Paula Pearlman
Visiting Associate Professor of Law and Executive Director of DRLC
Contact Information
Phone: (213) 736-8362
Fax: (213) 380-3769
E-mail: paula.pearlman@lls.edu
919 Albany St.
Los Angeles, CA 90015-1211
Educational and Professional Background
J.D., Southwestern University School of Law
Bachelor of Arts, University of California, Los Angeles
Ms. Pearlman is a litigator, with extensive experience in class action litigation in the areas of disability rights, sex discrimination and immigration law. Ms. Pearlman is a former Supervising Attorney at the California Women's Law Center, where she specialized in sex discrimination in employment, education, and in girls’ athletics. She has a distinguished career of over 25 years in public interest law.
Ms. Pearlman was named as a “Super Lawyer” in 2009 in the area of public interest law and class actions. She is the recipient of the 2007 Legal Aid Association of California (LAAC) Attorney Award of Merit Recipient, and a finalist as attorney of the year for Trial Lawyers for Public Justice. In 2006, Ms. Pearlman was named one of the “Top 75 Women Litigators” in California by the Daily Journal. As a new lawyer, Ms. Pearlman was the recipient of the Carol King Award, National Immigration Project, National Lawyer’s Guild, for her work on the nationwide class action, Orantes-Hernandez v. Meese (1987).
Please see CV for more detail.
Professional Memberships and Activities
California Commission on Access to Justice, Federal Courts Committee (2007).
Co-Chair, Lawyer Representatives, Central District, Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference (2008-2009).
Board member of the Employment Round Table of Southern California (ERTSC), formerly Southern California Employers Roundtable (SCERT).
Member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Juvenile Courts Task Force Committee.
Previously, she was a member of the California State Bar Standing Committee on the Delivery of Legal Services, and was on the U. S. Access Board, Courthouse Access Advisory Committee.
Chapter, Individuals with Cancer in the Workforce and Their Federal Rights (pp. 255-276)
Peter Blanck, William N. Myhill, Janikke Solstad Vedeler, Joanna Morales & Paula Pearlman
In Cancer Survivorship and Work (M. Feuerstein, ed.) New York, NY: Springer Publishing (2009).
“Aging of people with disabilities” The Legal Needs of the Aging Low-Income Population, CLEARINGHOUSE REVIEW: Sept.–Oct. 2008
"Letter to a Young Public Interest Attorney.” Los Angeles Public Interest Law Journal Vol. 1 (2008-2009): 325-328.
With Longoria, John,“Joining Forces,” ABILITY Magazine, Cheryl Hines Issue 2008: 61
With Patkin, Debra, “Opening Doors and Minds.” ABILITY Magazine, Sandra Lee Issue 2008: 30-31
With Hill, Eve L., Parks, Shawna, Hill, Thomas, “Is your Health Care System Accessible?” ABILITY Magazine, Laura Innes Issue 2008: 10
With Parks, Shawna, “Let’s Vote…By Any Means Necessary!” ABILITY Magazine, Robert Patrick Issue 2008: 14-16
With Parks, Shawna. Hill, Eve and Hill, Thomas, “All the World’s A Stage, but How Do I get a Ticket to the Show?” ABILITY Magazine Frankenstein Issue 3, Volume 2007: 8.
With Hill, Eve, “Roaring Back at the Zoo” ABILITY Magazine Teri Garr Issue, Volume 2007: 53.
With Longoria, John,“Respect-ABILITY Conference” ABILITY Magazine Cheryl/Hines Feb/March Issue, Volume 2007: 61.
With Barajas, Maronel and Hill, Eve,“Beyond Special Ed” ABILITY Magazine Special Holly Robinson Peete, Volume 2007: 20.
Disability Rights Law; Special Education Law & Advocacy; DRLC Externship Seminar-Litigation Skills; International Disability Rights Law