Jihad M. Smaili

Jihad M. Smaili is a seasoned civil rights and employment lawyer, serving as Principal and Partner at Smaili & Associates, P.C. in Santa Ana, California. With a career spanning over two decades, he has built a respected practice focused on advocating for victims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination. Mr. Smaili also selectively handles personal injury and medical malpractice matters, always championing the rights of those wronged or marginalized.

Mr. Smaili earned his J.D. magna cum laude from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, where he served as a law review editor and received multiple academic honors. He was admitted to the Ohio Bar in 1998, and his early legal career was rooted in public service. He served as an Assistant Attorney General in Ohio’s Corrections Litigation Section and later as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in the General Felony Unit for Cuyahoga County.

Following the events of September 11, 2001, Mr. Smaili shifted to representing plaintiffs in civil rights cases and defending clients facing politically motivated criminal charges and immigration proceedings. In 2006, he relocated to California, working as in-house counsel in the healthcare sector before launching his private practice in 2009.

Mr. Smaili is admitted to practice in both California and Ohio, along with multiple federal district courts and the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, where he has argued cases. He also represents clients nationwide in immigration courts through the Executive Office for Immigration Review Pro Bono Program.

For more than a decade, Jihad M. Smaili has devoted his practice to defending the rights of employees and individuals, using his litigation skills and deep legal insight to pursue justice across a wide range of legal challenges.

Law Office Affiliations

• Principal and Partner, Smaili & Associates, P.C.
• Member, California State Bar
• Member, Ohio State Bar

Licensed State

• California
• Ohio

Education

• Cleveland-Marshall College of Law
  Graduated

Awards & Badges