Paula Pearlman is the Wage Justice Center’s Legal Director. She has a distinguished legal career in government service, in the non-profit legal sector and private practice. Paula has been principal counsel in innovative cases in the areas of disability rights and discrimination, race, gender and sexual orientation discrimination, access to health care, immigrants’ rights, special education in custodial settings, employment, and housing discrimination. She is committed to educating lawyers and the public about civil rights and employment matters.

Among her many cases, Pearlman was successful in securing over $1.4 billion over 30 years in sidewalk and curb ramp repairs for a class of 280,000 persons with mobility disabilities in the (Willits, et al. v. City of Los Angeles); blocking the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors from closing Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Hospital, which provides lifesaving care for Medi-Cal patients with the most severe disabilities and conditions (Rodde, et al. v. Bontá); securing injunctive relief and remediation of Los Angeles County courthouses to be accessible to persons who use wheelchairs, or have other mobility and/or manual dexterity impairments (Miles, et al. v. County of Los Angeles, State Judicial Council); ensuring that youth in juvenile detention receive mental health treatment and statutorily mandated special education services while in custody (Doe2 v. County of San Bernardino, et al.); and prevented the (then) Immigration and Naturalization Service from coercing Salvadoran asylum seekers in custody to waive their rights to apply for political asylum (Orantes-Hernandez v. Thornburgh).

Paula previously taught at Loyola Law School and Southwestern University School of Law courses on disability rights, special education law and advocacy, and mediation. She graduated from UCLA and Southwestern Law School. She is the recipient of numerous awards for her advocacy – including receiving Public Justice Foundation, Trial Lawyer of the Year Finalist for Willits v. City of Los Angeles; Charles D. Siegal President’s Award, Disability Rights Legal Center; Civil Rights Hero, California Department of Fair Employment and Housing; Attorney Award of Merit, by Legal Aid Association of California; Carol King Award, National Immigration Project, National Lawyers Guild, Litigation Team for Orantes-Hernandez v. Meese.

Paula joined the Wage Justice Center with four decades of experience including roles with the California Civil Rights Department (previously Department of Fair Employment and Housing) as Assistant Chief Counsel, Disability Rights Legal Center as the Executive Director and Visiting Assistant Professor of Law, Loyola Law School, Loyola Marymount University, and in private practice litigating disability rights matters. She is a proficient Spanish speaker.