Paula Cohen

Paula Savage Cohen is an experienced family law attorney who has spent her whole career supporting victims of domestic violence at Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA), her employer since 1995. She is currently a manager with the title Special Counsel – Family Law. She coordinates the services of LAFLA’s Domestic Violence Clinic at the Long Beach Courthouse, one of three LAFLA clinics to offer free legal services to victims of domestic violence. Paula and her colleagues represent and counsel clients in all areas of family law with a focus on domestic violence, child custody, and child abduction. Paula also occasionally represents her clients with VAWA and U Visa-based immigration petitions. Paula regularly mentors and supervises LAFLA colleagues, summer law clerks, interns, and volunteers.

Paula volunteers as a member of the Child Abuse Response Team (CART), coordinated by For The Child in Long Beach, supporting child victims of sexual abuse during the initial police investigation and forensic nurse examination. During the summers of 2017 and 2018, Paula served as Adjunct Faculty at UCI School of Law, teaching client interviewing skills, ethics, confidentiality, and self-care to law students working in summer placements with legal services organizations. Paula has served on the Board of Directors of the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence, and on the State Bar of California’s Family Law Executive Committee. She was President of End Abuse Long Beach from 2001-2014 and is the proud recipient of its 1999 Domestic Violence Advocacy Award, as well as Soroptomist International of Long Beach’s Award for Women Helping Women in 2000. In 2006, Paula received the 54^th District “Woman of the Year” award in Sacramento from Assembly Member Betty Karnette. Paula is a past member of the Women’s Advisory Group to the Chief of Police, Long Beach Police Department (1995-2012), and a past board member of the Long Beach Grand Cru, Family Service of Long Beach, and the Long Beach Bar Association. In 1993, Paula and her husband graduated together from Boston University School of Law with a J.D. cum laude and their first baby. Together they raised their five children, now ranging in age from 30 to 21.