Padideh Jafari was the rare child who knew exactly what she wanted to be when she grew up. From the time she was five years old, she knew she was going to be a lawyer — and eventually, a judge. "I'd run home from elementary school and watch shows like The People's Court," she recalls.

Her draw to the law, and to serving others, came from a fierce sense of duty instilled by her parents, who immigrated to the U.S. with their four young children in 1978, shortly before the Iranian Revolution.

"At one point, my father, who was very much the patriarch of our family, said, 'I want you to consider other professions,' and took me to a medical school," Padideh says. But after an unpleasant visit to the classroom where students worked on cadavers, her father relented and threw his support behind her path to law school.

She credits him as her mentor. "My father left everything behind in Iran. He really wanted all of his children to be advocates and role models, both in the Iranian community and in the wider U.S. community. He wanted to see all of his children become lawyers, doctors, engineers or public servants."

Speaking up on Behalf of Children

That sense of service carried into her internship at the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office, where she worked in the Child Abuse and Rape Division called Stuart House located in Santa Monica. "I really got an understanding of how important lawyers are, and how necessary advocacy is for people who don't have a voice," she says. "A lot of our clients were under the age of 18 and couldn't testify in court, so we were their advocates and their voice."

Immediately after law school, Padideh founded a boutique law firm, Jafari Law & Mediation Office with locations in Los Angeles and Newport Beach. She practices family law with a steady focus on keeping children's needs at the center of difficult divorce and child custody proceedings. "Sometimes my clients don't like that, because they want to use their child to get back at their spouse," she says. "And I tell them, no, we're not going to do it that way." 

CASA Board Members at the 2025 Back to School Picnic

Discovering CASA OC

Padideh's passion for advocating for children began pulling her toward volunteer work. "A client of mine told me about CASA OC, so I signed up to attend the Holiday Luncheon, where I met Matthew Wadlinger, CASA's Chief Brand Officer. He introduced me to the CASA leadership team and let everyone know I wanted to get involved."

She laughs remembering it. "I had so much on my plate at the time, but Matthew was gently persistent and so passionate about CASA that I agreed to dip my toe in the water. At the luncheon, I sat with a woman who was about to become an advocate, and she was so excited. I've served on different boards before, but seeing everyone this enthusiastic about the work CASA does helped me decide to prayerfully consider getting involved on a deeper level."

From there, involvement grew steadily. "I went to a few more CASA events and then was asked to submit a recipe for a cookbook being published for CASA youth moving into independent living. I'm not much of a cook, but I submitted a Taco Tuesday recipe." Padideh stayed involved over the next few years until, last year, a board position opened up. "I decided I wanted to give my time to this very important work. My husband was equally passionate about helping at-risk foster youth, so he supported my decision."

"We call my husband an honorary board member, since he attends every event with me except for the board meetings, of course. Both of our companies are sponsoring the upcoming CASA OC Golf Classic Tournament because CASA has become a beloved family project for us."

As a member of the CASA OC Board, Padideh serves on the Development Committee. "Our objective is to introduce different organizations, businesses, law firms, friends, and family to CASA, with the goal of getting them engaged — whether that's attending events, becoming a sponsor, or donating as a GEM contributor," she explains.

Stepping Up as an Advocate

This summer, Padideh decided to go a step further and become an advocate herself. "I thought it was time to step up and go deeper with CASA. I want to make sure I really understand the charity I'm involved with, and I don't know if I can do that without being an advocate myself." Padideh has requested a match with a child in the Youth Justice System (formerly known as Juvenile Justice.)

Asked what drew her to a youth justice case specifically, she says, "I practiced criminal law early in my career, so being in a lockdown facility or jail doesn't intimidate me — and I think those children need a voice. I'm really looking forward to supporting the youth I am matched with."

Beyond CASA: Podcasting and the Bench

Alongside her law practice and her work with CASA OC, Padideh is now in the fifth season of her podcast, the Narcissist Abuse Recovery Channel (NARC). "Because I'm a divorce attorney, I see a lot of different personalities. My minor at Loyola Marymount University was Psychology, so I'm always interested in the human psyche — why people make the choices they make. I think Narcissism is an epidemic in our world. One of my best friends and I started this podcast, and it's going really well."

She's also pursuing her lifelong dream to serve as a judge. While in law school, Padideh externed at the Los Angeles Superior Court, working as a research clerk for a judge in the Compton Courthouse. This was a formative experience for her. "I realized I wanted to become a judge. It is such an honorable position, and I really want to make my father proud." Today she serves as a temporary judge for domestic violence cases in Los Angeles County. "It's something I've always aspired to do since I was five years old," she says. "Judges make lifelong decisions for people, so I don't take it lightly."

Left, LA Wildfires donations from Jafari Law Offices and Adamson Adhoot, LLP. Right, Recording The Narcissist Abuse Recovery Channel (NARC) podcast

Join the Mission

Padideh hopes others will join the mission to support CASA youth here in Orange County. "I always say that together we are better. If anyone reading this is wondering how they can make a difference in making the world a better place, CASA OC is a great place to start."

She continues, "I hear people say, when making excuses not to help, 'I don't want to disappoint the child, I don't know if I can do this type of work,’ and I tell them: the first step is to come to an event. Come to the Holiday Luncheon. Come to the golf event in September. Come and meet the people — because I'm certain that once you meet the CASA community of staff, volunteers, advocates, leadership and board members, you'll see for yourself what great people they are and how you can make an enormous difference."

Join CASA for an upcoming Information Session to learn how you can support local youth in the Orange County foster care system. Email Norma Mendoza to learn more.