José M. González

José Gonzalez was born and raised in Nacogdoches, Texas. In 2006, he graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA) with a Bachelor of Arts degree in criminal justice with a second major in Spanish. While attending SFA, José frequently appeared on the Dean’s list and was inducted into the Alpha Phi Sigma Criminal Justice Honor Society.

Before attending law school, Jose joined the staff at the Haglund law Firm in 2006 where he served as a legal assistant to Mr. Haglund. After almost two years of exposure to the practice of law José decided to pursue his law degree. 

José is a May, 2011 graduate of Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University with honors.  During his law school career he had many honorary academic achievements and accomplishments, including:

• Cum Laude Graduate of Thurgood Marshall School of Law
• CALI* Award for Oil and Gas Law
• Recipient of the Buck Wynne Scholarship awarded by the Texas State Bar Environmental Law Section for being the highest grading student for the Fall semester of 2010
• Recipient of the  2010-2011 Law Student Scholarship awarded by the Houston Bar Association, Oil, Gas & Mineral Law Section
• CALI* Award for Family Based Immigration Law
• Recipient of the Rhoda Matiru Award for Family Based Immigration as an Outstanding Accomplishment
• President’s List
• Dean’s List

*CALI Award is an honorary achievement equivalent and/or comparable to the American Jurisprudence (Am. Jur.) Award issued by many other law schools throughout the United States.

Even before entering law school José had a keen interest in U.S. Immigration and Nationality law. In furtherance of his desire to eventually practice in the field, José dedicated the majority of his elective course hours in law school to the discipline while at the same time fulfilling the full-time required course load. Upon graduating from law school, José had earned fifteen (15) credit course hours in the area of Immigration and Nationality law. Courses taken and completed in the area of Immigration and Nationality law included:

• Introduction to Immigration Law
• Crime and Immigration
• Family Based Immigration
• Employment Based Immigration
• Political Asylum and Refugee Law
• Independent Research of Texas Criminal Offenses Constituting Crimes Involving Moral Turpitude for Immigration Law Purposes

Although not a law school requirement, José voluntarily attended and observed several hours of immigration removal hearings before immigration law judges at immigration law trial courts of the Executive Office of Immigration Review in Houston, Texas. His observations included master calendar and merit hearings.

After law school, José returned to the beautiful piney woods of east Texas and rejoined the staff of the Haglund Law Firm. He has successfully completed the Texas Bar exam and is currently licensed to practice law in Texas.