Prior to joining the ACLU of Southern California, Paria served as Institutional Giving Officer at KPCC/Southern California Public Radio. She has also held development roles at the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center and the Public Interest Network, a family of consumer and environmental groups.
Paria holds a B.A. in English and Political Science from U.C. Davis and a J.D. from Loyola Law School, and is a member of the California State Bar. Born in Iran and raised in the San Fernando Valley, her interest in civil rights and liberties — and in the ACLU — began when she was in junior high and saw an abortion rights protest on the news with her parents.