From Southern Italy to the U.S. Department of Justice
Gianfranco De Girolamo was born and raised in a quaint medieval village in Southern Italy. His journey to the United States began in 2012, and by 2015 he had proudly become a naturalized U.S. citizen — a moment he describes as one of the proudest of his life.
Before settling in Los Angeles, Gianfranco lived across the globe — Mexico, China, and England — gaining a worldview that shapes his empathetic and culturally sensitive approach to law. He personally experienced the immigration process: the fears, the worries, the uncertainty. That firsthand understanding became the foundation of his career.
After earning his Master of Laws (LLM) from UCLA School of Law, Gianfranco served the United States Department of Justice as an Honors Program Attorney Advisor at the Los Angeles immigration court, conducting research, drafting opinions, and advising immigration judges. He was awarded the prestigious Masin Family Academic Excellence Gold Award by UCLA in 2016.
Gianfranco went on to found DGO Legal with his partner Julio Oyhanarte, building one of the most innovative and technology-forward immigration law firms in the country — and later launched Next Level Lawyer to help other attorneys scale their practices through content.
