He began his career as a Deputy Public Defender in San Diego, and later, in Los Angeles. He established his private practice in Pasadena in 1998, and he has served as President of the Los Angeles Criminal Courts Bar Association (2006) and is an active member of the Beverly Hills Bar Association and Mexican American Bar Association. He has served as "Criminal Justice Act" (CJA) Panel attorney in Federal court. He has also been qualified as Federal Death Penalty Trial Counsel.