California Western School of Law (San Diego)
Contact/ Disability Resource Center
California Western is committed to creating an inclusive community where all students feel supported as they pursue their legal education. We offer a number of resources for students with disabilities, so they feel empowered.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 619-515-1576
Location: Student Center
350 Building First Floor
San Diego, CA 92101
Courses
Mental Health Law: This seminar will consider a broad range of legal issues involving the mental health professions, and the place of mental health professions in advising and helping the legal system. Discussions will concentrate on practical problems involving the subject of mental health and its effect on the practice of law. Topics to be covered may include issues relating to liberty and property interests of mentally disabled persons, the legal impact of expert testimony in mental health cases, criminal responsibility and punishment, civil commitment, the right to refuse treatment, competency in the criminal justice system and involuntary commitment. The initial class sessions will be devoted to a general introduction to psychological testing, psychiatric diagnosis and treatment. Grading is by a combination of written and oral presentations. Sequence and Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites. Previous education in psychology is not necessary. Relationship to Law Practice: This course is relevant to students who are interested in criminal law, family law, juvenile law, general civil trial practice or other areas in which law and social work intersect.
Student Organizations
The Public Interest Law Foundation: Dedicated to promoting awareness among law students of the inequities that exist in the legal system and the need for commitment for public service work. Public interest law includes, but is not limited to, issues concerning child advocacy, disability advocacy, mental health advocacy, veterans, elderly rights, and HIV/AIDS.
Chapman University Fowler School of Law (Orange)
Contact/ Disability Resource Center
Chapman University is committed to providing support services to achieve equal access to the education experience. Disability Services (DS) approves and coordinates accommodations and services for students with disabilities at Chapman to help students acquire skills essential to achieve academic and personal success.
Phone: (714) 516-4520
Fax: (714) 516-4550
[email protected]
Location: Argyros Forum 203
Services for Students with Disabilities (link)
Courses
Civil Rights Law (3) Law-7519: This course will study the laws and constitutional provisions that protect civil rights, particularly the right to be free from discrimination on the basis of race, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation and other protected characteristics. This course will give some consideration to legal actions that seek redress for violations of other federal constitutional or statutory rights. The course will focus on techniques for constructing or defending against such actions.
Golden Gate University School of Law (San Francisco)
Contact/ Disability Resource Center
Student Support: Office of Accessible Education
Golden Gate University is committed to achieving equal educational opportunity and full participation for persons with disabilities. It is Golden Gate University's policy that enrolled students who have disabilities shall be given reasonable accommodations in compliance with state and federal laws.
The Office of Accessible Education coordinates accommodations for students with all types of disabilities, including temporary injuries or conditions.
Law programs [email protected]
Non-law programs [email protected]
Phone: 415-442-7862
Clinics
Veterans Legal Advocacy Clinic: VLAC, the first veterans' clinic on a law school campus in Northern California, helps underserved veterans gain access to legal representation that assist in getting them the medical care and disability benefits that they have earned by serving our country.
Women's Employment Rights Clinic: Students represent low-income clients with employment-related problems in areas including unpaid wages, discrimination and harassment, pregnancy disability, family and medical leave, and unemployment benefits. The clinic operates as a law office, with students practicing under direct faculty supervision. Clinic students must simultaneously enroll in the Women's Employment Rights Seminar (LAW-885S).
Loyola Law School (Los Angeles)
Contact/ Disability Resource Center
Student Accessibility Services
Student Accessibility Services (SAS) is the arm of the Student Affairs Office that works with licensed professional consultants to review requests for disability accommodations. SAS works to ensure that accommodations are provided to students who have established a disability that limits them in a major life activity. Students who wish to apply for an accommodation may do so on a voluntary, self-identifying basis through the SAS Online portal. The portal is also for students applying to be note-takers.
[email protected]
(213) 736-8151
Founders Hall 105
Loyola Law School
919 Albany St.
Los Angeles, CA 90015
Clinics
Youth Justice Education Clinic: Avoiding the “school to prison pipeline” requires acknowledging and addressing the causal relationship between unmet special-education needs and court involvement. Many of the YJEC clients are children who are entitled to Regional Center services, social security relief, or Individualized Education Plans that the school system has failed to provide appropriately or not at all. Through YJEC, law students under the supervision of an education attorney represent these clients in due process hearings, disciplinary hearings, and IEP meetings in order to advocate for their legal entitlements. By addressing the special education needs of these children, the Center increases their chances for a lasting positive outcome. YJEC students also work on school discipline and regional center issues for clients.
Courses
Disability Rights Law: This course examines the growing area of federal and state law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability with particular emphasis on the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Fair Housing Act, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and California's disabilities civil rights statutes. The class will put the federal and state laws in the context of the history of the disability rights movement and the states' rights (federalism) movement. It will also introduce emerging issues in disability rights law, such as genetic discrimination, international disability rights law, assisted suicide legislation, and the internet.
Coelho Center for Disability Law, Policy and Innovation
The Coelho Center for Disability Law, Policy and Innovation is an interdisciplinary center that convenes top thought leaders in disability law and policy; generate and disseminate knowledge at the intersection of disability, technology and innovation; and be a focal point for increasing the pipeline of talented students with disabilities in law, politics and other fields of endeavor. We will be a leader on these issues in California, the United States and internationally.
Pepperdine University Rick J. Caruso School of Law
Contact/ Disability Resource Center
Office of Student Accessibility
The Office of Student Accessibility (OSA) seeks to accommodate students with documented disabilities to allow equal standing in educational endeavors.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (310) 506-6500
Fax: (310) 506-6776
Office: SAC #105
Mailing Address:
Disability Services Office
Pepperdine University
24255 Pacific Coast Highway
Malibu, CA 90263-6500
Courses
Employment Discrimination Law: The law relating to discriminatory practices in the hiring, promotion, compensation, and retention of employees, including discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender orientation, age, and disability. Course coverage includes substantive and procedural aspects of Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Equal Pay Act, the Equal Protection Clause, racial and sexual harassment, and various other relevant laws and policies.
Selected Issues in Dispute Resolution: Employment Disputes: This course will address protocols for resolving disputes in the nonunionized workplaces. The class will discuss unique concerns originating from the negotiation, mediation and arbitration of employment claims like race, age, gender and religious discrimination; sexual harassment, wage hour class actions, Americans with Disabilities Act violations, workers’ compensation, whistleblowers, Family and Medical Leave Act violations, and occupational safety requirements; and wrongful termination, EEOC dispute resolution programs internal dispute resolution programs, internal dispute systems for employees, and the growing trend of ombuds offices.
Veterans Law Practicum Ventura: The Veterans Law Practicum (Ventura) is a 4 unit field placement course through which Caruso School of Law students work with the Ventura County Public Defender in its practice for veterans in the Collaborative Courts within the Ventura County Superior Court, including the Veterans Treatment Court, Homeless Court, Mental Health Court, Stand Down Court, and others.
Santa Clara University School of Law
Contact/ Disability Resource Center
Office of Accessible Education (OAE)
The Office of Accessible Education (OAE) formerly Disabilities Resources (DR) at Santa Clara University has facilitated services to students with disabilities since 1972. Our goal is to support the college student with a disability to participate fully in campus life, its programs, and activities. We emphasize growth and individual achievement. We address this goal through the provision of academic accommodations, support services, and auxiliary aids.
500 El Camino Real, Benson 1
Santa Clara, CA 95053
Phone: (408) 554-4109
Email: [email protected]
Courses
Children and the Law Seminar: Among other things, seminar focuses on the legal rights of children to an education, focusing in particular on the state’s duty to provide special education for disabled minors. In addition, the impact that cultural differences can have on some of these issues. The seminar will then explore the conflicts between the legal rights of children and the state authority within the juvenile justice system to regulate the lives of dependent children and their families.
Disability Law: Examines federal and state law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability with particular emphasis on the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) of 2004, and California’s disabilities civil rights statues. Covers a wide range of topics including employment, education, housing, technology, and health care; the California Managed Health Care Accountability Act of 1999; the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA); the Health Insurance and Portability Act of 1996 (HIPAA); and the Mental Health Parity Act of 1996.
Employment Discrimination: This course is an introduction to the law of employment discrimination. In general, the course will focus first on the three basic theories of employment discrimination – individual disparate treatment, systemic disparate treatment, and disparate impact – and will then consider the interrelationship of these theories. Will go on to consider in detail a variety of topics including discrimination based on religion and disability discrimination. If time allows, the course also may cover procedures for enforcing antidiscrimination laws, and remedies for employment discrimination.
Housing Discrimination: Exploration of the scope of discrimination in housing in the United States and the nature and adequacy of the legal remedies created to prevent it. Important themes of the class will be differences between the kinds of categories protected by state and federal statutes (e.g., race, sex, disabilities, and marital status) and continuing issues of residential segregation. Topics covered will include proving discrimination, discriminatory advertising, the meaning of race under the 1866 Civil Rights Act, the meaning of “handicap” under the Fair Housing Act, accommodation of persons with disabilities, and discrimination to achieve integration.
Student Organizations
Disabled Law Students Association: The Disabled Law Students Association is dedicated to providing a community that supports and advocates for students with all types of disabilities. We strive to increase awareness of disability issues by sponsoring school wide events, promoting disability-themed courses, and fostering a culture of acceptance. We work in partnership with the Office of Accessible Education and the National Disabled Law Students Association to better support students at Santa Clara Law and on a national level.
Southwestern Law School (Los Angeles)
Contact/ Disability Resource Center
Phone: (213) 738-6888
Email: [email protected]
Clinics
Children's Rights Clinic: The Children's Rights Clinic offers students an opportunity to participate in educational rights work, including direct representation of children and families in school discipline and special education matters and community outreach. Clinic students will have an opportunity to represent children in school discipline proceedings, represent children with disabilities in special education matters, or work with community groups to advocate for better and more equitable educational opportunities for children.
Courses
Disability Law: This course introduces federal and state laws that address the civil rights, needs, and treatment of persons with disabilities.
Employment Discrimination Law: Employment Discrimination Law studies the history, doctrine, and practice of law outlawing discrimination in the workplace based on race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, and membership in other protected classifications.
Stanford Law School
Contact/ Disability Resource Center
Office of Accessible Education
The mission of the Office of Accessible Education (OAE) is to promote an accessible and inclusive environment for all students with disabilities. Through both academic and housing accommodations, we work to mitigate physical and attitudinal barriers that students might face. We are dedicated to supporting students with disabilities to give them the opportunity to perform at their highest academic potential. We also strive to promote the inclusive environment they need to experience full membership in our diverse Stanford community.
Office of Accessible Education
563 Salvatierra Walk
Stanford, CA 94305
Phone: (650) 723-1066
Fax (650) 725-5301
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities (link)
Clinics/Pro bono Projects
Community Law Clinic: Community Law Clinic students have helped hundreds of adults and children obtain much needed disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSI and SSDI). Students represent clients at Federal Administrative Law Judge hearings and in Federal District Court, filing briefs, cross-examining witnesses, putting on expert testimony, drafting declarations, gathering evidence and presenting oral arguments before the judges.
Racial and Disability Justice Pro Bono Project (RAD Justice): RAD Justice partners with the Integrated Community Collaborative (ICC), a grassroots organization helping low income Latinx families attain services for their children with disabilities. California’s Regional Centers, the organizations that coordinate providing services to people with disabilities, disproportionately deny services to Latinx families. These families often find themselves fighting an uphill battle to meet their children’s needs, without representation or guidance.
Social Security Disability Pro Bono Project (SSDP): The Social Security Disability Project (SSDP) is run by Lisa Douglass of the SLS Community Law Clinic. Students conduct substantive in-person interviews with clients to gain an understanding of the clients’ disabilities and barriers to employment. Students then work with clients to prepare benefits applications or appeals. SSDP has assisted local clients since 2007. During this period, SLS students have helped many hundreds of clients secure benefits and, subsequently, a steady income. Because our clients are all extremely low-income and often unhoused, helping them secure benefits can go a long way toward ensuring they have stable housing, medical care, etc.
Stanford Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Law and Policy Project (SIDDLAPP): The mission of the Stanford Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Law and Policy Project (SIDDLAPP) is to help narrow this gap by promoting student engagement, stimulating rigorous policy analysis and academic research, and spearheading legal advocacy on issues that pertain to the rights and welfare of individuals with I/DD.
Youth and Education Law Project: For over twenty years, Stanford Law School students have been working on behalf of disadvantaged youth and their communities to ensure that they, too, have access to equal and excellent educational opportunities.
Courses
Disability Law: This is a survey course of disability rights law, with an emphasis on federal and state statutes and case law. Areas of concentration include employment, government services, public accommodations, education, housing, mental health treatment and involuntary commitment, and personal autonomy. We will review such statutes as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Rehabilitation Act (Sec. 504), Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and the Fair Housing Act Amendments. The course examines disability from a civil and human rights perspective.
Mental Health Law. This class will explore timely issues surrounding mental health law. Representative topics include civil commitment proceedings; forced outpatient treatment and hospitalization; mental health in the criminal justice system; guardianship/conservatorship and its alternatives; mental health courts; the Americans with Disabilities Act; the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); and neurodiversity. A variety of stakeholders---clinicians, attorneys, individuals with mental illness or developmental disabilities, and family members---will join us as guest speakers to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of the current system and to discuss possible reforms.
Student Organizations
Disability and Mental Health Network at Stanford (DAMNS): The mission of Disability and Mental Health Network at Stanford (DAMNS) (formerly ‘Law Students for Disability Rights’) is to organize and support Stanford students with disabilities and allies to the disability rights community. We aim to provide resources and peer support for coping with medical issues and receiving appropriate accommodations, to connect students with mentoring and other opportunities within the greater disability community and to raise awareness of disability issues among all SLS students.
Thomas Jefferson School of Law (San Diego)
Contact/ Disability Resource Center
As detailed in the Student Handbook, Thomas Jefferson School of Law is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities. Individuals with a disability will not be denied access to or participation in law school services, programs and activities because of their disability.
Angela Bayne
Phone: (619) 961-4203
E-mail: [email protected]
Clinics
Veterans Legal Assistance Clinic: The Thomas Jefferson School of Law Veterans Legal Assistance Clinic provides limited legal assistance, as well as full service legal representation, to the residents and alumni of Veterans Village of San Diego. Veterans Village is a highly successful, residential program that provides housing, substance abuse, mental health, and job training services to formerly homeless veterans who are struggling to regain full participation in society. Areas of concentration include family, consumer and administrative law. Clinic students have primary responsibility for the cases they handle and the clients they represent.
University of California - Berkeley School of Law
Contact/ Disability Resource Center
Accessible Education and Disability Accommodations
Director of Student Services, Accessible Education:
Chelsea Yuan
[email protected]
The Student Services Office is available for academic and personal advising and counseling. Students are encouraged to come to Student Services to discuss academic plans, questions about the profession, personal concerns, summer jobs, accommodations, and other matters. Students are welcome to schedule appointments by checking the links below.
Location: 280 Simon Hall
Phone: (510) 643-2744
Email: [email protected]
The Disabled Students' Program promotes an inclusive environment for students with disabilities. We equip disabled students with appropriate accommodations and services to achieve their individual academic goals. We are dedicated to supporting disabled students and collaborating with the campus community to remove barriers to educational access and embrace the University’s values of equity and inclusion. We believe that an accessible environment universally benefits everyone.
260 César E. Chávez Student Center, #4250
Berkeley, CA 94720-4250
Voice: (510) 642-0518
TTY: (510) 642-6376
Fax: (510) 643-9686
Courses
Civil Rights and Anti-Discrimination Law: How does the law address inequality? This course probes the fundamental frameworks of civil rights and anti-discrimination law. Among the topics we will cover are discrimination on the basis of race, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, and disability, across a variety of social contexts (we will focus primarily on work and education, but will also touch on public accommodations, and governmental services). Students should leave the class with an understanding of federal statutory frameworks including Title VII, Title IX and the ADA, and their constitutional underpinnings. The course will also draw on critical legal theories, including critical race theory, feminist theory, queer theory and disability theory, to help us grapple with questions about the real-world consequences and limits of the current legal frameworks. Because the class emphasizes the application of civil rights law outside the workplace, it is designed to complement Employment Discrimination.
Constitutional Law: This is an introductory course on Constitutional Law. Although it is primarily a substantive class, the course will also focus on skill building and will include three required writing assignments in addition to the final. It will enhance students' abilities to read and synthesize cases, to formulate effective legal arguments, to engage in critical analysis, and to write law school exams.
Although the course will cover basic principles such as judicial review and federalism, the focus will be on the role of the courts in assessing questions of equal protection (based on race, gender, sexual orientation and disability) and establishing the boundaries of fundamental rights, including sexual conduct, procreation, and marriage.
Employment Law: This course surveys the key federal and California laws that govern the workplace. The instructor will use a combination of lectures, guest speakers, and interactive hypotheticals to explore cutting-edge issues in employment law. Topics include who is an employee, emerging employment models in the gig economy, employment discrimination, disability law, employment status, privacy in the workplace, the future of class actions, the intersection between immigration status and employment, and wage and hour law. Students who take this class will have the ability to apply the law to issues that arise in the real world workplace.
Veteran's Law Practicum: Through the Seminar component of the course, students gain an understanding of substantive veterans law, with a focus on federal benefits and legal remedies available to military sexual assault survivors, veterans with mental health conditions, and veterans who were unlawfully kicked out of the military due to discrimination. Students learn foundational veterans law doctrines, evidentiary standards, and how to navigate the byzantine Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Defense administrative systems. In the Practicum, students put the knowledge gained through the Seminar to work advocating on behalf of veterans. Practicum work varies based on the needs of the veteran community, but prioritizes advocacy on behalf of vulnerable veterans, including those experiencing homelessness, criminal-justice involvement, and acute mental health conditions.
Student Organizations
Disability Rights Project: Mission: Our mission is to help young persons with disabilities understand and exercise their rights in working towards a society where people with disabilities are supported, valued, included in their communities, and are afforded the same opportunities as people without disabilities. The Disability Rights Project works with Disability Rights California (DRC) and other law students from UC Irvine to provide advocacy support for youth with disabilities and families across the state. We want to promote the idea that people with disabilities deserve respect and are valued and supported in their communities.
Email: [email protected]
Disabled Students Association @ Berkeley Law: DSABL aims to foster a supportive community where disabled students at Berkeley Law receive mentorship, facilitate access to resources and accommodations, and provide a space to advocate and understand disability rights.
Email: [email protected]
University of California - Davis School of Law
Contact/ Disability Resource Center
UC Davis School of Law is committed to ensuring equal educational opportunities for students with disabilities, in collaboration with the UC Davis Student Disability Center (SDC). The SDC coordinates disability accommodations for all UC Davis students, including law students. The SDC offers advising, assistance and resources to students with physical, psychological, medical, communicative, or learning disabilities, as well as for temporary impairments. Students seeking accommodations must register with, and provide appropriate documentation to, the SDC, which will then provide recommendations to the law school Registrar/Registrar’s Office for each approved student.
54 Cowell Building
University of California
Davis, CA 95616
Voice: (530) 752-3184
TDD: (530) 752-6833
Email: [email protected]
The central campus Student Disability Center evaluates all students seeking accommodations, including law students. The Law School Registrar's Office executes exam accommodations recommended by SDC. The law school Senior Assistant Dean for Student Affairs refers students to the SDC, counsels students with disabilities who have academic questions, and assists disabled students with any other academic or personal concerns related to their academic progress.
Law School Registrar: Nicole Waterman
[email protected] (530) 752-4299
Student Organizations
King Hall Disability Rights Law Association
University of California College of the Law, San Francisco
Contact/ Disability Resource Center
To fulfill our commitment and ensure that all students have equal access to educational opportunities, UC Law SF complies with the letter and spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable state and federal civil rights legislation. This federal anti-discrimination statute seeks to provide students with disabilities the same opportunities as students without disabilities. Students with disabilities are a diverse group. Under the ADA, a disability is not a specific diagnosis or condition; a person has a disability if they have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity (including seeing, hearing, learning, reading and concentrating). UC Law SF makes reasonable accommodations for qualified students with known disabilities. The purpose is to mitigate the impact of the students’ disabilities in the law school environment. Accommodations can include making academic modifications, removing architectural barriers, providing auxiliary aids and services, or a combination of any of the above. All accommodations and services are provided on acase-by-case basis, and information is kept confidential in accordance with applicable laws. In addition to providing accommodations for students with disabilities, the DRP assists students and graduates who request accommodations on the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE) and various states’ bar exams. This includes advising students on documentation standards, assisting with resources for students with extraordinary medical expenses such as psychoeducational or neuropsychological assessments, reviewing personal narratives, and assisting students who appeal a denial or partial denial of accommodations on these important licensing exams.
Phone: (415) 581-8948
Email: [email protected]
Location: 200 McAllister Street, Suite 277
San Francisco, CA 94102
Clinics
Individual Representation Clinic: In Fall semesters, students represent clients seeking disability insurance benefits in evidentiary hearings before federal Administrative Law Judges and/or represent clients in Superior Court petitions to have past their criminal convictions dismissed.
Externships
Legal Aid at Work (LAAW)—Disability Rights Program: The Disability Rights Program advances the civil rights of people with disabilities in employment, education, and public services.
Disability Rights Advocates: DRA uses the law as a tool to advance the cause of justice for people with disabilities across the country. DRA works with people with all types of disabilities.
Disability Rights California: DRC provides advocacy help for Californians with disabilities.
Legal Assistance for the Elderly: Free legal services for San Francisco's elderly & adults with disabilities
Courses
Disability Law: This course will explore the rights of individuals with disabilities to be free from discrimination in several major aspects of life including: employment, higher education, elementary and secondary education, public accommodations, and housing. As the Bay Area is at the heart of the worldwide disability rights movements the class will be joined on a number of occasions by leading experts on many aspects of disability law, as well as witnesses to historic moments in the disability rights movement. These experts, employed in advocacy, government, and semi-public settings will enable to students to consider and compare a wide range of careers in disability law. These speakers will also explain how to seek summer employment, fellowship, and post-graduation employment opportunities with their offices and agencies. The primary legal authorities covered will be the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Fair Housing Act Amendments and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. We will explore both the traditional civil rights roots of these laws as well as the latest trends unique to disability in this rapidly emerging and changing field of law. In the course of this exploration a set of organizing principles will emerge. We will look at how to spot these principles and use them effectively in the practice of disability law.
Mental Health Law and Policy: This course focuses on and interweaves analysis of several areas at the intersection of mental health and American law and policymaking. The course addresses the following substantive areas: (1) introduction to historical and contemporary notions of mental disorder and disability and the framework, functioning, and financing of current mental health system; (2) core legal aspects of the mental health treatment relationship (e.g., informed consent, confidentiality and privilege); (3) civil commitment and the movement between institution and community (e.g., shifts in commitment standards and patterns over time, mandated community treatment, availability of community services and the recent impact of litigation under the ADA); (4) mental health and the criminal justice system (e.g., mental health and the adjudicatory process, sentencing, mental health and the prison system, alternative courts); (5) child and adolescent mental health and the law (e.g., interrelationship of mental health issues with minors in the mental health, juvenile justice, child welfare, and educational systems; regulation of psychotropic medication use with minors); and (6) the future of mental health law and policy in the U.S. (examination and evaluation of a range of policy proposals, model programs and alternative approaches). The course is interdisciplinary, integrates analyses of law and policy across substantive areas, and addresses ethical challenges encountered by attorneys who represent persons with mental disorders in civil and criminal contexts.
Stat: Employment Discrimination: This course examines the major federal statutes that prohibit employment discrimination-including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Equal Pay Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act-and the various entities and mechanisms involved in their enforcement. The course will cover the legal theories and remedies available for employment discrimination claims, as well as the interplay between legislative, judicial, and administrative actors in the development of anti-discrimination law. Areas of focus will include statutory drafting, judicial interpretation of statutory terms, procedural regulations and guidance, and administrative exhaustion.
Employment Discrimination: Upper Division: This course will consider the major statutes that prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of race, sex, national origin, religion, age, and disability. Principal focus will be on Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Equal Pay Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Secondary focus will be on applicable state statutes. Subjects will include the definition of discrimination, administrative and judicial procedures, practical problems of litigation (e.g., class suits, attorney fees, the use of statistical evidence), the use of consent and settlement decrees, and available remedies.
Education Law: Access to education is a critical barometer of the efficacy of due process. In other words, the role of legal institutions in the construction of the right to education was and is instrumental to education equity. This class will examine education law and policy through the prism of anti-discrimination regulatory schemes prohibiting discrimination in education on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability and age such as Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. We will start with an examination of the purpose and role of education in American society and the role of law in defining such. Topics on education to be covered include public funding, segregation, speech rights, school discipline, disability rights, immigrant rights and English Language Learner rights.
Civil Rights Theory & Practicum: Our nation's civil rights laws form the primary framework under which the principal institutions in our society - schools, Universities, local and state governments, and businesses - are required to provide equal opportunities. How well each of these institutions delivers on the promise of civil rights is dependent, in large part, on the way that the laws and regulations were originally drafted and amended, the governmental and societal ills they were designed to redress when enacted, and the ways in which courts and agencies have interpreted and enforced them. We will analyze the different ways in which civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, and disability have been interpreted under the principal legal theories, examine how statutory and regulatory text has informed Court and agency application, and identify areas where civil rights law is still in formation. We will discuss approaches to enforcement of civil rights laws from the perspective of those whose civil rights have been violated, those who have been alleged to violate such rights, the advocates for these parties, and judges and other government officials. We will bring this analysis to bear in the drafting and presentation of an oral argument, a federal civil rights complainant, and an opposition to a motion to dismiss a federal civil rights complainant.
Student Organizations
UC Law SF Disability Rights Association (DRA): DRA provides a safe space for disabled students, their loved one, their allies, and those interested in disability law and justice to connect and support one another. DRA also advocates for the interests of disabled students on campus, while educating on issues of ableism and disability rights.
University of California - Irvine School of Law
Contact/ Disability Resource Center
UCI Disabilities Service Center
At the University of California, Irvine, providing a culture of inclusion and equal opportunity for students with disabilities is a campus wide responsibility and commitment. UCI demonstrates its core values of individual growth, development, civility, and diversity by recognizing students with disabilities as an important part of its student body. Our mission is to empower students to maximize their abilities to thrive in today’s global community.
Continuing Education 3, Bldg #234
Pereira Drive
Irvine, CA 92697-5250
Phone: (949) 824-7494
Fax: (949) 824-3410
[email protected]
Mental Health Resources (link)
Courses
Disability Rights: This is an introductory course of disability rights law, with an emphasis on federal and state statutes and case law. Areas of concentration include employment, government services, public accommodations, education, housing, mental health treatment and involuntary commitment, and the criminal legal system. We will review such statutes as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Rehabilitation Act (Sec. 504), Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and the Fair Housing Act Amendments. The course examines disability and disability law from civil rights, racial justice, and disability justice perspectives.
Employment Discrimination Law: Through the lens of a career practitioner, the course examines federal and state laws prohibiting discrimination and harassment in employment based on race, religion, national origin, gender, gender-identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, and other protected statuses. The course will focus on Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, with a discussion of California law, the ADA, and ADEA. In addition to covering the doctrine, theory, and history of anti-discrimination law, the course studies the procedure for litigating such cases and the lawyer s role in counseling clients about compliance.
Student Organizations
Mental Health in Law Society: The Mental Health in Law Society at UCI Law aims to increase awareness, decrease stigma, and foster discourse about mental health in law school, the legal profession, and the justice system. We are passionate about bringing law students together to build a stronger sense of community and interconnection.
National Disabled Law Students Association: National Disabled Law Student Association (NDLSA) at UCI Law aims to eliminate the stigma of disability within the legal profession, provide support for disabled law students and prospective law students, and foster an inclusive and accessible environment for disabled law students. NDLSA at UCI Law (link)
University of California Los Angeles School of Law
Contact/ Disability Resource Center
Center for Accessible Education
The mission of the Center for Accessible Education (CAE) is to create an accessible, inclusive, and supportive learning environment. Through a collaborative effort with faculty, staff, and students, the CAE facilitates academic accommodations, disability advocacy, and serves as an educational resource for the campus community.
A255 Murphy Hall
Phone: (310) 825-1501
Email: [email protected]
Fax: (310) 825-9656
The Office of Student Services works closely with students, other resources at the law school and across the UCLA campus to advise current students and make their time at UCLA School of Law as smooth, productive and collegial as possible.
Room 1224 Law Building
385 Charles E. Young Dr. East
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1476
(310) 825-4891
[email protected]
Clinics
Veterans Justice Clinic: Poverty, Homelessness & Criminalization: The Poverty, Homelessness, and Criminalization Clinic provides an exciting live-client opportunity to engage in legal services, litigation, and policy advocacy. Using a social justice and movement lawyering lens, our focus this semester is both the criminal enforcement system (e.g. policing and record clearing of criminal offenses) and the continuing harms of COVID-19 on our clients (e.g. housing and economic insecurity, disability justice, and health access). The docket will be driven by legal issues clients and community partners have brought to the clinic. No knowledge of the military or military experience is needed for this clinic. Students enrolled in the clinic will serve as legal advocates for individual clients and organizational partners. Individual client representation will primarily focus on criminal record clearing and disability benefits for unhoused or housing insecure veterans. To supplement individual client work, clinic students can engage in policy or litigation projects partnering with grassroots and advocacy organizations focused on the criminal punishment system, housing justice, racial justice, or disability justice. Students will gain transferable skills for any lawyering context, such as factual investigation, development of case and project theories, legal research and writing, oral advocacy, advanced interviewing and counseling (often using trauma-informed techniques), and navigating lawyer-client power dynamics.
Courses
Disability Law: a survey course providing an introduction to areas of domestic law and policy that address the rights, needs, and treatment of persons with disabilities. The course focuses on three major pieces of legislation: the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and the Fair Housing Act. In addition to addressing such basic principles of disability rights law as the definition of disability and the concept of reasonable accommodation, the course incorporates critical theory from law and related disciplines to explore the politics, experience, and social conception of disability. The underlying philosophy of disability rights law is analyzed. Is the law fair? Is it just? As a policy matter, does current law work? Why or why not? What would be needed to make this area of law work better? What are the costs (both personal and financial) to the various parties? To society? What are the benefits?
Student Organizations
Disability Law Society (DLS) is a safe space for students with and without disabilities interested in disability law and policy. We understand that each disability is unique, and our experiences with disability vary. We serve all people with disabilities, ranging from physical, intellectual/developmental, and mental health. Because disability is intersectional and affects us all, we believe in the benefit of infusing a disability justice consciousness to every area of advocacy. DLS works to foster awareness and professional development for those interested in disability law, through programming and networking opportunities.
University of La Verne College of Law (Ontario)
Contact/ Disability Resource Center
The College of Law’s Office of Student Affairs is committed to assuring every student with a documented physical, psychological and/or learning disability has access to appropriate academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids and to empower those students to use their full potential. For more information about the accommodations process or to submit a Disability Accommodations Request packet, please contact the Office of Student Affairs.
The Accessibility Services Department has been designated by the University of La Verne to ensure access for all students with disabilities to all academic programs and university resources. Types of disabilities include medical, physical, psychological, attention-deficit, and/or learning disabilities, and reasonable accommodations are provided to minimize the effects of a student’s disability and to maximize their potential for success.
2215 E Street
La Verne, CA 91750
Phone: (909) 448-4938
Fax: (909) 448-1633
Clinics
Disability Rights Legal Center Clinic: The Disability Rights Legal Clinic focuses on disability civil rights litigation and special education issues for low-income and minority families. The clinic addresses some of the most extreme problems for people with disabilities in Inland Southern California, including the failure to provide free and appropriate education for students with disabilities, the treatment of youth with disabilities in the juvenile justice and foster care systems, lack of access to the justice system, and lack of access to healthcare.
University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law (Sacramento)
Contact/ Disability Resource Center
McGeorge School of Law makes every reasonable effort to accommodate, on a case-by-case basis, students with physical, medical, or learning disabilities. Our campus facilities are accessible to students with mobility impairments, and, in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, we do not discriminate in the administration of our educational programs, admissions, scholarships, loans, or other activities or programs based on disability.
For additional information or documentation, please contact Kelli Sarnowski, Coordinator, Student and Academic Affairs | Email
Externships
Externship placements include Disability Rights California, the state's Protection and Advocacy organization.
Courses
Disability Law: In this course, we will cover the statutes, regulations and cases that support the rights of individuals with disabilities, their families and caregivers. Since everyone with a disability is a person first, their rights impact every category of legal study and practice. Among the important legislation that we will study are the following: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA); and Federal Civil Rights Act.
Employment Discrimination: This course will examine laws aimed at curtailing discrimination in the workplace. The course will also examine the different claims, methods of proof, and the defenses available in employment discrimination cases. Statutory coverage will include Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, sex, and religious orientation); the Americans with Disabilities Act; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act; and various state statutes that prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and marital status.
Mental Health Policy and Law: This course is designed to expose students to legal and policy current issues arising in the context of government regulation and treatment of persons with serious mental health problems. Course coverage includes such issues as involuntary civil commitment, predictions of dangerousness, assessment of competency, the rights to treatment and to refuse treatment, and the relationship between mental health diagnoses and criminal responsibility and punishment. Students will undertake a substantial research and writing project.
Student Organizations
Disability Alliance Law Students Association (DALSA): DALSA is McGeorge School of Law's affinity group for people with disabilities and their allies. Our group's goal is to support all persons’ with disabilities that limit life activities. Our goal is to go beyond a medical diagnosis model of disability to consider the different social experiences of people with disabilities and how that relates to the practice and study of the law.
University of San Diego School of Law
Contact/ Disability Resource Center
Accommodations and Disability Information
Working in close collaboration with the University's Disability and Learning Difference Resource Center (DLDRC), the School of Law is committed to helping USD Law students with verified disabilities obtain academic accommodations and support, and to help improve access to the many excellent programs and activities offered by the University.
- Email: [email protected]
- Fax: (619) 260-4699
- Disability Services, Saints Tekakwitha & Serra Hall 300, University of San Diego, San Diego, CA 92110
Clinics
Education and Disability Clinic: Students receive practical training and experience in client intake, interviewing and counseling, and representation of clients at meetings with school district personnel and Regional Center Staff. Matters include school discipline (suspensions and expulsions), special education placement and services, Regional Center and Early Start services and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Students may draft complaints with the Office of Civil Rights or other agencies. Some cases proceed to formal mediation and hearing where students argue the case with support from the Education and Disability Clinic supervising attorney. Weekly group meetings are combined with individual case conferences to provide intensive personal training in case management. The classroom component also includes an overview of statutes and cases in these growing areas of civil law.Students receive practical training and experience in client intake, interviewing and counseling, file review and analysis, and legal representation in diverse forums. Some cases proceed to mediation and due process hearings, where students argue the case with support from the supervising attorney. Weekly group meetings are combined with individual case conferences to provide intensive personal training in case management. The classroom component also includes an overview of statutes and cases in this growing area of civil law.
Courses
Education Law (LWFC530): This course examines the legal rights and responsibilities of all parties in the education system: administrators, teachers, parents, and students, primarily in both public schools K-12. The course focuses on federal and state law through the study of constitutional provisions, statutes, regulations, and judicial decisions. Students review such topics as parent rights, school choice, teacher rights, student rights including discipline and harassment, special education and students with disabilities, religion on campus, privacy rights, discrimination claims, search and seizure of students, and the broad issue of school legal liability. Students also will have an opportunity to engage in public policy dimensions underlying these topics.
Mental Health Law (LWPP545): This course will examine legal aspects of the U.S. mental health care system, including civil matters (e.g., informed consent, duties to warn, and involuntary commitment), and criminal ones (e.g., insanity defense, death penalty, and sex offenses). The course will also feature guest speakers on a range of current ethical and policy controversies.
Other Information
Special Education Law and Advocacy Series (SELAS): University of San Diego School of Law offers its Special Education Law and Advocacy Series (SELAS). This specialized program not only educates participants about the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and other related laws and includes an in-depth look at Regional Center services, it also offers practical tips for special education advocacy. Past participants have included parents of children with disabilities, professionals working in related fields, school district staff, related services providers (such as speech and language pathologists), attorneys, and others.
University of San Francisco School of Law
Contact/ Disability Resource Center
The University of San Francisco is committed to the full participation of all students. Student Disability Services (SDS) recognizes disability as a valued aspect of diversity and works to facilitate equal access and an inclusive environment for students with disabilities.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (415) 422-2613
2130 Fulton St.
Gleeson LL 20
San Francisco, CA 94118
Courses
Education Law: The course will introduce students to some of the most important legal issues relating to primary and secondary (K-12) education in the United States, and it will touch to a lesser extent on issues concerning higher education. This course will consider both constitutional and statutory sources of law, with a heavy emphasis on the Fourteenth Amendment, First Amendment, and Title IX of Education Amendments to the Civil Rights Act. Primary topics for discussion will include, but are not limited to: racial inequality and ongoing efforts to integrate and equalize public schools; economic inequality and educational funding; the needs of students with disabilities; sex segregation in schools and school facilities; harassment due to sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity; and freedom of expression and religion in schools.
Employment Discrimination: A survey of federal law prohibitions against, and remedies for, employment discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of race, national origin, sex, age, and disability. The principal focus is on Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, but California law is also discussed. Among the issues covered are: the nature and proof of discrimination, justifications for discrimination, harassment as discrimination, the "reasonable accommodation” requirement, and innovative approaches in the field.
Student Organizations
Disability Rights & Advocacy Law Student Association: [email protected]
University of Southern California Gould School of Law (Los Angeles)
Contact/ Disability Resource Center
Office of Student Accessibility Serivces
University of Southern California
3601 Watt Way
Grace Ford Salvatori Hall, Room 120
Los Angeles, CA 90089-1692
Phone: (213) 740-0776
Fax: (213) 740-8216
Email: [email protected]
Courses
Disability Law Seminar (LAW-806): For decades, American law has developed to advance the civil rights of underprivileged groups. While classifications such as race, religion and sex have been most prominent, disability is increasingly salient to our rights and interests in public spaces. This course introduces students to the law governing issues of disability, and the relationship between law, medicine and social justice. Throughout the term, students will be encouraged to problematize the adequacy of legal tools that aim to serve all relevant stakeholders to meet the financial, social, medical and emotional burdens of disability marginalization.
Employment Discrimination Law (LAW-635): This course will examine the regulation of employment discrimination under federal law. Primary attention will be paid to issues of race, sex, age and disability discrimination. The course will provide students a comprehensive overview of the legal doctrines developed to address workplace discrimination. The course will address issues of statutory interpretation, litigation strategy and problems of proof. It will also situate this body of law within a set of sociological and theoretical frameworks aimed to enrich students’ understandings of the law’s foundations and purposes.
Law, Mental Health and Ethics (LAW-798): The Saks Institute for Mental Health Law, Policy, and Ethics affiliates focus on an issue at the intersection of mental health law, policy, and ethics from an interdisciplinary perspective. (Other departments may include psychiatry, psychology, social work, neuroscience and philosophy--one student from each.) The class focus changes each year. The students selected will be given the title of “Saks Institute Scholar,” and each will receive a stipend. We will meet as a class infrequently but one-to-one fairly frequently.
Mental Health Law (LAW-675): This survey course explores foundational mental health law and legal practice concepts through three intersecting systems: the mental health system; the criminal system; and the immigration enforcement system. We focus on the vindication (or not) of legal rights at points within these systems where people with mental health conditions may be deprived of freedom and choice, including involuntary commitment, incarceration, and immigration detention. We review established and emergent accommodations to protect those rights. We explore ethical questions that arise in this context, including informed consent, the allocation of authority between the lawyer and the client, the definition of competence, and the role of an advocate. We review basic client-centered practice skills, with emphasis on how to work in a collaborative and recovery-oriented way with people with mental health conditions.an advocate. We review holistic and client-centered practice skills, with emphasis on how to work in a collaborative and recovery-oriented way with people with mental health conditions.
Western State University College of Law (Fullerton)
Contact/ Disability Resource Center
The Americans with Disabilities (ADA) along with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act were enacted to provide a clear and comprehensive mandate for the elimination of the discrimination against individuals with disabilities. In compliance with these laws, we are dedicated to making a reasonable effort to provide accommodations for qualified student with known disabilities.
Western State College of Law makes a reasonable effort to provide accommodations for qualified students with known disabilities. It is the student’s responsibility to self-identify as a student with disabilities and provide medical documentation of those disabilities. Confidentiality will be maintained to the extent consistent with approved accommodations. For more information, contact the Disabled Student Services Coordinator at:
Phone: (714) 459-1117
Email: [email protected].
Courses
Employment Law: The course will explore the fundamental bases that form the employment relationship, the rights and duties of both employees and employers, and the common statutory and case law systems related to the employee-employer relationship.