National Technical Institute for the Deaf

Claudia L. Gordon is currently a political appointee with the Obama administration serving as Special Assistant to the Director of the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs. 

From 2003 – 2009 she was a senior policy advisor with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. In this role, she provided legal and policy advice on the full breadth of civil rights and civil liberties issues the department addresses. These issues include, but are not limited to, ensuring compliance with federal civil rights laws relating to the rights of people with disabilities in DHS programs and activities. 

In 2000, Ms. Gordon received the prestigious Skadden Fellowship to work as a staff attorney with the National Association of the Deaf Law Center. While there, she provided legal advocacy to individuals experiencing discrimination on the basis of deafness through direct legal representation in civil cases, technical assistance, training and outreach. She also has worked as a consulting attorney with the National Council on Disability. Ms. Gordon is a sought after disability policy expert and presents at conferences nationwide. She sits on the boards of the American Association of People with Disabilities and the Lexington School and Center for the Deaf.

Ms. Gordon graduated from Howard University, cum laude, with a bachelor’s of arts degree in political science. She also graduated from American University Washington College of Law, cum laude, with a Juris Doctorate.