Paralegal

Saahas for Cause is seeking a highly organized, detail-oriented, and mission-aligned Paralegal to provide essential legal support to the Family Law Attorney as part of Saahas’ newly established in-house legal team, launched through the OVW Expanding Legal Services Initiative (ELSI) grant. This is a foundational position that will contribute directly to building the operational infrastructure of Saahas’ legal program from the ground up.The Paralegal performs a wide range of substantive legal support functions, including case management, document preparation, client communication, court filing, legal research assistance, and compliance documentation. This role requires professional competence, cultural sensitivity, and organizational discipline, as well as a genuine commitment to serving South Asian immigrant survivors. The Paralegal is supervised by the Family Law Attorney (for all legal work) and the Project Coordinator (for administrative matters). KEY RESPONSIBILITIES 1. 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.2. 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.3. 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.4. 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.5. 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.6. 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.7. 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. Required Qualifications Qualifications: Education Associate’s degree, Bachelor’s degree, or paralegal certificate from an ABA-approved paralegal program, or equivalent combination of education and experience. Experience Minimum of two (2) years of substantive paralegal or legal assistant experience, preferably in family law, domestic violence legal services, immigration law, or nonprofit legal settings. Legal Skills Demonstrated proficiency in legal document preparation, court filing procedures, legal research, and case management system operation. Technical Proficiency Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook), legal case management software, and e-filing platforms or ability to learn new technology systems quickly. Organizational Skills Exceptional organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple concurrent case files, track complex deadlines, and prioritize competing tasks in a fast-paced environment. Communication Strong communication skills; ability to communicate clearly with clients, court personnel, and partner organizations in a professional and culturally sensitive manner. Confidentiality Demonstrated understanding of and commitment to attorney-client privilege, client confidentiality, and VAWA confidentiality protections. 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. 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.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.