Debbie Dorfman, J.D.

Deborah Dorfman joined MHLAC in February of 2025 as its Director of Advocacy. Deborah has over 30 years of experience representing people with disabilities through individual and class action litigation, as well as other individual and systemic reform advocacy, in the areas of disability and related law with a particular focus on legal issues pertaining to adults and children with intellectual and/or mental health disabilities.  These issues include disability discrimination, access to Medicaid and other public benefits, special education, juvenile justice, prison and jail conditions, abuse and neglect, fair housing, civil commitment, forensic mental health, among other issues. Immediately prior to coming to MHLAC, Deborah was the executive director of Disability Rights Connecticut (DRCT) and a visiting professor at the University of Connecticut School of Law where she taught a disability law clinic that includes an in-class component as well as having the law students work on disability rights matters at DRCT.  Before working at DRCT, Deborah represented individuals with disabilities and other underserved communities throughout the United States including at the Northwest Justice Project in Washington state, the Center for Public Representation, Disability Rights California, Disability Rights Legal Center, Disability Rights Washington, the Disability Law Center in Utah, and the Mental Health Advocacy Project. Deborah has also taught mental disability law as an adjunct professor at New York Law School in the Mental Disability Law Online Program and at St. John’s School of Law and taught trial advocacy as an adjunct professor at the University of Utah.  She has given numerous presentations, nationally and internationally, and published articles and a book chapter on mental health disability justice issues. Deborah received her law degree from New York Law School in 1992.  She also has a M.A. in History for New York University and an A.B. in Social Science from the University of California at Berkeley.