Friendship is beyond personal. A friend once mocked me for something I'd struggled with for years. Walking through that painful moment taught me to STAND!
Paulette Gray, Esq., MDR · In Her Own Words
Her Story
About Paulette
Paulette Gray, Esq., MDR, is an attorney with over 17 years of legal experience who serves as a Staff Attorney IV and Pro Bono Coordinator for the Expungement Program at Inland Counties Legal Services. In this role, she helps individuals overcome legal barriers that can affect access to employment, education, and housing. Her work includes overseeing expungement services and supporting community members who may not have the financial resources to obtain legal representation. Through her commitment to access to justice, Paulette works to help individuals move forward and pursue new opportunities. In addition to her legal services work, Paulette serves as Assistant Dean at the University of West Los Angeles School of Law, her alma mater. Her responsibilities include advising students on academic planning, supporting their transitions through law school, coordinating schedule changes, and contributing to institutional governance. Throughout her career, she has also worked in private practice, served as a deputy public defender, and held volunteer Judge Pro Tem appointments with the Superior Court of California, County of Riverside, and the Los Angeles Superior Court. She earned her Juris Doctor from the University of West Los Angeles School of Law, a Master’s in Dispute Resolution from Pepperdine Caruso School of Law’s Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, and a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice with a pre-law minor from California State University, Los Angeles. Paulette’s professional journey is driven by a desire to change her family’s legacy and create opportunities for others. Growing up in a challenging environment in Pasadena and witnessing her grandmother’s difficulties with literacy helped shape her determination to advance and support future generations. She has also contributed to the legal community through her involvement with the Richard T. Fields Bar Association, where she has served as a past president and member, and through volunteer legal work and restorative youth court initiatives. Paulette believes fairness, equality, integrity, personal growth, and access to justice are essential to meaningful professional service. She encourages young women entering the legal profession to persevere, protect themselves from burnout, and remain committed to finding a career path that aligns with their values and sense of purpose.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Paulette
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the love and support my mother gave me. She was a single parent raising three girls in the midst of an environment riddled with poverty, drugs, and gangs. My desire to change my family’s legacy and trajectory also stems from my circumstances. My grandmother could not read or write, and I remember helping her sign her name with an X. Growing up in a challenging Pasadena neighborhood, I felt a strong responsibility to help move my family forward and create opportunities for future generations. That motivation has shaped my determination, professional journey, and commitment to making a meaningful difference in others' lives.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I received came from a poster hanging on my office wall. It said, "Chase your passion, not your pension, and you will never work a day in your life."
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering the legal profession is simple: don't stop. This profession can lead to burnout quickly, so stay committed to your goals while recognizing when your path needs to change. Stay the course toward alignment, and trust that you will eventually find the place where your work reflects who you are and what matters most to you.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I believe challenges are opportunities to bring life to one's dreams, ambitions, and purpose. The legal profession is in need of people who are unafraid to take the lead; who are unafraid to advocate for others; and who have the courage to take action. In most instances, people come to us in the legal profession because they have a problem, they are in a battle, ...a fight, and whether the issue is in the courtroom or the boardroom, this profession needs those who can bend and not break when the fabric of justice and equality is threatened. Those are the biggest opportunities in this omnipotent profession.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Fairness, equality, access to justice, integrity, growth, and legacy matter most to me. I believe in creating opportunities for people to overcome barriers and receive fair treatment, regardless of their circumstances. I am a public servant, and I value helping and serving others. In both my professional and personal life, I strive to uphold these principles and contribute to meaningful, lasting change.
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