About Derek J.
Derek J. Poulsen earned a B.S. in sociology from Utah State University in 2005 and went on to receive his J.D. from Creighton University School of Law in 2014. He entered law school after several years following his undergraduate degree and completed his legal studies in the mid-2010s. His membership in the J. Reuben Clark Law Society began after law school and has continued since 2014.
His legal experience began with a legal internship at the Utah First District Court in 2012. He returned to the same office as a law clerk in 2013 while completing law school. After passing into private practice he joined Jason Finch and Associates, P.C., LLO, where he worked as a lawyer starting in 2016. That early phase of his career allowed him to move from clerkship duties into full attorney responsibilities.
In 2018 he became a lawyer with Wilner & O Reilly, working in the Orange office. Two years later Poulsen took on a leadership role at the firm. Beginning in 2020 he served as managing lawyer for Wilner & O Reilly’s San Diego office. In that role he handled supervisory duties and day-to-day management alongside client work, overseeing office operations while remaining involved in case handling.
Poulsen is licensed to practice in both Iowa and Nebraska. His registration in those jurisdictions underpins his broader practice, which has been concentrated at Wilner & O Reilly since his move to that firm. He retains professional affiliations through the J. Reuben Clark Law Society and other local legal networks.
Throughout his career Poulsen has built experience in matters handled by Wilner & O Reilly, a firm known for immigration practice. His move from associate roles into a managing position reflects a trajectory from entry-level legal work toward leadership in a specialized firm environment. Colleagues describe him as steady and practical in approach, and he has spent recent years balancing supervisory responsibilities with client representation.
He continues to work from Wilner & O Reilly and is based in the firm’s Southern California operations. He currently practices immigration law at Wilner & O Reilly.
