Family Law Attorney

National Legal Aid & Defender Association; Artesia (CA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 92,000; Full time

Job summary

Saahas seeks a dedicated attorney to provide full-scope legal representation for survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in family law matters. The role emphasizes trauma-informed, client-centered services and collaboration with case managers and advocates.

Duty includes court representation in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, safety planning, and coordination with immigration and nonprofit partners to support holistic client needs.

Qualifications

• Trauma-informed representation and client-centered service.
• Experience working with immigrant communities and survivors of violence.

Responsibilities

• Provide full-scope legal representation to survivors in family law matters.
• Coordinate with case managers and community advocates to meet clients’ legal and safety needs.
• Represent clients in LA and OC superior courts and prepare/advocate pleadings and motions.

Skills

Trauma-informed practice

Cultural competence

Multidisciplinary collaboration

Tools

California Family Law knowledge

Job description

• Provide full-scope legal representation to survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in all family law proceedings, including emergency protective orders, temporary and permanent domestic violence restraining orders, divorce, legal separation, child custody and visitation, child support, and spousal support (alimony).
• Deliver all legal services in a culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and client-centered manner; translate complex legal processes into accessible language tailored to each client’s background and engage in ongoing secondary trauma self-care practices.

Position Description

Key Responsibilities

Trauma-Informed Legal Representation

• Provide full-scope legal representation to survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in all family law proceedings, including emergency protective orders, temporary and permanent domestic violence restraining orders, divorce, legal separation, child custody and visitation, child support, and spousal support (alimony).
• Deliver all legal services in a culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and client-centered manner; translate complex legal processes into accessible language tailored to each client’s background and engage in ongoing secondary trauma self-care practices.

Court Representation and Litigation

• Represent clients in family law proceedings in Los Angeles County Superior Court and Orange County Superior Court.
• Prepare and file all required pleadings, motions, declarations, and proposed orders; conduct targeted legal research; and advocate effectively before judges and court personnel, countering harmful misconceptions about trauma responses.
• Engage in ongoing safety planning with clients throughout the legal process, recognizing that legal proceedings may elevate risk, and that safety planning must be integrated into case strategy.

Multidisciplinary Team Collaboration

• When requested by the client, and consistent with attorney-client privilege and VAWA confidentiality requirements, coordinate with Saahas case managers, counselors, and community advocates to address survivors’ legal, safety, and holistic support needs.
• Work in close coordination with the Project Coordinator on caseload management, grant reporting data, and program development, while modeling trauma-informed best practices across the team.
• Support clients’ immigration-related needs by identifying and referring immigration-specific matters to qualified external partners (AJSOCAL and Tahirih Justice Center); coordinate with clients’ immigration attorneys when requested by the client.

Community Outreach

• Participate in community outreach activities that inform South Asian immigrant survivors about available legal services and connect them with Saahas’ in-house legal program and relevant external resources. Outreach activities shall not exceed ten percent (10%) of the attorney’s total grant-funded time.

Program Development and Policy Participation

• Contribute substantively to the development and ongoing refinement of all legal program policies and procedures and make recommendations for service improvement.

Grant Compliance, Documentation, and Reporting

• Ensure compliance with all OVW funder requirements, including maintaining thorough and accurate case documentation, tracking required VAWA client data, completing OVW Programmatic Progress and Financial Quarterly Reports, and attending trainings mandated by the funder and organization.

Professional Development

• Attend and actively engage in trainings mandated by the funder and other legal and professional development trainings; maintain current California State Bar membership in good standing throughout the grant period.

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.

Population Experience

Prior experience providing legal services to immigrant communities, survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, or low-income populations.

Trauma Training

Completion of or willingness to complete Trauma-Informed Lawyering training within 90 days of hire. Saahas delivers this training in-house using the Tahirih Justice Center Trauma-Informed Lawyering curriculum (required within the first 90 days of employment).

Local Court Rules

Familiarity with local court rules applicable to family law proceedings in Los Angeles and Orange Counties.

Immigration Familiarity

Working familiarity with VAWA self-petitions, U-Visa certification, and the intersection of family and immigration law as applied to immigrant survivors.

Nonprofit Experience

Prior experience working in a nonprofit, legal aid, or community-based organization setting.

Cultural Familiarity

Firsthand familiarity with South Asian cultural dynamics, including patriarchal family structures, arranged marriage practices, intergenerational family systems, and the cultural stigma surrounding divorce and domestic violence disclosure.

Compensation & Benefits

Annual salary: $41 - $44 per hour (approximately $85,280 - $91,520 per year for 1.0 FTE). This is a full-time, 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. Regular travel between the Artesia and Irvine offices and to LA and OC Superior Courts is required; some evening or weekend availability for outreach may be required with advance notice.