Dyslexia No Bar to Legal Career for Advocate and Inventor

A disability advocate who is severely dyslexic says he’s not the only JD who has the reading disorder. Ben Foss is the new executive director of Disability Rights Advocates, a nonprofit that litigates on behalf of the disabled, according to a press release. He has a joint JD and MBA…

May 16, 2011 10:30 AM CDT

Dechert: Our Culture Is Not Macho, and We Don’t Encourage Stereotypical Roles

A macho culture? That’s not our law firm, Dechert says in an answer (PDF) to an associate’s bias suit. Former Boston associate Ariel Ayanna had claimed in a lawsuit filed in December that the law firm retaliated against him for taking paternity leave and derided him for being the primary…

Apr 28, 2011 12:20 PM CDT

LSAC Settles with Blind Advocacy Group, Will Modify Law School Application Website

The U.S. Department of Justice has announced a settlement between an advocacy group for the blind and the Law School Admission Council, which has agreed to modify its website so that its Internet application process is accessible to those who cannot see. In a press release today, the DOJ discusses…

Apr 26, 2011 8:11 PM CDT

County Backs Lonely Widow’s Right to ‘Prescription Pet,’ a Chihuahua, in Her Fla. Condo

Lonely, fragile and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after an auto accident, Phyllis Schleifer could benefit from a prescription pet, her doctor felt. So she wound up living with Sweetie, a three-pound Chihuahua, in her Deerfield Beach, Fla., condominium. The problem is, it prohibits dogs. And although Sweetie is described…

Apr 1, 2011 12:45 AM CDT

Judge OKs Some Claims in Lawsuit Over ‘Runaway Train’ Abuse Prosecution of Parents of Autistic Teen

Accused of abusing their autistic, mute, teen daughter, Julian Wendrow spent months in jail and he and his attorney wife, Thal, were separated from their children, who were put in foster homes. Eventually, authorities in Oakland County, Mich., admitted they were wrong and the alleged victim couldn’t communicate. The accusations…

Apr 1, 2011 12:19 AM CDT

Hinckley Beat the System, May Soon Be Sipping Coffee in Williamsburg, Reagan’s Daughter Says

Thirty years after John Hinckley Jr. shot Ronald Reagan, the would-be assassin is allowed to visit his mother 12 times a year in 10-day visits. On the grounds of a psychiatric hospital in Washington, D.C., he plays guitar, works at the library, and sits in the sun. He is allowed…

Mar 30, 2011 2:29 PM CDT

New ADA Regs Could Lead to More Disability Class Actions

Workers would get more expansive protections for disabilities under final regulations released Friday that interpret 2008 amendments to the Americans with Disabilities Act. One byproduct of the new regulations could be more ADA class actions, according to a Lexology article by Seyfarth Shaw attorneys Condon A. McGlothlen and Tracy M.…

Mar 29, 2011 10:30 AM CDT

Judge Orders Dad to Arrange for Triplets to Visit Their Severely Disabled Mom

A woman who became severely disabled giving birth to triplets in 2006 has the right to see her children, a California judge ruled today in a temporary order pending a final resolution of the case. The husband of Abbie Dorn, who is now 34, divorced her after she was starved…

Mar 25, 2011 8:57 PM CDT

Autistic Teen’s Police Assault Conviction Worries Parents of Teens with the Disorder

As autism rates continue to soar, parents warn of the likelihood of increasing clashes between police and teens with the disorder who become aggressive when they become frustrated or angry. Autism advocates cite a recent case as an example, according to the Washington Post’s Post Local blog. Earlier this month,…

Mar 18, 2011 10:30 AM CDT

Lawyer Loses License, Gets OK to Run Guardian Business, Is Now Accused of Stealing $68K from Client

Terri Ann Hauge had her license to practice law suspended in 1995. But that didn’t prevent the former Minnesota attorney from getting a large guardianship business up and running, along with a partner. Now Hauge is accused of stealing $68,000 from 10 vulnerable clients, the Star Tribune reported. The case…

Mar 17, 2011 1:07 AM CDT

Charlie Sheen’s Lawsuit Isn’t All Talk: It Seeks $100M and Cites ‘Alleged’ Disability

Charlie Sheen was exaggerating a bit when he said his lawsuit against Warner Bros. would seek “bazillions” in damages. His suit filed on Thursday against Warner Bros. and producer Chuck Lorre seeks at least $100 million for his firing from the show Two and a Half Men, TMZ reports. It…

Mar 10, 2011 7:31 PM CST

Blown Deadline Doesn’t Necessarily Bar Veteran’s Appeal, Supreme Court Rules

The U.S. Supreme Court says the family of a Korean War veteran with paranoid schizophrenia may be entitled to appeal a denial of supplemental disability benefits even though he missed the filing deadline. Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. wrote the unanimous opinion (PDF) for the court finding that the blown…

Mar 1, 2011 5:22 PM CST

Judge Didn’t Let Disability Hamper His Law Career

Mar 1, 2011 9:20 AM CST

Vaccine Design Defect Claims in State Courts Are Pre-Empted by Federal Law, Supreme Court Rules

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that federal law pre-empts state lawsuits for design defects in vaccines. The court ruled 6-2 in favor of vaccine maker Wyeth, which is now owned by Pfizer Inc., report Reuters and Bloomberg. Justice Antonin Scalia wrote the majority opinion (PDF). The suit was brought…

Feb 22, 2011 4:02 PM CST

Diabetic Sues Restaurant for All-You-Can-Eat Restrictions

A diabetic has sued a California sushi restaurant for disability discrimination after its owner told him he had to eat his rice if he wanted the all-you-can-eat offer. Plaintiff David Martin is seeking at least $4,000 for “humiliation, embarrassment and mental anguish” suffered as a result of the alleged bias…

Feb 18, 2011 1:20 PM CST