About Mark A.
Mark A. Velez combines academic credentials and frontline public safety experience in a career that spans law, administration and teaching. He holds a J.D. from Southwestern Law School (2011), a Ph.D. in Public Administration from the University of Southern California (2006), an MPA from California State University, Dominguez Hills (1997) and a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Redlands (1995). Those degrees form the backbone of a varied professional life.
He began his public service career in law enforcement. Records show he served as Chief of Police in Palos Verdes Estates beginning in 1989. That role placed him in day-to-day operational command and municipal interaction. The transition from police leadership to advanced study in public administration was steady. His doctoral work at USC deepened his grasp of policy, budgets and organizational behavior.
After law school, Velez moved into legal practice and classroom instruction. He earned a J.D. and later set up his own practice, becoming president of the Law Office of Mark A. Velez in 2019. Alongside private practice he has taught at several institutions. His academic posts include adjunct instructor roles at the University of Southern California (2002) and California State University, Dominguez Hills (2015), and an adjunct professor appointment at Pacific Coast University School of Law in 2020. Those teaching positions suggest a continuing link to academic discourse and training.
Velez’s background bridges municipal operations and legal process. Years in police leadership and public administration inform how he approaches regulatory matters, internal investigations and municipal concerns. His experience gives him a practical sense of how local government decisions are made and how they intersect with legal obligations. He brings that perspective into both client representation and classroom discussion.
Colleagues and students have seen him alternate roles: administrator, instructor, lawyer. He has navigated transit from public sector command to solo practice while maintaining ties to legal education. That variety makes for a practice informed by real-world administration and courtroom preparation alike.
He currently practices at the Law Office of Mark A. Velez, where he handles legal matters that intersect with public safety, municipal governance and administrative law.
