Paralegal

Position Description

• Legal Case Support and Document Preparation
• Provide substantive support to the Staff Attorney throughout all aspects of legal services, including communicating with clients, conducting legal research, preparing and editing pleadings and all other court documents, submitting court filings for LA and OC Superior Courts, and organizing and maintaining all client records, evidentiary materials, and legal files.
• Client Intake and Case Management Support
• Assist at initial client intake appointments, gather factual information, complete intake documentation, and manage attorney calendars for court appearances, hearings, client appointments, and filing deadlines; monitor and alert the attorney immediately upon identification of any critical date conflict.
• Conduct conflict of interest checks for all prospective clients per the Conflict Check Policy and document results in the case management system before any matter is opened.
• Court and Administrative Coordination
• Coordinate all aspects of court hearing preparation and appearances, including organizing trial binders, arranging logistics, liaising with court personnel, process servers, and opposing counsel’s support staff, and tracking all court-imposed and statutory deadlines using the case management system.
• Language Access and Cultural Support
• Coordinate telephonic or in-person interpreter services for all client appointments where the attorney does not share the client’s primary language; brief interpreters on confidentiality obligations per the Language Access Plan Policy; and assist in maintaining translated intake forms and rights-notification documents in applicable South Asian languages.
• Approach all client interactions with cultural humility and sensitivity to the specific dynamics of South Asian immigrant communities, including the role of family pressure, cultural stigma surrounding divorce, and the intersection of immigration status and domestic violence.
• Records Management and Confidentiality Compliance
• Maintain all client files and legal records in strict compliance with the Information Storage and Retention Policy, attorney-client privilege requirements, California Rules of Professional Conduct, and VAWA confidentiality provisions; implement and maintain document organization systems for both physical and electronic case files.
• Grant Compliance and Reporting Support
• Support the grant reporting process by compiling required OVW client service data, case type data, and outcome information for all Programmatic Progress and Financial Quarterly Reports; maintain organized grant compliance files, including documentation of training completions, policy acknowledgments, and required reporting submissions.
• Outreach Materials Support
• Support preparation of OVW-approved legal information and outreach materials; ensure all materials include the required OVW disclaimer and are submitted through JustGrants for approval at least 20 days before distribution.

Note: Community education activities will be conducted using non-ELSI funding sources.

Preferred Qualifications Language

Fluency in Hindi and at least one additional South Asian language (Punjabi, Urdu, Gujarati, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Bengali, or Marathi) strongly preferred.

Cultural Knowledge

Familiarity with South Asian cultural dynamics, family structures, and community-specific barriers to help-seeking among domestic violence survivors.

DV/Survivor Services

Prior experience working with survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking in a legal, advocacy, or social services context.

Immigrant Communities

Experience working with immigrant communities, especially in matters involving visa dependency, limited English proficiency, or immigration-related vulnerabilities.

Trauma Awareness

Familiarity with trauma-informed principles as applied to client communication and legal support services; willingness to complete relevant training upon hire.

Compensation & Benefits Annual salary: $21 – $25 per hour (approximately $43,680 – $52,000 per year for 1.0 FTE). This is a full-time, non-exempt, grant-funded position. Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance; paid time off (PTO) per Saahas policy; paid sick leave pursuant to California’s Healthy Workplaces Healthy Families Act; mileage reimbursement for authorized business travel at the prevailing IRS standard mileage rate; and access to Saahas’ organizational wellness resources. A 180-day probationary period applies from the date of hire. Overtime must be pre-approved by the supervisor. Regular travel between the Artesia and Irvine offices and to court facilities is required; some evening or weekend availability for outreach may be required with advance notice.

Equal Opportunity Employment

Saahas for Cause is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of employment. Saahas does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. Saahas strongly encourages applications from individuals with lived experience of the South Asian immigrant community and from survivors of gender-based violence.

Disclaimer

This project was supported by Grant No. 15JOVW-25-GG-00526-LEGA awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Justice.