Attorneys with Disabilities

Fired legal assistant at Kirkland & Ellis claims firm restructuring was motivated by age bias

A former legal assistant at Kirkland & Ellis alleges that the law firm discriminated based on age when it fired a group of older litigation support workers and made them reapply for new positions in a “sham process.”

Aug 17, 2020 11:04 AM CDT

Former Reed Smith lawyer sues law firm for alleged discrimination after receiving concussion

A lawsuit has accused Reed Smith of wrongly firing a lawyer after a “discriminatory chain of perceptions and events” stemming from a concussion that the lawyer received while on vacation.

Aug 6, 2020 3:27 PM CDT

LGBTQ+ lawyers and attorneys with disabilities report prevalent discrimination, ABA study says

Nearly 40% of lawyers who identify as having disabilities and/or as LGBTQ+ report experiencing discrimination, harassment and bias in the workplace, according to a new national study by the ABA and Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University.

Jul 15, 2020 3:20 PM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Prosecutor says Trump ally got break; lawyers’ extortion plea

Prosecutor to testify that Trump ally was treated better

A prosecutor who resigned in the Roger Stone case plans to tell Congress on Wednesday that his supervisors told him that…

Jun 23, 2020 4:44 PM CDT

Does disabilities law prohibit mental health bias in bar admissions? Law grad seeks cert

A law grad undergoing mental health treatment is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to consider whether Illinois officials discriminated against him under the Americans with Disabilities Act when they refused to admit him to the bar.

Jun 9, 2020 12:13 PM CDT

From neurodiversity awareness to autism activism, this disability justice advocate fights for the rights of the marginalized

Autistic, Asian, nonbinary. Advocate, activist, organizer. Writer, speaker, educator, lawyer. Lydia X.Z. Brown is all of those things but also this: a force of nature. We asked Brown 10 questions.

Apr 1, 2020 2:50 AM CDT

How ‘Legally Blonde’ influenced a generation of women lawyers

What was once seen as another rom-com about a sorority girl tackling Harvard Law to get the love of her life back became something much more to female law students and women lawyers. Years later, Elle Woods remains influential for women in the legal field.

Dec 5, 2019 10:24 AM CST

Surmounting hidden disabilities: Challenges need not be barriers

During law school, Emily Cox struggled with countless seizures, numerous medication changes, and having her license to drive rescinded. But she was fortunate to be in a school that cared about her disability with an administration that made sure she had the resources she needed to succeed.

Nov 1, 2019 3:10 AM CDT

The ethics argument for promoting equality in the profession

Recognizing a lawyer’s ethical obligation to promote diversity bridges the gap between the moral case for diversity and the business case for diversity. It invokes shared values and professional responsibility. To establish that, we have the obligation and the agency to pursue liberty and justice for all, within and outside our practices.

Nov 1, 2019 1:40 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Ex-White House counsel acquitted; lawyer pleads guilty in alleged attack on colleague

Former White House counsel is acquitted on false-statement charge

Federal jurors on Wednesday acquitted former White House counsel Greg Craig on a charge of making false statements to the government…

Sep 4, 2019 4:55 PM CDT

Lawyer with autism finds her voice

With the help of her parents, Haley Moss overcame the stereotypes associated with autism to become a published author and a lawyer.

Sep 1, 2019 2:30 AM CDT

How to make a website accessible

Jul 1, 2019 6:30 AM CDT

ADA questions remain over web accessibility cases and the lack of DOJ regulations

Disability rights advocates say web accessibility, the practice of designing and coding websites so that people with disabilities can use them, can be accomplished through simple changes, such as changing color contrast and adding video captions. However, the legal landscape surrounding web accessibility has become more complex.

Jul 1, 2019 2:15 AM CDT

For law firms on the web, online accessibility for the disabled is good business

As legal services providers update their technology and grow their online footprints, they should build and use technology that is accessible to the broadest number of people, and that also includes people with disabilities.

May 21, 2019 6:30 AM CDT

Lawyer faces contempt charges for alleged failure to show up for client hearings

A DUI lawyer in Virginia says he plans to reduce his caseload after he was accused of contempt of court for missing client hearings and failing to produce a client’s…

May 14, 2019 12:06 PM CDT