Daniel Shanfield, Esq.

Founder and President

Notable Facts and Recognitions

Member of the International Law Committee of the American Bar Association
Consulate General of Mexico in San Jose liaison for the Santa Clara Valley Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association
Serves on the Legal Advisory Board of the former Stanford Law School Immigrants’ Rights Clinic

Current Bio:

Daniel Shanfield has succeeded in some of the most difficult immigration cases. Overseas, he led an appeals project to overturn visa denials by the U.S. Consulate and has overseen numerous successful appeals for detained immigrants in the United States. He is a former INS litigation attorney who advised the government on a broad spectrum of immigration law issues and was an adjunct clinical law professor at New York Law School in Downtown Manhattan. He is also a former federal immigration prosecutor, and his experience provided him with in-depth knowledge of the tricks used by immigration. He uses this knowledge to beat immigration “at their own game.” Daniel takes pride in his ability to use his knowledge and experience to the advantage of his clients.

Before entering private practice, Daniel was the Legal Services Manager with the U.S. refugee program in Europe, where he brought immigrants to safety and helped reunite them with loved ones in the United States. Daniel has also served as a migration and refugee advisor to the United Nations and as an attorney overseeing pro bono legal representation for the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, now Human Rights First. His legal knowledge and uncommon insights are the critical difference behind his clients’ success.

Daniel is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law, and UCLA (magna cum laude). He is admitted to practice before the California Supreme Court, the Federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Federal District Court, the Executive Office for Immigration Review, the State Department, and the Department of Homeland Security. He is currently the Consulate General of Mexico in San Jose and Liaison for the Santa Clara Valley Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA SCV). Daniel previously served as AILA SCV Chapter Chair and was Chair of the Immigration Section of the Santa Clara County Bar Association. Daniel enjoys teaching and writing on immigration law topics and is an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and the International Law Committees of the American Bar Association and California State Bar. Daniel holds a deep commitment to pro bono service, serving as an asylum law mentor for the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights in San Francisco and on the Legal Advisory Board of the Stanford Law School Immigrants’ Rights Clinic.

For his efforts on behalf of Northern California’s immigrant community, Daniel has been awarded the Premio Tequio by the Consulate General of Mexico in San Jose.

Education

University of California, San Diego – Political Science (1989 – 1991)
Activities and Societies: Associate Editor, International Tax and Business Law Journal; Member, La Raza Law Students Association
Prosser Award for Research in International Human Rights Law
University of California, Los Angeles – BA in Political Science (1991 – 1993)
Activities and Societies: Member, Pi Sigma Alpha Political Science Honors Society; Legal Services Coordinator, Proyecto de Inmigrantes y Refugiados Latinoamericanos
Magna cum laude, Highest Departmental Honors in Political Science
University of California, Berkeley – School of Law (1993 – 1996)

One of San Jose’s Best Immigration Lawyers in 2024

With nearly 30 years of experience practicing law in California, Daniel Shanfield has been recognized as one of the best lawyers in San Jose, CA, by Forbes. His experience handling immigration matters at a global level makes him one of the premier voices in the industry today. This honor from Forbes only reinforces Mr. Shanfield’s legacy as a champion for all immigrants and his passion for serving the community.