The Chicago Lighthouse Arthur and Esther Kane Legal Clinic provides pro bono (free) legal services to blind or visually impaired people with low-incomes in metropolitan Chicago and throughout the United States. 

Our staff consists of:

•  Judge Nicolas T. Pomaro, who is a retired Circuit Court of Cook County Judge and who is totally blind;
• Attorney Paul Rink.  He is a retired Commissioner of the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission, a Chicago Lighthouse Board member since 1979, and is also completely blind; and
• Juli Gold, who is a paralegal.  She holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Western Michigan University and a Paralegal Certificate with Honors from Loyola University Chicago.  She is visually impaired.

Judge Nicholas T. Pomaro	Attorney Paul Rink	Paralegal Juli Gold

The Kane Legal Clinic is the first and the only legal clinic that provides free legal services exclusively to the blind and visually impaired community in the nation.  During our five and a half years of operation, we have served more than 1,000 persons in numerous areas of the law, including employment discrimination, personal injury, social security issues, housing and travel discrimination as well as criminal defense. We have been contacted for assistance by people who are blind or visually impaired throughout the United States. Our work has been recognized by John Marshall Law School, Vanderbilt Law School, and Chief Justice John Roberts of the United States Supreme Court.

We achieve successful results in the vast majority of our cases. 

It takes special understanding to totally recognize some of the issues specific to someone who is  blind. Having that understanding is of great benefit and comfort to the clients we serve and assist. 

Unfortunately, 75 percent of the blind community is unemployed, and they cannot afford an attorney. Most of us needs legal representation or assistance at sometime in our lives. This is why we provide our legal services at no cost to our friends who are blind or visually impaired.   

Become a Kane Legal Clinic Ambassador

For more information, please contact:

Julianne Gold
Paralegal, The Kane Legal Clinic
PH: (312) 666-1331 ext. 3112
FAX: (312) 243-8539
TTY: (312) 666-8874
EMAIL: julianne.gold@chicagolighthouse.org

Interested in Volunteering?

If you would like to volunteer your services for our clinic, please call Judge Pomaro at (312) 666-1331 x 3112.

The Kane Legal Clinic is always looking for volunteers to help us in our mission. A number of volunteer attorneys assist us in our work, as well as law clerks from John Marshall Law School, University of Chicago Law School and University of Illinois College of Law. <-->