Mr. Olayinka Dan-Salami’s Profile
Olayinka Dan-Salami came to the United States from Nigeria in 1982. He worked extremely hard to pursue his life-long dream of becoming an attorney. After obtaining his B.S. in Marketing and Political Science at Long Island University, he achieved his J.D. at Marquette University Law School and received his LL.M in Securities and Financial Regulations at Georgetown Law Center. During law school, he held clerkships at the U.S. Circuit Court and Bankruptcy Court in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
While in school, Olayinka participated in activities to uplift campus life. He became president of the Marketing Society, president of the International Law Society, and was a board member of the International Law Society. He and other progressive-minded, young Nigerians formed the Organization for the Advancement of Nigerians to address the stereotyping of Nigerians in the media as credit card and bank defrauders. He formed the Nigerian Lawyers Association in the basement of his apartment building.
After completing his education, Olayinka began his legal career working briefly with one of the celebrated civil rights lawyers in New York City on landmark cases such the Central Park Jogger, the Korean grocery boycott and Gavin Cato (also known as the Crown Heights disturbances of 1991). In 1990, he joined the Legal Aid Society as a staff attorney in the Bronx trial office. He quickly became one of the Senior Trial Attorneys after successfully litigating over one hundred felonies in Supreme Court, some of which were reported in the New York Law Journal and other official sources. He attributed his acquittal rate to the wonderful work of God. In 2009, Olayinka became a supervising attorney in the Manhattan trial office where he oversaw the work of over 30 lawyers. He has also served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at New York Law School. Presently, Olayinka is a supervisor in the Bronx trial office working on homicide cases and inspiring and training younger attorneys.
With his love of community, in his spare time, Olayinka offers free immigration law advice and assistance. He also serves on the board of several not for profit organizations as pro bono general counsel. He has received several honors and awards for his academic excellence, unceasing service, and dedication to justice.