Today we’d like to introduce you to Afshin Mozaffari.
Hi Afshin, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I immigrated to California from Tehran, Iran, at the age of 17, leaving behind my immediate family, friends, and a fairly privileged life.
Almost immediately, I started working a minimum wage job at a local grocery store and signed up for ESL (English as a Second Language) classes at the local community college (Saddleback College). I was staying with my wonderful aunt’s family in Laguna Niguel, Orange County, at the time where I stayed for about a year or two before moving into a small apartment with a roommate.
I continued attending classes at Saddleback college and working low-paying jobs. I eventually transferred to Cal Poly Pomona, where I majored in Philosophy — I wanted to go to law school and concluded that Philosophy would be the kind of difficult major I needed to prepare me for law school, especially because of my language limitations at the time.
I got my Bachelor’s Degree from Cal. Poly Pomona within 1.5 years. Thanks to some great professors, I thrived at Cal. Poly. I was part of the inaugural Philosophy Debate Team and won a regional Ethics Bowl Competition for a philosophy essay I wrote advocating for legalization of same-sex marriage, which was a hot topic in 2005.
I got admitted to Law School in 2006. In law school, I rose to Articles’ Editor of Law Review, served as a Judicial Extern at the Federal District Court, to the late Honorable Judge Ronald S. W. Lew. and published a Law Review Article, entitled NSA’s Warrantless Surveillance Controversy, 31 Whittier L.Rev. 133 (2009).
I graduated from law school, magna cum laude, on the top 7% of my graduating class and moved to Brentwood, Los Angeles. But it was unusually tough job market following the economic crash of 2008. Nevertheless, I was lucky to get a job at a business litigation law firm in Long Beach. I commuted from Los Angeles to Long Beach for work for about a year and a half.
Although I learned so much from that first job, business litigation was not a good fit for me. I always wanted to be a lawyer to speak on behalf of those who couldn’t speak up for themselves. That was my idea of what a lawyer was — one who stood up for the underdog. That was always my orientation since as long as I remember, at least since grade school.
As a young lawyer, you work long hours. Often 60+ hours a week. But I needed to do more. So I started doing extracurricular work and networking after work and on weekends. I volunteered on a significant case advocating for due process rights of an Afghani prisoner of war who was being held in Guantanamo Bay without trial. I also worked pro bono on cases working to obtain legal status for undocumented kids who were brought to the United States as children.
It was clear to me that representing the people was my calling. In 2012, I started my own Private Public Interest Law Firm, Mozaffari Law, to focus on civil rights in employment and litigating discrimination, sexual harassment, whistleblower retaliation and wrongful termination cases.
Within a few years, I earned the trust and respect of other attorneys in the community and developed a reputation for excellence. I have become a lifetime member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum; received the prestigious “AV” Rating from Martindale Hubbell; and been recognized as a Super Lawyer by the Super Lawyers Magazine every year from 2020 to 2025; The Best Lawyers in the area of Employment Law from 2022 to 2025; Top 40 Under 40 Attorneys by the National Advocates from 2015 to 2020; and a Rising Star from 2015 to 2019.
I serve on the Executive Committee of the Labor & Employment Law Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA) and Co-Chair the Saturday Seminar Committee. I also serve on the Board of FAIR (Foundation for Advocacy Inclusion & Resources) and am a member of the Legislative Committee of the California Employment Lawyers Association.
I live in Santa Monica with my 12-year old daughter who is the light of my life.
Skiing and flying airplanes are also big parts of my life. I have been an avid skier since I was about 6 years old and have skied in some awesome places like Chile and Canada, and soon, Chamonix, France.
I am a private pilot and fly a 4-seater airplane out of Santa Monica Airport (SMO). I fly throughout California and surrounding states for work, or for daily or weekend adventures with friends and family.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I moved to the United States at 17, without much resources and not speaking any English, etc.
I started my own law practice in 2012 with the vision that it would be a Private Public Interest Law Firm. The firm is now thriving and we litigate significant, high stakes and righteous cases against the biggest corporations and their law firms.
I have been a single dad (half the time) since my daughter was a 1.5, while managing my law practice and career. Carrying for her, traveling, skiing, flying with her have been the absolute pride and joy of my life.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I started my own law practice in 2012 with the vision that it would be a Private Public Interest Law Firm. The firm is now thriving and we litigate significant, high stakes and righteous cases against the biggest corporations and their law firms.
In 2012, I started my own law firm, Mozaffari Law, to focus on civil rights in employment and litigating discrimination, sexual harassment, whistleblower retaliation and wrongful termination cases. Within a few years, I earned the trust and respect of other attorneys in the community and developed a reputation for excellence.
I have become a lifetime member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum; received the prestigious “AV” Rating from Martindale Hubbell; and been recognized as a Super Lawyer by the Super Lawyers Magazine every year from 2020 to 2025; The Best Lawyers in America in the area of Employment Law from 2022 to 2025; Top 40 Under 40 Attorneys in the area of employment law by the National Advocates from 2015 to 2020; and a Rising Star from 2015 to 2019.
I serve on the Executive Committee of the Labor & Employment Law Section of the Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA) and co-chair the Saturday Seminar Committee. I also serve on the Board of FAIR (Foundation for Advocacy Inclusion and Resources) and am a member of the Legislative Committee of the California Employment Lawyers Association.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Unfortunately, more and more law firms treat the practice of law as purely a business rather than a profession. Lawyers take too many cases and as a result, can’t dedicate the time and attention that significant employment law cases require.
Corporations and their defense law firms refuse to take responsibility; deny and stonewall in litigation and discovery and create delays hoping to frustrate and weaken the resolve of individuals seeking justice.
Contact Info:
- Website: Mozaffarilaw.com
- Instagram: IG @mozaffarilaw
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afshin-mozaffari-3574b016/
