The State Bar of California has ended the fake legal practice of a woman who misrepresented herself as an attorney who specialized in immigration and family law. As of October 1, Maria Leanos of El Cajon will no longer be permitted to have a law office or to represent herself as a licensed attorney.

The Office of the State Bar’s Chief Trial Counsel (OCTC) was granted an order to close down Leanos’ office on September 26 by the San Diego Superior Court. An investigator from the bar visited her place of business and saw signs on which she promoted her services. One sign, in Spanish, translated as “In the Law Office of Maria Leanos, first you pay and then services will be rendered.”

The investigation into Leanos’ spurious practice began when her niece, Kendall Leanos, filed a complaint with the California State Bar in December 2023. Her complaint described Leanos’ operation in detail. She said her aunt repeatedly misrepresented herself as a lawyer, operated under the name “Law Office of Maria Leanos, “ and advertised her services by using Facebook and a website that specialized in giving information about immigration services. According to the niece, these falsehoods led social media users to believe she was a licensed attorney. Leanos responded that her niece was motivated by “personal problems,” because she had filed a defamation lawsuit against her niece.

The OCTC began an inquiry in which Leanos disputed any wrongdoing. She claimed she had never identified herself as an attorney, but only as an “immigration consultant” who was bonded with the Office of California’s Secretary of State. An OCTC investigator, however, could find no record to support her claims during the last four years, although she had previously been registered as such from May 2017 to June 2020.

A press release from the State Bar quoted OCTC Chief Trial Counsel George Cardona as saying, “From her law office business signs to firsthand accounts and inconsistent statements, Ms. Leanos’s actions provide ample evidence that she engaged in the unauthorized practice of law.” Cardona added, “As reported to the State Bar, it appears that she misrepresented her status and qualifications to immigrants in need of legitimate legal representation.” Cardona also condemned her for lying about her “status and qualifications to immigrants in need of legitimate legal representation.” In addition to operating under the name The Law Offices of Maria Leanos, she also called her business Latino Unidos Immigration as well as Mejia Income Tax.

Brenda Rodriguez, who is with the OCTC and lead attorney on this case according to NBC News 7 in San Diego, said she does not know how many clients Leanos had represented, but the investigation “seized seven boxes of client files when it closed down her office.” Rodriguez also told the NBC reporter that California’s Secretary of State filed a cease-and-desist order against Leanos in 2020, but she continued to practice. Rodriguez added, “A consultant can help fill out paperwork and things like that, but they cannot tell you what paperwork you need. They can’t give legal advice.”

Rodriguez also said that she could not speak about Leanos’ motive, but people trying to obtain legal status in the U.S. are “often taken advantage of.” She added, “This is a very vulnerable community. A lot of them don’t speak English.”

The State Bar press release also offered to return any files that Leanos maintained and explained that it has a unit dedicated to investigating and addressing the unauthorized practice of law (UPL). Anyone, citizen or not, who is involved with someone who is not licensed to practice can file a complaint at no cost. The Bar also said that reporting anyone for UPL is safe because the State Bar “will not ask about citizenship or immigration status.” The press release further announced that the Bar’s website carries the names of all those who have received Cease and Desist notices, sorted by county.

Leanos remains on Facebook, where she is described as the owner and founder of Mejia Income Tax #2. It says she lives in San Diego and is originally from Villanueva in Zacatecas, Mexico. When clicking on Facebook, the State Bar’s notification of the seizure of Leanos’ office is also posted as a warning to those who are seeking representation.

One former client, El Cajon resident Iralda Gonzales, told San Diego’s Channel 7 that she trusted Leanos because “she helped her renew her green card.” She said she spent $3,500 and two years working with Leanos, and said, “I feel upset because I trusted her. In reality, she was doing a bad job.”

Leanos is scheduled for a hearing in San Diego Superior Court on October 11. Law enforcement is now investigating her case for possible criminal charges.