The Mexican American Bar Association’s Volunteer Attorney of the Year award is not given for completing simple paperwork. It reflects sustained pro bono work on behalf of clients who would not otherwise have access to legal representation — typically in matters where the stakes, including removal from the country, are as high as they get in immigration practice. Martin P. O’Hara, founder of the Law Office of Martin O’Hara in Los Angeles, earned that recognition from MABA while building a practice that covers the full spectrum of immigration law: from family petitions and adjustment of status to removal defense in Immigration Court, appeals to the Board of Immigration Appeals, and litigation before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Overview
The Law Office of Martin O’Hara is an immigration law firm based in Los Angeles, California. Attorney Martin P. O’Hara (California State Bar #313973) practices exclusively immigration law, representing individuals, families, and organizations before USCIS, the Immigration Court system, the Board of Immigration Appeals, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He is authorized to practice immigration law in all fifty states.
O’Hara earned his undergraduate degree in English Literature from UC Berkeley and his J.D. from USC Gould School of Law. He is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and the Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA). The MABA Volunteer Attorney of the Year award reflects his engagement with the community his practice serves. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Practice Areas
Removal Defense and Deportation Defense. The firm’s core focus is on removal proceedings — cases where the U.S. government is seeking to deport an individual. O’Hara represents respondents in Immigration Court in Los Angeles and handles appeals of Immigration Court decisions to the Board of Immigration Appeals and, where appropriate, to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Removal defense is high-stakes and procedurally complex; the ability to carry a case through federal appellate court sets the firm apart from practitioners who stop at the administrative level.
Asylum. The firm handles asylum claims before both the USCIS Asylum Office (affirmative asylum for individuals not in removal proceedings) and the Immigration Court (defensive asylum for individuals in removal proceedings). Asylum cases require both a thorough understanding of the legal standards for persecution and an ability to build and present a compelling factual record. The firm handles both the preparation and the hearing.
Family Petitions. The firm prepares family-based immigrant petitions for clients seeking to bring immediate relatives or other qualifying family members to the United States. This includes I-130 petitions, priority date management, and preparation for the subsequent visa or adjustment of status process.
Adjustment of Status. For individuals who are eligible to become lawful permanent residents while in the United States, the adjustment of status process allows them to do so without departing for consular processing abroad. The firm handles adjustment applications and accompanying benefits.
Naturalization and Citizenship. The firm assists lawful permanent residents who meet the eligibility requirements for naturalization in completing the application, preparing for the interview, and navigating any issues that arise in the process.
Waivers. Many immigration benefits are blocked by grounds of inadmissibility — prior immigration violations, criminal history, or other bars. The firm prepares waiver applications to overcome these grounds, including discretionary waivers that require demonstrating extreme hardship to qualifying U.S. citizen or permanent resident family members.
U Visas. The U nonimmigrant visa is available to victims of qualifying criminal activity who have suffered abuse and have been, are being, or are likely to be helpful to law enforcement. The firm prepares U Visa petitions for qualifying clients, including the required law enforcement certification.
Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS). SIJS provides a pathway to lawful permanent residence for minors who have been abused, neglected, or abandoned by one or both parents and have been placed under the jurisdiction of a juvenile court. The firm handles SIJS cases, which are among the most sensitive in immigration practice.
Appeals. The firm takes cases to the Board of Immigration Appeals when Immigration Court decisions are unfavorable and continues to the Ninth Circuit when administrative remedies have been exhausted and a federal legal question is present. O’Hara is admitted to the Ninth Circuit, which is a prerequisite for this work.
Attorney Profiles
Martin P. O’Hara is the founder and sole attorney at the firm. He earned his B.A. in English Literature from the University of California, Berkeley, and his J.D. from the USC Gould School of Law. He is admitted to the California State Bar (Bar #313973), the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He is authorized to practice immigration law in all fifty U.S. states. He is a member of AILA and LACBA, and received the MABA (Mexican American Bar Association) Volunteer Attorney of the Year award for his pro bono work. He has represented clients before USCIS, the Immigration Court, the BIA, and the Ninth Circuit.
Location and Service Area
The Law Office of Martin O’Hara is located at 634 South Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90014. Phone: (213) 265-7348. The website is https://martinoharalaw.com/
Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The firm serves Los Angeles and Southern California. As an attorney authorized to practice immigration law in all fifty states and admitted to the Ninth Circuit, O’Hara handles cases that extend beyond the local court footprint.
Client Focus
The firm serves individuals and families facing the full range of immigration challenges: those in removal proceedings, those seeking asylum, those petitioning for family members, and those who have been victimized by crimes and qualify for U Visa protections. The SIJS practice focuses on the most vulnerable segment of the immigration system — minors who have been abused or abandoned. The MABA Volunteer Attorney of the Year award reflects pro bono representation of clients who could not otherwise afford immigration legal services, which suggests the firm is attentive to access across the economic spectrum.
Clients who need federal appellate representation because their immigration court case went badly at the administrative level have in O’Hara an attorney who is admitted to the Ninth Circuit and has experience at that level.
FAQ
What is the difference between affirmative and defensive asylum?
Affirmative asylum is filed by an individual who is not in removal proceedings and submits an application to the USCIS Asylum Office for an interview. Defensive asylum is raised as a defense in Immigration Court when the government has initiated removal proceedings. The legal standard is the same — fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or particular social group — but the procedural posture is different. The Law Office of Martin O’Hara handles both types.
Can the firm handle immigration cases outside of California?
Yes. O’Hara is authorized to practice immigration law in all fifty states. Immigration law is federal, which means attorney licensure in California does not prevent representation before USCIS and the immigration courts in other jurisdictions. For federal court litigation, his Ninth Circuit admission covers cases arising in the western United States.
What happens if my case is denied in Immigration Court?
An Immigration Court decision can be appealed to the Board of Immigration Appeals. If the BIA decision is also adverse and a reviewable legal question exists, the next level is the U.S. Court of Appeals. O’Hara is admitted to the Ninth Circuit and handles immigration appeals at that level for cases arising within the Ninth Circuit’s jurisdiction, which covers California and much of the western United States.
What is Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), and who qualifies?
SIJS is a designation available to minors who have been abused, neglected, or abandoned by one or both parents and have been placed under the jurisdiction of a state juvenile court. A qualifying juvenile court order is a prerequisite, along with a finding that reunification with the abusive or absent parent is not viable and that it would not be in the child’s best interest to be returned to their country of nationality. SIJS leads to lawful permanent residence. The firm handles these cases.
What is the U Visa?
The U nonimmigrant visa is a form of relief for victims of serious crimes who have experienced substantial physical or mental abuse and who are willing to assist law enforcement in investigating or prosecuting the crime. It requires a certification from a law enforcement agency or prosecutor. U Visa holders may eventually apply for lawful permanent residence. The firm prepares U Visa petitions for eligible clients.
Closing
UC Berkeley and USC Gould trained, Ninth Circuit admitted, and recognized by the Mexican American Bar Association for pro bono work on behalf of clients who needed immigration representation and could not pay for it — Martin O’Hara’s practice reflects both the technical depth required to carry immigration cases to federal appellate court and the community orientation that comes from working on behalf of the Los Angeles immigrant population the firm serves.