Attorneys with Disabilities

ABA’s Equity Summit shines light on DEI issues in legal profession

The ABA is once again hosting a fully virtual conference to educate lawyers, judges, law students and other legal professionals on crucial diversity, equity and inclusion issues and facilitate robust dialogue about how to address these issues.

Oct 17, 2023 8:34 AM CDT

Court narrows Black law prof’s discrimination suit against University of Michigan Law School

A federal judge in Detroit has narrowed a Black law professor’s discrimination lawsuit against the University of Michigan Law School.

Jul 14, 2023 10:10 AM CDT

Three Scary Letters: Big. Law. ALS.

It’s strange how three little letters can cause so much angst. As a 2L interviewing with BigLaw firms, “Law” was looming enough, without “Big” preceding it. Five years later, I faced a new set of terrifying letters: ALS.

Jul 11, 2023 11:45 AM CDT

Disability rights advocates challenge California’s bar exam accommodation process

Updated: Two disability rights groups have filed a U.S. Department of Justice complaint against the State Bar of California alleging that the agency “consistently” violates the Americans With Disabilities Act regarding bar exam accommodation requests.

Jun 13, 2023 8:52 AM CDT

Identifying and eliminating implicit bias toward psychiatric disabilities in the legal profession

“Don’t let it happen again.” When I heard the statement, my body melted into my chair as I sat staring toward the screen in our Zoom meeting. Shock spread through my body for several moments—no words came. I was petrified and let waves of shame and disbelief flow through my body.

Jun 12, 2023 11:30 AM CDT

Grit and growth mindset boosts work of teams, new ABA report finds

Can teams operate in a gritty and growth mindset-oriented way, and if so, does that make them more successful?

Apr 24, 2023 4:07 PM CDT

High rates of burnout have lawyers in this state considering leaving their jobs or the legal profession

More than three-fourths of Massachusetts lawyers are experiencing burnout, and almost half have thought about leaving their legal employer or the legal profession for that reason or because of stress in the last three years.

Feb 2, 2023 12:07 PM CST

How to track and empower diversity and inclusion initiatives in the legal profession

Ari Kaplan recently spoke with Caren Ulrich Stacy, the founder and CEO of the Diversity Lab, a think tank that uses metrics, behavioral science and design thinking to produce initiatives that cultivate diversity and inclusion in legal organizations.

Jan 18, 2023 10:56 AM CST

Listen to our 10 favorite podcast episodes of 2022

Looking for a new listen? We've picked our favorite 2022 episodes from each of the ABA Journal's three podcasts. And if this whets your appetite, find more than 10 years of past episodes on our podcast page. You can also check out more legal podcasts from our partners at Legal Talk Network.

Dec 23, 2022 8:42 AM CST

Longtime disability rights advocate Scott LaBarre dies at 54

Scott LaBarre, a longtime member of the ABA who advocated for the rights of people with disabilities, died on Dec. 10 after a short battle with cancer. He was 54. "Scott was a top lawyer in the disability law area, but he was so much more," ABA President Deborah Enix-Ross told the ABA Journal. "He was a great leader, inspiring, always cheerful and upbeat and loved by all who had the good fortune to know him. He worked tirelessly on behalf of the ABA, making the association a much better organization. He will truly be missed, but his legacy endures."

Dec 20, 2022 10:40 AM CST

Slow Going: Despite diversity gains, some law firm leaders bemoan lack of progress

A series of recent studies have revealed the lack of diversity in law firm partnerships—even after the May 2020 murder of George Floyd spurred the profession to respond to calls for racial justice by launching in-house diversity programs and hiring more chief diversity officers.

Dec 1, 2022 3:00 AM CST

Lawyer with autism explores Netflix series ‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo’

I am almost always hesitant to watch stories about autism on TV. I find them extremely stressful because neurotypical creators and actors have a way of consistently “getting it wrong”: focusing on young boys; emphasizing traits in a way that feels like someone is checking them off from a list rather than fleshing out a whole human character; and almost consciously hitting upon every single stereotype.

Oct 27, 2022 10:21 AM CDT

Lawyer is still entitled to disability benefits for depression linked to law practice, 6th Circuit rules

A former Traverse City, Michigan, personal injury lawyer is entitled to continued monthly payments under his disability insurance policy because of evidence that his recurrent depression makes him unable to work as a trial attorney, a federal appeals court has ruled.

Sep 13, 2022 9:49 AM CDT

Responses wanted: Motherhood penalty and caregiver bias will be evaluated in new ABA survey

The ABA Commission on Women in the Profession is launching a new survey to assess how the motherhood penalty and other caregiver bias impacts the careers of female lawyers.

Sep 8, 2022 2:00 PM CDT

Unbroken: A call for psychiatric disability initiatives in the legal profession

So many of us struggle in silence while striving for excellence, when only a helping hand and understanding—not only from family and friends but also from colleagues and those with leading positions in law firms—could guide our way to attain success as humans and as professionals.

Aug 25, 2022 8:45 AM CDT