Harold Dembo to receive legal service award in June
It's not easy to give hope to the hopeless.
Yet, that's exactly what Harold Dembo has done through his volunteerism. Since 2010, Dembo-a partner at the law firm of Much Shelist and chair of its Real Estate Group-has provided expert legal advice and representation to clients of the JUF Community Legal Services (JCLS) clinic who often have nowhere else to turn. (JCLS is a clinic affiliated with the Chicago Volunteer Legal Services.)
By the time Dembo meets with them, many clients feel helpless to overcome legal and financial problems that could leave them homeless or destitute. Dembo listens to them and gathers the facts of each case. He helps these men and women understand their rights, and offers alternatives.
"They may need bankruptcy counsel, have problems with creditors, or be facing eviction or foreclosure," he said. "Some of them are living off the grid; they may be unemployed or never finished college."
Since Dembo started working with JCLS, he's helped expand the program by bringing in new attorneys. He even reached out to his own daughter, Stacey Dembo, an attorney specializing in Social Security Disability law, when JCLS was struggling to place a disability case.
"He's one of those trailblazers who lead by example," said Sima Blue, JUF Community Legal Services Coordinator. "He's got this kernel of wonderfulness inside him. We're lucky to have him."
Some cases require follow up or court appearances and can drag on for months or years. One might wonder why someone as fortunate as Dembo keeps volunteering with the clinic year after year. For the son of a Holocaust survivor from Lithuania, the answer is simple: "It's part of my conscience to help turn people's lives around through this program and in other ways," he said.
But the father of two grown kids has come a long way from his early days as a Lewis Summer Intern at JUF back in the 1970s. Since then, he has volunteered with JUF's TOV Network and served on several planning committees. Currently, he serves on the JUF/JFMC Facilities Corporation. Of all these experiences, the opportunity to lead a JUF Mission to Israel with his wife Lisa, remains a high point.
While the focus of Dembo's life has been on giving back to the Jewish community in Chicago, it's his moment to shine. In June, his daughter Stacey will present him with a Distinguished Service Award at JUF through the TOV Volunteer Network. He was honored on April 20 at Law & Disorder, Chicago Volunteer Legal Services' annual recognition ceremony.
JCLS and the JUF Lawyer's Division are recruiting attorneys of all practice areas to volunteer for JCLS. Attorneys interested in volunteering can call 847-568-1525 or email legalservices@juf.org for more information.
Jennifer Brody is a former associate editor at JUF News and a freelance writer living in Chicago.
