Biography

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William D. Goren, J.D., LL.M. LLC in Decatur, GA, has been dealing with the ADA as an Attorney since 1990. His law and consulting practice, https://www.understandingtheada.com/, as well as his blog, Understanding the ADA, (a member of the ABA Top 100 for five consecutive years, 2014-2018- there was no ABA 100 in 2019-2022), all focus on understanding the ADA so that the client understands what it means to comply with that law and related laws. In particular, he provides consulting, counseling, representation, and training services involving compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and related laws- such as the Air Carrier Access Act and the Fair Housing Act, among others. Mr. Goren also brings a deep, personal understanding of what it means to have a disability, equipping him with exceptional insight on how the ADA actually works. He is deaf with a congenital bilateral hearing loss of 70–90+ decibels, but functions entirely in the hearing world thanks to hearing aids, Bluetooth technology, automatic speech recognition, and lip-reading. For reasons independent of his deafness, he also uses voice dictation technology to access his computer. He is also a frequent presenter, a trained mediator, a FINRA arbitrator (Chairperson eligible), and an arbitrator on the CPR employment panel. Finally, he is the author of Understanding the ADA, now in its 4th edition (ABA 2013), and numerous other articles on the rights of persons with disabilities. He is a member of various committees of the American Bar Association, including: Legal Technology Resource Center Board (2017-2023); ABA Law Practice Section Client Development and Marketing Committee; ABA Law Practice Section Ethics and Professionalism Committee and the ABA’s Law Practice Section DEI committee. He is also a member of various committees of the Federal Bar Association, including: the Federal Bar Association (FBA) Diversity and Inclusion committee; the FBA’s Civil Rights section and its Governing Board; FBA’s Civil Rights Amicus committee; and the Chair of the FBA’s Disability Best Practices Working Group. In the first year of the committee, it formulated an accessibility manual for the FBA and its chapters. In the second year of the committee, it formulated an accessibility manual that federal courts could use to help ensure that their courtrooms are accessible for persons with disabilities. He is also a member of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Bar Association Advocacy Committee and its Amicus committee. He has an A.B. from Vassar College, a J.D. from University of San Diego School of Law, and was one of the first in the entire country to receive the LL.M. in health law, in his case from DePaul University College of Law. Interesting fact: He trained his miniature poodle to be a hearing dog while he practices virtually.