Member Starlight Foundation since 2008
• All Hallows School Council (Queensland) since 2008
• Member Board Governor’s Queensland Community Foundation since 2008
• President Scouts Australia 1997-2003
• Vice-President Scouts Australia since 2003
• Board Member Queensland Ballet since 2000
• Chair Queensland Government Forde Foundation 2000-06,
• Brisbane
• College Theology Board 1999-2000
• St Leo’s College Board 1998-2000
• Brisbane City Council Arts and Environment Trust 1999-2000
• Commissioner Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse of Children in Queensland Institutions 1998-99
• Patron Forde Foundation since 2007
• Chaired Queensland Supreme Court Probate Rules Review Committee 1988-1990
• National Pioneer Women’s Hall of Fame since 1999
• President of the Scout Association of Australia
• Convened Queensland Women’s Consultative Council 1991-1992
• Chaired Office of Economic Development for the City of Brisbane 1991-1992
• Member Solicitors’ Disciplinary Tribunal - Queensland Law Society
• Member Queensland University of Technology Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Committee
• Member Queensland University of Technology Council
• Member Queensland Small Business Corporation
• Member. Women Chiefs of Enterprise International since 1989
• Member Zonta Club Brisbane Inc. since 1971
• Member Zonta International Foundation Board 1986-1992
• President Zonta International 1990-92
• Chaired Social Security Appeals Tribunal during 1980’s
• Member Queensland Law Society since 1971
• Member of the Queensland Council for Civil Liberties during 1970’s
• Founder Queensland Women Lawyers Association 1976
• recipient Centenary Medal 2003
• Queenslander of Year Award 1991
• Woman of Substance Award Queensland Girl Guides’ Association 1990
• Paul Harris Fellow Rotary Club Brisbane 1990

Sources used to compile this entry: National Pioneer Women's Hall of Fame, 'Leneen Forde (b1935) ', in Exhibitions - "First in their Field"; Leaders and Founders: Women at the Helm, Northern Territory, 2000, http://www.pioneerwomen.com.au/leadfound.htm; Sleeman, Elizabeth (ed.) (ed.), The International Who's Who of Women: A biographical reference guide to the most eminent, talented and distinguished women in the world, Elizabeth Sleeman Europa Publications, 2002; Supreme Court of Queensland Library, 'Leneen Forde', in Women in the Law in Queensland, Brisbane, 2003, http://www.sclqld.org.au/schp/exhibitions/witl/biographies/forde.htm; White, AnneMarie, Women Who Win, Central Queensland University Press, Rockhampton, 2002.