I always knew I wanted to become an attorney, even at the age of five when I played dress-up with my cousin. We each picked a career and dressed the part. She wore a white coat and dressed as a doctor. I wore one of my mom’s suits, put on her heels, and carried my dad’s briefcase. My cousin asked me why I didn’t want to dress up as a doctor. I told her I do not want to be a doctor, I want to be an attorney! We walked out to the living room introducing each other as Attorney Nassim Arzani and Doctor Sheila Arzani to our parents and grandparents. We told them we have decided our careers and we both stuck to it.

As for the path which led me to Immigration law, my zeal to help immigrants stems from my childhood experiences as an immigrant.  My journey started from Iran to Spain, and ultimately the United States. My family left Iran at the start of the revolution in 1980. We left our beautiful country with just one suitcase and heartfelt memories leaving absolutely everything behind. I have experienced firsthand the sacrifices families make in order to find brighter futures.

I’m a true globetrotter. My passion to explore the world has helped me gain an in-depth understanding of various cultures and their individual needs.  Not only do I represent clients worldwide, but I’m also able to truly understand and relate to them.

When I first started my legal career I was practicing Securities Law which was very lucrative, but not spiritually fulfilling. My background is in accounting, I love numbers and thought I would end up being a CPA Attorney. In 2003, a chance opportunity to do a bond hearing at the San Diego Immigration Court led me to experience first-hand, the incredibly rewarding humane side of Immigration law as opposed to the corporate setting of Securities Law. My special appearance that day left a powerful impression on me. It helped form the “Arzani Philosophy”, the belief that having the right attorney can make a world of difference between helping a client remain united with his/her family or face imminent deportation. That day I quit my job doing Securities Law and the attorney who hired me to do the San Diego bond hearing hired me full time at his firm. Since then I have been helping families make their dreams become reality. For me practicing Immigration law and helping families has become a labor of love.