In August 1999, a group of deaf and hard of hearing attorneys and law students from the USA and Canada gathered together and created an email listserver named Surduslaw (‘Surdus’ is Latin for ‘deaf’). Since then, Surduslaw has grown to include members from at least six countries (the USA, Canada, Great Britain, Belgium, Australia and Sweden).
Each year, more and more D/deaf and hard of hearing people all over the world enter law school or become lawyers. Many take the study and practice of law in stride; to some, the legal field is often bewildering and, quite frankly, a bit scary.
Surduslaw provides a “safe zone” where D/deaf and hard of hearing lawyers and law students can gather, find resources, hold discussions with each other, and share tips on the practice or study of law. This site is organised and maintained by a group of D/deaf and hard of hearing lawyers and law students from all over the world. It is their hope that this site will grow gradually, reflecting the ever-growing family of D/deaf and hard of hearing lawyers and law students as well as the increasing amount of resources available to them.
Since the purpose of Surduslaw is to provide an comfortable area where deaf and hard of hearing attorneys and law students can relax and put up their feet, topics on this list have ranged from sports to home improvement, from disability law to corporate law, from cochlear implants to movie theater accessibility, and much more.
Many “Surduslawyers” (as the members to the Surduslaw group call themselves) consider Surduslaw a key in linking them on a daily basis to other D/deaf and hard of hearing lawyers and law students throughout the world.
Membership in the Surduslaw group is limited to D/deaf or hard of hearing lawyers who are or were members of a state bar (or its foreign equivalence), and to D/deaf or hard of hearing law students currently studying law or studying for the bar. D/deaf or hard of hearing lawyers who no longer practice law are still welcome as a Surduslawyer.
If you meet the eligibility requirements above and would like to become a Surduslawyer, please go to the Surduslaw Forum. In your message, please include a brief explanation of where you work or study, where you went or are going to law school, and the state (or country) bar(s) of which you are a member.
We’re looking forward to welcoming you as a fellow Surduslawyer!
