Adrian Kinsella

In Afghanistan, Adrian became close with his translator, Mohammad. After returning home, Adrian discovered that his friend had been marked by the Taliban for collaborating with the U.S. Military. That’s when Adrian, a then-aspiring lawyer, began a three-year campaign to bring Mohammad to America, finally succeeding in January 2014. Later that same year, after Adrian helped bring national attention to the subject, Mohammad’s mother and seven younger siblings joined him in the United States. Today they are living in California studying, working, and living the American Dream.

After earning his law degree, Adrian served as a Marine Corps judge advocate for three years, first as a prosecutor and then as a defense attorney. Wanting to settle down and raise his growing family, Adrian resigned his commission in 2018 after ten years in the Marine Corps. He is currently pursuing an LL.M. in Law and Technology at UC Berkeley School of Law with a focus on cybersecurity law. After completing this degree, he plans to continue serving his country by working as a federal prosecutor.

Learn more about Adrian’s story here and check out his Tillman Tuesday Q&A.