Matthew H. Springmeyer

Career Highlights

• Firm Founder and Direct Representation: Founded the Law Office of Matthew H. Springmeyer, which has served the greater San Diego area since 2015. Clients work directly with Springmeyer throughout their cases, and the practice maintains offices in San Diego and Chula Vista while handling immigration matters nationwide.
• Criminal–Immigration Crossover Practice: Built his practice around the intersection of criminal defense and immigration law, helping noncitizens confront both the immediate criminal charge and the separate consequences it may create for lawful status, removal proceedings, or future immigration relief.
• Federal Appellate and Expert-Witness Experience: Presented oral argument before the Ninth Circuit in Goulart v. Garland and testified as an immigration-law expert in proceedings later examined by the California Court of Appeal in People v. Escalera, addressing how a criminal conviction affected eligibility for protection from removal.
• Experience Across Multiple Legal Institutions: Completed legal work with the San Diego County Public Defender’s Multiple Conflicts Office, the Legal Aid Society of San Diego’s pro bono clinics, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California’s Narcotics Enforcement Section, and Magistrate Judge Ruben B. Brooks as a federal judicial extern.
• Distinguished Law-School Record: Finished among the top ten students in his graduating class, appeared on the Dean’s Honor List every trimester, received Pro Bono and Public Service honors for extensive volunteer service, and co-chaired the Community Outreach Committee.
• Law-Journal Leadership: Served as executive notes and comments editor of the California Western International Law Journal and as a member of the California Western Law Review.
• Sustained Professional Recognition: Selected to Rising Stars annually from 2018 through 2024, included by Forbes Advisor among notable San Diego immigration lawyers, and recognized by The National Trial Lawyers through its Top 40 Under 40 program.
• Immigration Pro Bono Service: Recognized as a 2023 Pro Bono Champion by the American Bar Association Commission on Immigration for volunteering legal assistance to people facing immigration proceedings.
• Exceptional Client Feedback: Maintains a personally verified 5.0-star Google rating based on 51 reviews for the selected San Diego office.

Proven Experience

• $3,000 Immigration Bond Granted: Challenged the government’s position that an immigration judge lacked authority even to consider bond for a detained client. The judge determined that the court had authority to decide the issue and set bond at $3,000, creating a path for the client’s release while the immigration matter continued.
• Green Card Protected Through Termination of Removal Proceedings: Represented a green-card holder whose drug convictions had triggered removal proceedings. Springmeyer established that the offenses did not make the client deportable under the applicable law, and the immigration court terminated the proceedings.
• Withholding of Removal Granted Over Government Opposition: Secured withholding of removal for a client whose history included prior theft offenses. The immigration court granted protection despite the government’s objection, preventing removal to the country covered by the order.
• Immigration Victories Across Ten States: Has won asylum and other immigration matters in California, Washington, Nevada, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Colorado, and Louisiana, demonstrating experience representing clients well beyond Southern California.
• Felony Hit-and-Run Reduced After an 11–1 Trial Vote: Took a felony hit-and-run case involving a death to trial after prosecutors refused to consider anything short of a felony. Eleven jurors voted not guilty, producing a hung jury. Springmeyer then secured a misdemeanor resolution without reference to the death, and the client received no jail time.
• Felony Hit-and-Run and DUI Reduced With No Jail: Represented a client charged with felony hit-and-run and DUI while already on probation for an earlier DUI. The matter was reduced to disturbing the peace, and the client avoided jail.
• Ten-Year Prison Sentence Reduced to Home Confinement: Filed a compassionate-release motion under the First Step Act for a client serving a 10-year federal drug sentence. The court reduced the sentence to six years of home confinement.
• Probation Reinstated and Additional Jail Avoided: Helped a client facing consequences from two DUI convictions and an incomplete probation sentence obtain reinstatement, allowing the client to complete the existing requirements without additional jail time or fees.
• DUI Expungement After Prior Failed Attempts: Obtained expungement of a DUI conviction after another firm’s earlier attempts had failed. The client credited the result with removing an obstacle that had been limiting opportunities for professional advancement.
• Early Expungement of Two DUI Convictions: Secured early expungement of two DUI convictions on the first attempt, providing the client with meaningful relief from the continuing effects of the criminal record.