Andrew Galvin, JD

Adjunct Professor

Andrew Galvin has been an Assistant U.S. Attorney at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California since 2013. He is assigned to the Major Frauds and Special Prosecution section where he prosecutes cases involving white collar crime, public corruption, and organized crime. As a federal prosecutor, Andrew has tried numerous jury trials and has argued before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Andrew has worked on investigations involving extortion, securities fraud, investment fraud, tax evasion, procurement fraud, money laundering, embezzlement, identity theft, mortgage fraud, drug smuggling, and alien smuggling. Most recently, he led the investigation into the Hooligans—a motorcycle gang based in Tijuana charged with conspiring to steal Jeeps and motorcycles throughout San Diego County. Andrew has worked with a host of federal agencies, including the FBI, IRS, DEA, HHS, and ICE. He frequently travels to Mexico City to train local prosecutors on trial advocacy skills.

Prior to becoming a prosecutor, Andrew worked in the Los Angeles office of the international law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. While at Skadden, Andrew’s practice focused almost exclusively on white collar criminal defense. During his time in private practice, Andrew dedicated significant time to pro bono representations. His most rewarding experiences came while defending low-income tenants in unlawful detainer actions. In one such case, Andrew represented an elderly woman living in a rent-controlled apartment who faced eviction from an unscrupulous landlord. Andrew prevailed at trial, and the woman was able to remain in her apartment. In other pro bono matters, Andrew represented an undocumented minor seeking Special Immigrant Juvenile status and a Holocaust survivor seeking reparations from the German Ghetto Work Payment Program.

Andrew graduated from the University of Chicago Law School in 2008. He participated in the law school’s Immigrant Children’s Advocacy Project, where he met weekly with unaccompanied minors in immigration proceedings from Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico. He received a Bachelor of Arts in English from Brigham Young University in 2005.

Andrew was born and raised in Pacific Beach and has lived in Chicago, Los Angeles, Provo, and Concepción, Chile. He currently lives in Point Loma.

Education

  • JD, University of Chicago Law School
  • B.A., Brigham Young University, English

Courses Taught

  • SCJ4023 Constitutional Foundations

  • SCJ4013 Criminal Law

Experience in Field

  • Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California
  • Criminal Defense Attorney for International law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom

Professional and Community Involvement

  • Trainer for local prosecutors on trial advocacy skills in Mexico City, MX
  • Pro Bono Immigration Attorney