Hillary returned to DLC in 2014. She focuses on special education matters, abuse and neglect, and advocating for appropriate community supports and services for adults with disabilities. Ms. Dunn has been involved in legislative and regulatory advocacy regarding disability issues and has trained individuals with disabilities, families, and professionals in various areas of disability law. In addition to her work at the Disability Law Center, Ms. Dunn previously worked in the Special Needs and Elder Law Practice Group at a Massachusetts law firm where she practiced in the areas of special education, guardianship issues, and advocacy with adult human service agencies. Following law school, she served as a law clerk to the Honorable Debra C. Freeman of the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Ms. Dunn is a graduate of Northeastern University School of Law and Tufts University.
Caitlin joined DLC as a staff attorney in 2014. Her litigation and policy advocacy work with DLC includes public accommodations, effective communication, housing, special education, employment, and access to health care. She leads trainings on a wide range of topics, including the transition from high school to adult services, voting rights, and best practices for serving clients who are deaf and hard of hearing. Caitlin is deaf and uses cochlear implants. Caitlin has been an advocate for the deaf and hard of hearing from a young age, testifying before the U.S. Senate, Congress, and FDA in support of funding for research on cochlear implants. She has spoken across the country and internationally on access issues for the deaf and hard of hearing. Caitlin received her law degree from the City University of New York School of Law and her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago. She was Co-Managing Editor of CUNY Law Review. During law school, she interned with the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Special Litigation Section; New York Lawyers for the Public Interest; and Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, among others. While she uses spoken language, Caitlin can also use ASL to communicate based on client preference.
Marlene recently joined DLC as Executive Director. Marlene has served as Chief of Staff and Senior Counsel for the U.S. Department of Justice Community Relations Service (CRS), the Nation’s “Peacemaker” for community conflicts and tensions arising from conflicts based on race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion and disability. Prior to assuming this role, Ms. Sallo was appointed by President Obama to serve as the Staff Director of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. While at the Commission, Ms. Sallo had the opportunity to direct several fact-finding public hearings and reports investigating civil rights violations based on gender, religion, national origin, or in the administration of justice. Ms. Sallo previously worked at UnidosUS, the nation’s largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization, where she developed issue awareness campaigns to educate UnidosUS affiliates, state and federal government officials, and the public on national and state level policies and initiatives that disparately and/or disproportionately impact Latino youth. Ms. Sallo has dedicated her career to protecting the rights of disenfranchised and vulnerable children through her work as a case manager, special education teacher, and child welfare attorney. As a zealous advocate for children, she has challenged policies and practices within public school systems that push minority students with disabilities out of school and into the juvenile justice system. Ms. Sallo holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Manhattanville College and a Juris Doctorate degree from Florida State University College of Law. Ms. Sallo is also the recipient of an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters degree from Manhattanville College. Ms. Sallo serves as the Co-Chair of the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Section of Litigation, Children’s Rights Litigation Committee and previously served as both a Commissioner with the ABA’s Commission for Youth at Risk and as a member of the Florida Bar’s Standing Committee on the Legal Needs of Children.
