About Shafiel A.
Shafiel A. Karim followed an unusual academic route before entering law. He earned a B.A. in Religious Studies from California State University, Fullerton in 2008, then continued to a master’s degree in the same field at California State University, Long Beach, completed in 2010. He added an MBA in Strategy from Claremont Graduate University in 2012 and finished law school at Southwestern Law School with a J.D. in 2013. The sequence shows a mix of humanities and business training that preceded his legal career.
After law school he moved quickly into private practice. He formed the Law Office of Shafiel A. Karim, P.C. in 2013 and has operated the firm since then. He is admitted to practice in California, in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, and in the District of Columbia. Those admissions shape the geographic reach of his practice.
Karim’s involvement in bar and civic organizations has been steady. He has served as a director of the California Young Lawyers Association since 2016 and has held a director role with the Southwestern Law School Nickel Club since 2014. He also maintains memberships in the Orange County Bar Association, where he has been a member since 2014, and the Los Angeles County Bar Association, where his membership dates to 2013. His activity in these organizations places him in regular contact with peers across several Southern California legal communities.
The variety in Karim’s education suggests a particular approach to problem solving. Training in religious studies emphasizes context and interpretation. The MBA brought strategic planning and organizational thinking. Legal education then added doctrinal and procedural tools. Together they influence how he frames issues and works through cases.
Colleagues and clients have noted his steady presence at local bar events and his interest in mentoring newer lawyers. He has kept his practice small and independent, preferring a model that allows direct client contact and hands-on management of matters. That structure has guided the way his office operates since its founding.
He continues to practice through the Law Office of Shafiel A. Karim, P.C., handling matters in California, in the federal courts of the Central District of California, and those that arise in the District of Columbia.
