ELITE EDUCATION
ELITE TRAINING
ELITE ADVOCACY
FOR YOU
BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA® 2026
BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA® 2025
BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA® 2024
CESAR M. DULANTO
CESAR M. DULANTO
EDUCATION
UCLA Law – Juris Doctor
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) – Bachelor’s Degree
ADMISSIONS
California
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
FOUNDER. ADVOCATE. IMMIGRANT.
Cesar M. Dulanto is a California attorney and the founder of Dulanto Law, APC, a San Diego–based law firm focused on criminal defense, DUI defense, personal injury, and civil litigation. He represents clients throughout San Diego County and across Southern California, providing strategic, trial-ready advocacy in complex, high-stakes matters. A UCLA Law graduate and former Big Law attorney, Cesar spent almost a decade at an elite international law firm, where he counseled some of the nation’s most recognized companies and individuals in high-stakes matters across the country.
Although Cesar held a coveted position at an elite international law firm, he always felt called to found Dulanto Law—a firm devoted to bringing large-firm excellence, preparation, and advocacy to individuals, families, and local businesses throughout San Diego and Southern California.
EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION
An immigrant who fled his birth country as a political refugee at just nine years old, Cesar grew up watching his parents rebuild their lives—his father delivering pizzas and his mother working as a maid. Their perseverance shaped Cesar’s values of discipline, humility, and resilience.
Through determination and grit, Cesar defied the odds, earning both his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)—one of the nation’s most prestigious universities.
While at UCLA Law, Cesar externed for the Honorable Michael M. Anello and the Honorable Gonzalo P. Curiel of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, gaining invaluable firsthand insight into judicial decision-making and courtroom strategy—knowledge he now applies in crafting persuasive advocacy for his clients.
Cesar also served as Senior Editor of the UCLA Chicano-Latino Law Review, contributing to legal scholarship on issues affecting the Latino community.
ELITE LEGAL TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Before founding Dulanto Law, Cesar represented Fortune 500 companies and high-profile individuals in numerous complex matters at an international law firm for nearly a decade. This experience honed his analytical precision, strategic preparation, and negotiation skills—hallmarks of his current practice.
Beyond litigation, Cesar served for almost five years as a Bilingual Crisis Counselor at the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Center, where he supervised and trained law enforcement officers and other counselors in negotiation and crisis-intervention techniques. These same skills—calm under pressure, empathy, and clarity in communication—now define his approach in high-stakes legal negotiations and courtroom advocacy.
A MISSION TO SERVE
Cesar founded Dulanto Law with a clear mission: to use his elite education, training, and courtroom experience, together with his deep cultural understanding of the Hispanic community, to benefit everyday individuals and families.
As a native Spanish speaker born in Peru and raised as a political refugee in Southern California, Cesar has devoted his career to helping Latino clients navigate critical legal challenges and promoting diversity in the legal profession through mentorship of Latino law students.
Today, he brings the same grit, determination, and compassion that defined his personal journey to his work as an attorney—fighting for his clients with skill, tenacity, and heart.
COMMITMENT TO CLIENTS
Whether in the courtroom or at the negotiation table, Cesar M. Dulanto delivers strategic, results-driven advocacy backed by preparation, experience, and integrity.
When your rights, reputation, or future are on the line, you deserve elite representation from someone who understands what it means to fight for a better life—and who brings that same dedication to every client he serves.