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Daniel E. Chavez
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Daniel E. Chavez
Law Office of Daniel E Chavez
407 C Street
Petaluma, CA 94952
Phone: (707) 775-4531 | Fax: (707) 775-4539
http://www.danchavez.com
We Fight For Your Rights! - Su abogado de confianza
Legal Topic
Immigration
Preferred New Clients
My preference is to work with intending immigrants and their families to strengthen America and to show everyone that immigration works. After all, it's who we are. I also take great satisfaction in representing people who are facing deportation.
Sub-Categories
Immigration
- Citizenship or Naturalization
- Removal or Deportation
- Employer Work Visas
- Permanent Resident (Green Card)
- Political Asylum & Refugees
- Undocumented Workers
- Visas
Bar Admissions
CA, Dec 1979
Bar Number: 90854
Specialty Certifications
Immigration and Nationality Law
Other Court Admissions
California Supreme Court; U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit; California Superior and Municipal Courts
Association Memberships
California State Bar
Continuing Education
I have logged many more hours than required of continuing education by the California Board of Legal Specialization of the State Bar of California in Immigration and Nationality Law, mostly at intense four-day yearly seminars put on by the American Immigration Lawyers Association at various locations around the country.
Papers and Publications
I have penned many, many legal briefs on all matters pertaining to Immigration and Nationality Law before the Executive Office for Immigration Reviews courts, the Board of Immigration Appeals and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Example Cases
I have won hard-fought political asylum cases for clients from El Salvador, Guatemala and Peru at the U.S. Court of Appeals of the Ninth Circuit by convincing the federal court to reverse denials by the Immigration Courts and the Board of Immigration Appeals.
Education
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
School:
University of California at Berkeley
City:
Berkeley
State:
CA
Year:
1971
Honors:
Dean's List
Focus and Accomplishments:
Prepared for law school and beyond.
Degree:
Juris Doctor
School:
Martin Luther King, Jr. School of Law at the University of California Davis
City:
Davis
State:
CA
Year:
1975
Focus and Accomplishments:
I participated in internships at an immigration practice locally and with the Agricultural Labor Relations Board and Milwaukee Legal Services and with Assemblyman Art Torres at the state capitol while in law school.
Number of Attorneys
1
State Licensed In
California
Firm Focus and History
We focus on fighting for the rights of the least protected members of the society - the undocumented worker - as well as on diligently representing people from all walks of life that come to us for assistance with their immigration questions.
Previous Employment Summary
I worked for an attorney friend of my father's for a while in San Francisco, CA and then I began my own firm in San Francisco in 1982. After about twenty years on my own in San Francisco, I added a satellite office in San Rafael, CA and finally I settled down in Petaluma to be near my family, which consists of my wife, a fourth grader and three college students and my widower father-in-law. We also have a four-month-old granddaughter living with us making us a four generation household.
Activities and Awards
I have performed volunteer work for several unions in the area and I also conduct orientations and do free consultations at several local churches as the need arises. I am also involved with the American Immigration Lawyers Association annual essay contest for fifth graders which gives prizes for the best essays submitted by local students on "Why I'm Glad That America is a Land of Immigrants."
What is your opinion regarding clients educating themselves on legal issues?
I believe that it is very important in my area to be self-educated because immigration law has always been rife with exploitation of the vulnerable and the gullible by "notarios" and so-called legal consultants and yes, even some actual attorneys, who promise the moon to the community, take their money and all too often, leave them worse off than they were when they began. Besides, everyone wins including us when our clients "help us to help them." For instance, the client knows certain facts that aren't in the files and that information can often make a huge difference. Therefore, we work hard to earn our clients' trust so that we are sure to get all of the relevant facts from the start.
Are you willing to review documents prepared by clients?
We are very willing. Many of our clients come to us from long distances and they need for us to review something. That's where the fax, email and the phone come in. We can answer many questions by reviewing their documents.
Are you willing to coach clients who want to represent themselves?
We coach clients who want to represent themselves all of the time, especially if it doesn't involve the courts. Many come in to have us review their immigration forms and to ask for advice on how to answer certain questions that may come up at their interview before the Department of Homeland Security.
Why did you decide to be a lawyer?
The biblical name, Daniel, means judge but I guess I've always had a desire to advocate for the causes I believe in and I decided at a pretty young age that I wanted to be the first lawyer in my family.
What work experience and education helps you be a better lawyer?
Long before I started my own law practice I had put myself in positions to meet and to help immigrants, especially farm workers, in Wisconsin and California. I related to the social issues espoused by folksingers such as Woody Guthrie, Peter Seeger and Bob Dylan and I believe just as strongly today that immigration works for America and that we are a great nation precisely because, to a greater extent than most cultures and societies, we are a nation of immigrants.
Why did you decide on your primary area of practice?
My father took the family to Medellin, Colombia when I was a small boy to teach Animal Husbandry at the college level. Consequently, I learned Spanish before I learned English. He later became the Chief Clerk of the Public Works Committee at the U.S. Capitol for his cousin, the late Senator Dennis Chavez of New Mexico. He thus inculcated in me a desire to serve those who needed help the most.
What do you like best about your career?
I get great satisfaction from applying the law to the facts to accomplish the goals of my clients.
Tell us about your law firm:
My long time assistant, Catalina Castro, is herself an immigrant from Mexico City. She is an incredible "people person" who genuinely takes a great interest in each and every person she meets. She knows her job and the law incredibly well and she has a passion and a flair for what she does. She'd be the first person to tell you that she wouldn't change her job for the world. Many people have congratulated me for the wonderful assistant of mine who greeted them on the phone. Cathy truly handles her "mission" with panache and compassion.
What are your strengths and style?
My travels in South America, Mexico and the many immigrant communities in the U.S. have given me an appreciation for the immigrant as a person, and my travels, training, and experiences as an immigration attorney have give me the experience and know-how to traverse the tricky waters of Immigration and Nationality law.
I am very hands on. I keep my overhead low and, thus, my prices are reasonable and quite competitive. People can always talk to the "lawyer" directly without confronting lawyers of "gatekeepers" the way they do with some firms. I often get invited to celebrate a victor over tamales or what not.
Personal Interests:
I enjoy salsa, swimming, coaching baseball, family, church and my I-Pod.
Office Manager/Assistant
Catalina Castro
Fax
(707) 775-4539
Office Hours
Monday through Friday
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Emergency After Hours
Yes
Foreign Languages
Spanish
Fixed-Price Services and Fees
Almost all of our cases are done on a fixed price. We give a written contract to our clients that spells out the rights and responsibilities of both parties, e.g., the attorney and the client.
Hourly Rates
We don't use hourly rates generally. In the rare instance where it would serve the parties, we would have to negotiate the amount.
Free Initial Consultation?
$100 for an in-person consultation, and if we take the case further, that fee is absorbed into our retainer since we don't charge our clients for consultations. Phone consultations are free.
Typical Retainer
Anywhere from $300 to $3,000 depending on the type of case.
Nolo's Licensing Check
Attorneys have passed a licensing check. Nolo has confirmed that every member attorney has a valid license and is in good standing with the applicable bar associations upon joining the directory.
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