Disability Law Symposium: Accommodations in Legal Education

The past several decades have seen an increase in the number and scope of accommodations for students with disabilities, both in higher education generally and legal education specifically.  This occurs throughout the life cycle of a law student, from the Law School Admissions Test, through law school, to licensing exams.  It is well documented that this has created challenges for testing entities and law school administrators, and some stakeholders in legal education view this growth with skepticism.  In this half day working group, we explore the opposite side of the coin.  Accommodations, required by federal law, have created new access points for talented students with disabilities, and have and will continue to make our law schools and profession more representative of the public we serve.

We will hear from students who have navigated the accommodation process, and also listen to challenges faced by higher education administrators and testing organizations.  We will also hear from academics, practitioners, and policymakers on the history and transformational power of state and federal disability civil rights laws.