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A letter from the
Chairperson
Thank you for your interest in the Midwest Center on
Law and the Deaf (MCLD), the only center of its kind
in the country.
There are approximately 28 million deaf and hard of
hearing Americans. Many are unable to get adequate
legal services. These individuals want to make
estate plans, recover funds for a car accident, get
a divorce, adopt a child, execute a will, buy or
sell a house, file for bankruptcy, or defend against
criminal charges.
Getting through life without legal representation is
virtually impossible, yet it is so hard for deaf and
hard of hearing people to find willing and
accessible lawyers. Bar associations attempt to
refer them to lawyers, but the lawyers are usually
ill-equipped or reluctant to assist persons with
such disabilities. Frustration builds as lawyer
after lawyer reject them.
The American ideal of equal justice for all is
grossly lacking for this large segment of our
population. When I became a lawyer in 1992, I was
alarmed by the lack of adequate legal services for
deaf and hard of hearing people. As a profoundly
deaf person, I was so affected by this lack of
access that I created the Midwest Center on Law and
the Deaf to solve this problem.
How does MCLD serve this population? MCLD:
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Trains and recruits attorneys to serve the unique
needs of deaf and hard of hearing clients
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Educates deaf and hard of hearing people on their
rights
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Trains interpreters on how to deal with the unique
challenges of working within a courtroom or other
legal settings
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Provides resources to families and friends of deaf
and hard of hearing people
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Prepares law enforcement officers to effectively
communicate with deaf and hard of hearing people
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Aids courts in ensuring full access to the justice
system by deaf and hard of hearing parties,
attorneys, witnesses, jurors, and spectators
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Please read the information on this website for more
information about our programs and services, which
depend on your support to continue.
Gratefully,
Howard A. Rosenblum, Esq.
MCLD Chair
MCLD Staff
Chair
Howard Rosenblum is a profoundly deaf attorney
licensed to practice in Illinois. He holds an
undergraduate degree from the University of Arizona
and a J.D. from Chicago-Kent College of Law. He is
presently the only deaf attorney practicing in
Illinois. In addition to founding and chairing MCLD,
Mr. Rosenblum is presently employed as a staff
attorney at Equip for Equality, a private, nonprofit
organization that operates the federally mandated
Protection & Advocacy System in Illinois which
safeguards the rights of children and adults with
physical and mental disabilities.
Program Manager
Karen Aguilar received an undergraduate degree in
Pre-law from Michigan State University and a Masters
of Jurisprudence in Health Law from Loyola
University Chicago School of Law. Ms. Aguilar has
been signing since childhood, is fluent in American
Sign Language, and is a certified sign language
interpreter. Ms. Aguilar has trained attorneys,
judges, and police officers about the rights of
persons who are deaf and hard-of-hearing, and
educated the Deaf and hard of hearing communities
about their rights under state and federal laws
throughout the United States.
MCLD History
MCLD was founded in 1999 by Howard A. Rosenblum, a
profoundly deaf attorney, and David Jones, a hard of
hearing attorney and certified sign language
interpreter. MCLD is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt
organization and all contributions are tax
deductible.
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