Graduate Spotlight: Arman A. Salehi '23 Plans to Start His Own Legal Practice

Arman A. Salehi ’23 intends to start his own private legal practice specializ

This story is part of a series of profiles featuring some of this year’s outstanding law school graduates from ��ԭ��.

Drawn to law school by a desire to understand the rules that govern business and financial transactions, Arman A. Salehi ’23 said he plans to launch his own private law practice after graduating with a JD from ��ԭ��.

“After graduation and bar licensure, I will be starting my own legal practice focusing on business and real estate law,” Salehi said.

Salehi gained exposure to multiple practice areas when he took part in the law school’s Corporate Counsel Externship Program, working with attorneys at the (UCOP). He said the UCOP legal team was comparable to a medium-sized, full-service law firm. It included about 50 attorneys working in , including employment, real estate, trusts and estates, intellectual property, procurement, and more. He said, “The invaluable skills and practical knowledge that I gained are ones that I continue to employ today and will continue to implement throughout my life and career.”

Through internships, he also worked with the tech startup and the data integration company , which gave him experience researching, analyzing, and writing about regulatory issues, data privacy, intellectual property, and business laws.

He joined the Iranian Law Students Association, which he said allowed him to connect with students who shared similar backgrounds and cultural upbringing, “I appreciate the priority UC Law SF places on building community through a diverse student body.”

Salehi, who earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from UCLA, said he chose ��ԭ�� because of its top-rated Center on Tax Law and nationally renowned Center for Negotiation and Dispute Resolution.

Born and raised in Southern California, his parents owned and operated a motel. Salehi said he learned the value of hard work from a young age. He used to pitch in to help run the family business – renting rooms to customers, handling guest complaints, and managing the motel’s online presence. “I was taught customer service, accounting and finance principles, and what it took to own, manage, and make a living out of a business,” he said.

Salehi said he learned many important lessons from his Iranian immigrant parents, who went from working as administrators at a trucking company to launching their own businesses in landscaping, construction, transportation, lodging, and real estate. “I am so thankful to my parents and my family for pushing me to strive for success each and every day,” he said. “Without their unconditional love and support, I would not be where I am today.”

At UC Law SF, Salehi said he appreciated the wide range of business-focused law courses that prepared him for his future career. But he said the number-one reason he would recommend ��ԭ�� to prospective students is the faculty, “The level of undivided care, attention, and focus that I have received from my professors across the board has been exemplary and an experience that I will always be grateful for.”

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