Carmen Ontiveros is the Bilingual Spanish Paralegal at CDEL. She provides support to CDEL’s clients who have Limited English Proficiency. She primarily supports CDEL’s Adult Guardianship programming, but also assists with CDEL’s Adult Guardianship Help Desk, the CDEL Cook County Clerk’s Office Help Desk and representation in the areas of end-of-life planning, consumer law and housing law. Carmen joined CDEL in August 2024.

Before joining CDEL, Carmen worked in many different areas throughout her professional career including in immigration law, nonprofit organizations, as well as the corporate and public sectors. She also worked as a Press Aide to Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley.

Carmen graduated from Loyola University Chicago in 2002 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a certificate in Urban Life and Policy Studies. In addition to her Paralegal Certificate earned at Roosevelt University, Ms. Ontiveros holds a J.D. from the John Marshall Law School (UIC Law.)  She currently serves on their Board of Directors of HFS Chicago Scholars. She is also currently a member of the Gamma Phi Omega Sorority.