End Abuse Long Beach

Honored as “Woman of the Year”

Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamente;
Paula Savage Cohen,
California Assembly Member for the 54th District Betty Karnette

California State Capitol
March 20, 2006
Paula Savage Cohen received the “Woman of the Year” award for California’s 54th Assembly District on March 20th at the California State Capitol. Assemblymember Betty Karnette stated that “Paula Savage Cohen’s exceptional work and compassion have improved the quality of life for so many people in our community. Her steadfast advocacy and effective leadership as President of End Abuse Long Beach is to be commended. The ‘Woman of the Year’ ceremony is designed to honor outstanding women just like Paula. It gives me great pleasure to be able to recognize such a distinguished woman and call attention to the very important work that she does.” In addition to the ceremony on the Capitol’s Assembly Floor, honorees were invited to a breakfast hosted by the Lieutenant Governor and a reception at the Capitol Museum with First Lady Maria Shriver.

Paula is a Family Law Attorney at the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles where she represents clients in all areas of family law with a focus on child custody, child abduction and domestic violence. She coordinates Legal Aid’s Domestic Violence Prevention Program and supervises the Domestic Violence Clinic at the Long Beach Courthouse, which offers free legal services, counseling and referrals to victims of domestic violence. Paula serves as President of End Abuse Long Beach (Child Abuse & Domestic Violence Prevention Council), which meets monthly at the Alpert JCC where professionals in the community have the opportunity to hear speakers on issues relating to domestic violence and child abuse.

Paula was born and raised in Manchester, England and first came to the United States in 1986 on a Rotary Foundation Ambassador of Goodwill scholarship. In 1993, Paula and her husband Ronan (son of long time Long Beach residents Dr. Manley and Barbara Cohen), both graduated Cum Laude from Boston University Law School. Paula co-designed and presented a Violence Prevention Program for the Long Beach Unified School District, which has taught conflict resolution and personal safety skills to thousands of middle school students. She previously served on the boards of Family Service of Long Beach and Long Beach Bar Association and she is a graduate of the Leadership Long Beach class of 1998. She has served on the Long Beach Police Department’s Women’s Advisory Group since 1995.