Paula C. Clark

Prior to joining Ogletree Deakins, Ms. Clark served as a Deputy County Counsel at the Tulare County Counsel’s Office in California, on the Resource Team. She provided legal advice to Tulare County’s Fire Department, Capital Services, Environmental, and the Public Works and Code Enforcement divisions of the Resource Management Agency. She also served as general counsel to Tulare County Employees Retirement Association (1937 Plan) and defended Tulare County in California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) litigation, as well as Eminent Domain litigation.

Previously, Ms. Clark was a Senior Deputy District Attorney assigned to the Financial Crimes Division of the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office, prosecuting complex white collar embezzlement cases, large scale identity theft cases, cattle rustling, and welfare fraud. During her time as a prosecutor, Ms. Clark also handled a large caseload of general felony matters. She headed the mental health unit prosecuting the involuntary civil commitments of sexually violent predators, mentally disordered offenders, and other offenders deemed a danger to self or others. She was the initial Deputy District Attorney on the Superior Court’s team to create a Veteran’s Court. She litigated civil asset forfeiture. Additionally, she was the consumer and environmental prosecutor, working with counties all over the state to civilly enforce California’s consumer and environmental protection statutes.

During her career she has prosecuted countless preliminary hearings and Court Trials and has taken 15 Jury Trials to verdict.

In private practice, Ms. Clark has handled numerous types of civil cases – defended wage and hour claims, (including a class action), contract disputes, partnership dissolution, family law, probate and trust litigation. She has also litigated third-party adversary claims in bankruptcy matters.

Ms. Clark is a Past President of the Tulare County Bar Association. Ms. Clark has worked with the Tulare County Mock Trial Program for the last 16 years. In 2022, she coached the University Prep High School team to the County Finals. She is the coordinator between the bar and the program to obtain judges and scorers for the competitions. She has been teaching Constitutional Law at her local Junior College since 2016.