RAJAN JOSHI
Partner
Defense and Immigration Attorney
Rajan Joshi received his Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree from the University
of Central Florida and his Juris Doctorate (JD) with Honors from the University of Florida College Of Law, after having received honors
each semester while in law school. While still a law student, Mr. Joshi interned at the Seminole County’s Office of
the State Attorney and later at the Alachua County Office of the State Attorney.
After law school, Mr. Joshi scored among the top five highest scores in the entire State of Florida for the Florida Bar Exam. Based on his outstanding Bar Exam scores and his multiple academic achievements, Mr. Joshi was selected by the Chief Judge of the Fifth District Court of Appeals to be the Valedictorian Speaker at the October 2000 Induction Ceremony for newly sworn lawyers.
Rajan Joshi started his legal career as a prosecutor in Jacksonville, Florida, where he prosecuted and further developed his trial skills over a four year period. In less than a year he was quickly promoted to prosecute felony cases. Soon thereafter he was promoted to the Repeat Offender Court, where he prosecuted habitual felony offenders (repeat offenders) for extremely serious crimes. In 2003, Rajan Joshi received the Jury Trial Award for having tried more jury trials than any other prosecutor in the Fourth Judicial Circuit, which included Duval, Clay and Nassau Counties. He also litigated numerous post-conviction motions. As a prosecutor, Mr. Joshi also trained law enforcement officers for courtroom and trial preparation.
In 2004, after leaving the State Attorney’s Office, Mr. Joshi worked for an AV rated law firm in Jacksonville and dedicated his practice to criminal defense. In 2006, he returned to Central Florida, where he grew up and where his family has lived for thirty years. Shortly after returning to Central Florida, he joined the prestigious law firm of NeJame, Lafay, Jancha, Vara and Barker, P.A. His legal talents and skills were quickly recognized and he was soon elevated to Partner in less than a year. The firm’s name was then changed to NeJame, Lafay, Jancha, Vara, Barker and Joshi, P.A. He has tried and handled all types of cases from misdemeanors to felonies punishable by life in prison. He practices in all areas of criminal defense, both State and Federal, including post-conviction relief matters. Mr. Joshi’s practice also concentrates on motions to overturn prior criminal convictions of non-citizens who are facing deportation as a result of their prior criminal convictions; some which if not vacated, can lead to the automatic removal or deportation of a non-citizen.
Mr. Joshi’s practice is dedicated to both criminal defense and immigration law. He first became interested in immigration law through his personal experience of handling his wife’s immigration and citizenship case from India. His diverse immigration background has included handling cases involving everything from allegations of an employer illegally hiring Chinese nationals, to allegations of marriage fraud and multiple cases of clients facing deportation. His background, knowledge and experience regarding post-conviction relief and motions to vacate prior sentences is especially relevant and critical to many immigration matters regarding deportation.
In addition to English, Mr. Joshi speaks Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu.
MEMBER:
- Central Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- American Immigration Lawyers Association
- Central Florida Immigration Lawyer’s Association
- Florida Bar Association
- Orange County Bar Association
- South Asian Bar Association
- Phi Delta Phi Legal Honors Fraternity
- Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity
- Legal advisor to American Association of Physicians from India (AAPI)
- Orlando Indian American Chamber of Commerce
