Family Law Attorney

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 escalate 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.

Required Qualifications

Education

Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an ABA-accredited law school.

Licensure

Active membership in the California State Bar in good standing; maintained throughout employment.

Experience

Up to two (2) years of legal experience in family law and/or domestic violence legal services. This may include supervised clinical experience and internships/externships.

Legal Knowledge

Comprehensive knowledge of California Family Code and California Rules of Court.

Cultural Competence

Demonstrated cultural humility and ability to work effectively with clients from diverse linguistic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds, including South Asian immigrant communities.

Communication

Excellent communication skills; ability to communicate complex legal concepts in plain, accessible language for clients with limited English proficiency or legal literacy.

Ethics

Demonstrated understanding of and commitment to professional responsibility requirements, including attorney-client privilege, confidentiality obligations under California Rules of Professional Conduct, and VAWA confidentiality provisions.

Preferred Qualifications

Language

Fluency in at least one South Asian language is desirable.

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.

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. All hiring decisions are made in accordance with Saahas’ Recruitment Policy, which prioritizes skills, qualifications, experience, and alignment with organizational mission.

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.