ABA Pledge for Change: Disability Diversity in the Legal Profession

Take Action to Implement Meaningful Change

The ABA Commission on Disability Rights created “A Pledge for Change: Disability Diversity in the Legal Profession” to help the legal profession address the underrepresentation of lawyers with disabilities. Law firms, law schools, bar associations, judges, courts, disability organizations, and corporations can take action by signing the Pledge and affirming their commitment to the recruitment, hiring, retention, and promotion of lawyers with disabilities. 

12 Actions Organizations Can Take

1. Collect and assess disability demographic data annually through voluntary surveys
2. Collect and assess qualitative data on disability culture and environment.
3. Ensure that all office space, job postings and application forms, interviews, orientations, trainings, on- and off-site meetings/events, documents, communications, technology, and software are accessible for disabled individuals, including those who use assistive technology (e.g., text-to-speech devices, communication boards, and speech-generating devices)
4. Celebrate important disability-related days and months that raise awareness and celebrate the contributions of the disability community (e.g., National Mental Health Awareness Month (May), Disability Pride Month (July), National Disability Employment Awareness Month (Oct), and International Day of Persons with Disabilities (Dec. 3)) with events and programming featuring disabled speakers
5. Offer trainings – led by disabled individuals – on disability etiquette, appropriate language, accessibility, and ableism, and biases
6. Feature and include images of disabled lawyers on your website
7. Conduct mandatory trainings for Human Resources staff and hiring managers on accessibility and the Americans with Disabilities Act requirements regarding interviewing disabled candidates and the reasonable accommodations process
8. Support and partner with disability organizations, advocates, bar associations, and affinity groups in your community
9. Offer pro bono opportunities that serve clients with disabilities
10. Reach out to disabled student affinity organizations at law schools and the National Disabled Law Student Association to share internship, fellowship, and employment opportunities
11. Create a mentoring program that pairs all associates with senior attorneys who can offer insight, guidance, and support
12. Sponsor an affinity group for lawyers with disabilities by providing space, refreshments, etc.

Signatories of the Pledge for Change

The nearly 400 Pledge signatories include corporations such as American Airlines, Meta, and Microsoft; firms such as Arnold & Porter, Baker & Hostetler, and White & Case; and ABA-accredited law schools across the country.

What Our Signatories Are Up To

Learn about what our Pledge signatories are doing to foster disability diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession and society in general.

The Origin of the Pledge for Change

The Pledge was created and presented at the Second ABA National Conference on the Employment of Lawyers with Disabilities held in June 2009. Its distribution was approved by the ABA Board of Governors Operations and Communications Committee.  In 2012, the Pledge was amended to specifically include judges and judiciaries as signatories. In 2014, the Pledge was again amended to include law schools and state and local bar associations.

Join the Movement

If you would like to have your organization sign the Pledge, please either complete the digital form, or download a PDF copy and email it to Amy Allbright at [email protected].