The State Bar of California is warning of unauthorized practice of law after a two-year investigation into a Tustin immigration attorney found he allegedly is not licensed to practice law in the United States.
A State Bar investigation of the law practice of John Minnella of Tustin began in 2024 after a former client filed a complaint, alleging he paid $4,500 for a work permit through an asylum application, which he never received.
The Spanish-speaking client said in 2011, he signed a retainer agreement written in English that he did not understand. After paying for services, he waited for years for an asylum application that was never filed, according to the State Bar…