Immigration And Criminal Defense Lawyers

Robert F. Jacobs

Robert F. Jacobs

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Practice Areas

  • Immigration & Naturalization
  • Criminal Defense

Biography

Robert F. Jacobs has dedicated the last 25 years of his life, since 1998, to primarily immigrants and their families obtain immigration status in the United States or protect them from deportation. He believes for most of the clients before him, saving an immigrant family member from deportation not only benefits that person and their family, friends and employer, but also society in general.

As an immigration attorney, in 2007, the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization awarded him the recognition of a Certified Specialist in Immigration Law, after demonstrating a wide range of immigration law experience and education, and passing a comprehensive exam. Other honors include Thompson Reuters naming him a Super Lawyer Rising Star in 2011 (limited to the top 5% of all attorneys) and a Super Lawyer from 2016-2024.

As a criminal defense attorney, The National Trial Lawyers Association named Robert Jacobs a Top 100 Criminal Defense Attorney and before that a Top 40 Under 40 Criminal Defense Attorney. 

His court representation of immigration clients has taken him to 16 different courthouses in seven different states. Appearances before the USCIS have been in six different offices throughout California and offices in three other states. He has also appeared in criminal courthouses all over the state between San Diego and San Francisco, and criminal judges in 10 different Counties throughout California have granted his Motions to Vacate convictions, including Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Orange, Riverside, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Kern and Merced.

Robert Jacobs has been recruited to lecture or be the moderator at 15 Continuing Legal Education Seminars teaching other immigration and criminal attorneys about the law. He has conducted appeals for both immigration cases and criminal post-conviction relief before six different immigration appellate courts and five criminal appellate divisions, resulting in five published court decisions. He also presented 11 oral arguments before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and five before criminal appeals panels.

Prior to practicing law, Attorney Jacobs has been attaining education and experience that has helped him successfully represent his clients.

In College, majoring in Economics and Political Science with a Pre-Law emphasis prepared him well for managing his office. The tournaments for his College Debate and Forensics team, experience as a Student Government Senator and the Student Government President, and a full-time summer internship with the Governor of Wisconsin in the State Capital were invaluable. He also was also an active member of both a Business and Social Fraternity and a runner on the National Championship and National Runner-Up NCAA cross country and track teams. Finally, Robert Jacobs graduated with Highest Honors and received the Award at graduation presented to the top graduate in the College of Business.

After College, Robert Jacobs attended Marquette Law School after earning a Dean’s Scholarship. He was later on the Marquette Law Review and the Dean’s List. He obtained experience working part time at both a small and medium sized law firm for two and a half years during law school, while also finding time to participate in Moot Court, the Pro Bono Society, PAD, and attend most of the Marquette college basketball games.

After Law School, Attorney Jacobs became licensed to practice law in California, Wisconsin, and even the United States Supreme Court. In 2002, he opened his own law practice in Downey, California before moving it to the present location in Santa Fe Springs near the Norwalk Courthouse in 2007.

Robert Jacobs has actively participated in the Los Angeles County Bar Association since 1997 and has been on the Executive Committee of the Immigration Law Section since 2006. In that capacity he has served on the Liaison Committees of the Executive Office for Immigration Review (Immigration Judges), Immigrant and Customs Enforcement (ICE, Government Attorneys), and the United States Citizenship & Immigrant Services (USCIS, Immigration Administrative Offices). He has been an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and attended over 18 National Conventions for Continuing Legal Education every summer since 2000. He has also served on the Executive Boards of both the Mexican American Bar Association and the Southeast District Bar Association, and is the current President of the Southeast District Bar Association.

In his spare time, he volunteers as an active member of the Kiwanis Noon Club of Downey, travels, and is a Boston Marathon Qualifier.

Education

  • Marquette University Law School, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
    • J.D. - 1997
    • Honors: Moot Court
    • Honors: Pro Bono Society
    • Honors: CALI Excellence for the Future Award in Publicly Held Corporations
    • Honors: Dean's List
  • University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
    • B.S. - 1994
    • Honors: Highest Honors
    • Honors: Student Government President
    • Major: Economics
    • Major: Political Science
    • Major: Pre-Law

Bar Admissions

  • Wisconsin, 1997
  • U.S. District Court Eastern District of Wisconsin, 1997
  • California, 1998
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 2001
  • U.S. District Court Central District of California, 2002
  • U.S. District Court Southern District of California, 2003
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit, 2003
  • Supreme Court of the United States of America, 2015

Representative Cases

  • In Re Martinez-Recinas, 23 I&N Dec. 175 (BIA 2001)
  • Jimenez-Angeles v. Ashcroft, 291 F.3d 594 (9th Cir. 2002)
  • Valencia-Fragoso v. INS, 321 F.3d 1204 (9th Cir. 2003)
  • Severiano-Vasquez v. Holder, 590 F.3d 1053 (9th Cir. 2010)
  • Cruz-Betansos v. Barr, 928 F.3d 1133 (9th Cir. 2019)

Fraternities or Sororities

  • Phi Alpha Delta
  • Delta Sigma Phi
  • Delta Sigma Pi

Professional Associations

  • Los Angeles County Bar Association, 1997 to Present
  • American Immigration Lawyers Association, 1999 to Present
  • Mexican American Bar Association, 2001 to Present
  • Southeast District Bar Association, 2002 to Present
  • Southeast District Bar Association, President, 2023 to Present

Certified Legal Specialties

  • Immigration Law, State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization, 2007

Current Employment Position

  • Owner

Honors

  • Super Lawyers (Thompson Reuters) – Southern California Immigration Lawyer
  • Super Lawyers (Thompson Reuters) – Southern California Rising Star, Immigration Lawyer
  • The American Society of Legal Advocates – Top 100 Immigration Lawyers in California
  • The National Trial Lawyers Association – Top 40 Under 40
  • The National Trial Lawyers - Top 100 Trial Lawyers

Languages

  • Spanish