Albany Law School
Contact/ Disability Resource Center
It is the policy of Albany Law School to comply with all relevant legal obligations—including those imposed by Section 504 0f the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990—regarding individuals with disabilities in the academic program. All decisions regarding accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis and are based on the individual student's documented disability. It is the policy of Albany Law School to preserve the privacy of all persons seeking or receiving an accommodation or adjustment because of their disability.
Any student needing services relating to a disability or impairment contact the Office of Student Affairs at 518-445-3235 or email [email protected].
Courses
Access to Justice: This course will introduce students to the role of lawyers in ensuring access to justice. It will explore the access to justice movement in the United States and examine the history, policies, and laws related to access to the courts and legal systems. The course will consider the reasons why access to civil and criminal courts and other systems is limited, including barriers created by race, gender, poverty, gender identity, sexual orientation, and disabilities. Students will become familiar with the Model Rules of Professional Conduct and Constitutional requirements with respect to a lawyer's duty to ensure access to justice and the competent representation of clients. Students in this course will be required to participate in 6 hours of pro bono work in one of the law school's various pro bono projects or other off-campus opportunities available (for example, Legal Aid of NENY and The Legal Project).
Law & Justice:An Introduction: This course will introduce first-year JD students to the concept of justice in law and society. Through the study of caselaw, policy papers, and candid discussion, it examines the law's role in advancing both equity and disparities based on race, class, disability, gender, gender identity or expression, and sexual identity in areas such as healthcare, education, criminal justice, and employment.
Survey Long Term Care, Financial Planning: This course provides an introduction to practical topics in estate, long term care, special needs and financial planning, including advance directives for financial management and health care decisions, guardianship for individuals with developmental disabilities, long term care planning, revocable living trusts, special needs planning and trust administration and retirement plans. This course will also cover federal and New York State entitlement programs that support individuals with disabilities in all ages. In lieu of an examination, this course involves pop quizzes throughout the semester and a final project. Students form teams of two and three (though it is permissible to work alone) and prepare a plan for a hypothetical individual or family situation, taking into account all relevant factors as taught throughout the semester. The project consists of preparation of an explanatory cover letter to the hypothetical client addressing all factors raised in the client scenario. This course is designed to provide an experience that is directly transferable to practice.
Mental Health Law: This course exposes students to mental health law, including the history of the treatment of individuals with mental illness and definition of mental illness. With overarching themes of capacity and due process, the course will cover patient rights, ability to consent, guardianships, medication over objection, retention hearings, restraints, confidentiality of patient records, and mental illness in criminal setting. This course will include a discussion of a national comparison of state mental health laws to illustrate similar themes and how to represent individuals with mental illness. Students will then apply legal, procedural and ethical concepts through assignments on the discussion board and simulation-based projects, including drafting a guardianship petition and developing work plans for handling patient fact patterns based on real-life examples.
Mental Health: Law and Policy: This course exposes students to mental health law, including the history of the treatment of individuals with mental illness and definition of mental illness. With overarching themes of capacity and due process, the course will cover patient rights, ability to consent, guardianships, medication over objection, retention hearings, restraints, confidentiality of patient records, and mental illness in criminal setting. This course will include a discussion of a national comparison of state mental health laws to illustrate similar themes and how to represent individuals with mental illness. Students will then apply legal, procedural and ethical concepts through assignments on the discussion board and simulation-based projects, including drafting a guardianship petition and developing work plans for handling patient fact patterns based on real-life examples.
Brooklyn Law School
Contact/ Disability Resource Center
Now more than ever, barriers to addressing physical and mental health concerns should not prevent you from getting the care you need. With Brooklaw Care, you will be able to talk to a licensed provider from your smartphone or any web-enabled device from any location. Licensed providers are available to diagnose non-emergent medical conditions, prescribe medications, and offer mental health support via phone or secure video visits.
Student Affairs
Jennifer Lang
(718) 780-0679
[email protected]
Clinics
Disability and Civil Rights Clinic: The Disability and Civil Rights Clinic focuses on protecting and advancing the civil rights of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It is one of the only law school clinics in the country specializing in this area. The Disability and Civil Rights Clinic functions as a pro bono law firm representing low-income New Yorkers, and their families in a variety of civil legal matters, including housing, public benefits, access to health care, special education, parental rights, alternatives to guardianship, prisoners’ rights and discrimination in access to programs and services. The mission of the Disability and Civil Rights Clinic is to promote the self-determination and independence of low-income adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities by providing direct legal services that protect individual rights and enhance access to services.
Courses
Mental Health Law: This seminar will examine discrimination, ethical issues, public policy, and comparative law related to individuals who have mental health or intellectual disabilities. The seminar will begin by introducing the concepts of "disability" and "mental illness" and the application of various theories of justice to individuals who are considered to have "mental health disabilities" or "intellectual disabilities." We will then review statutes that prohibit disability discrimination in five specific areas: employment, public benefits, education, housing, and voting. The seminar will then cover topics that are central to mental health law, including: substitute decision-making, the right to treatment, the right to refuse treatment, civil commitment, sterilization, selective abortion, euthanasia, criminal law, and institutionalization. Although the focus of the seminar is on law and public policy in the United States, we will regularly examine relevant international and comparative law.
Student Organizations
Disability Advocacy Law Student Association(DALSA): a student group at a law school, the second in the state of New York (NYU DALSA forming a few months ahead of BLS DALSA), promoting disability inclusion, awareness, and advocacy at the intersection of life and law. We are happy to help other law schools form their own DALSA and work with other DALSA's to promote a broader reach. Contact: [email protected]
City University of New York School of Law
Contact/ Disability Resource Center
Accommodations & Accessibility Services
CUNY Law School provides accommodation for students with learning, health-related, or other types of disabilities. Patricia Kennedy, Director of Student Services and Disabilities Coordinator, is available to assist any disabled student who may require special accommodation to meet physical or academic needs. Each situation is determined on a case-by-case basis and all information is regarded as confidential. Students may appeal the denial of their request for an accommodation or academic adjustment by filing a complaint with Yvette Wilson-Barnes, Associate Dean for Student Affairs.
Patricia Kennedy
Director of Student Services and Disabilities Coordinator
Office of Student Affairs, Room 105E
(718) 640-4380
Clinics
Disability & Aging Justice Clinic: The Disability and Aging Justice Clinic (formerly known as the Elder Law Clinic) advocates to enhance and promote the civil rights, autonomy, and self-determination of low-income individuals with disabilities and aging adults, and their families and support networks. The Disability and Aging Justice Clinic (DAJC) facilitates access to justice through direct legal representation, advocacy projects, and community outreach and education with the mission of empowering our clients as they navigate and challenge systems that seek to exclude, oppress, dehumanize, and disenfranchise.
Equality & Justice Practice Clinic: The Equality and Justice Practice Clinic examines the meaning of equality, the ways the law promotes or limits equality, and whether a lawyer’s role enhances equality for the individual and for society. The Equality and Justice Practice Clinic (EJPC) places students with some of the institutions and organizations challenging civil rights violations in New York City as well as nationally. Through this array of social justice field placements, students learn firsthand how to apply constitutional law and civil rights statutes. In this practice clinic, students work with civil rights lawyers in New York City, litigating and advocating on behalf of clients to eradicate discrimination. The substantive area studied is Section 1983 actions against governmental entities, including civil rights violations against incarcerated individuals and police misconduct claims (Civil Rights Act of 1871). Cases in this clinic work with clients facing racial and sexual discrimination and harassment in the workplace, police misconduct, educational equity, wage theft, civil rights claims on behalf of incarcerated individuals, in addition to affirmative action, sexual orientation, disability, age, and other potential discrimination issues.
Courses
Disability & The Law: This course will cover basic areas of the major disability rights laws protecting the civil rights of persons with disabilities including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Federal Fair Housing Amendments Act (FHAA), and Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) The antecedents of the disability rights laws found in cases involving federal due process and equal protection will be reviewed at the outset of the class, and the failure of the federal constitution to adequately protect persons with disabilities from discrimination explored. The three core areas of the ADA protecting the legal rights of persons with disabilities will be covered- employment, government programs and services, and public accommodations. U.S. Supreme Court and other precedent will be reviewed. Emphasis will be placed on the ADA provisions instrumental in ending mass institutionalization of persons with disabilities. Similarly, second circuit precedent applying the FHAA will be reviewed. Significant time will be spent analyzing the procedural and substantive protections of the IDEA as it is a rapidly growing area of federal civil rights practice for persons with disabilities in the New York region. The concept that a student with a disability is entitled to a free, appropriate, public education (FAPE) under the IDEA will be explored including both procedural and substantive protections. Finally issues of racial injustice impacting persons with disabilities will be explored. Students will have the opportunity to draft an IDEA due process complaint, a memorandum of law regarding one of the cases studied, and a paper exploring issues of racial injustice as reflected in 13 the laws purporting to protect all persons with disabilities but failing racial and ethnic populations in a number of ways.
Columbia University School of Law (New York City)
Contact/ Disability Resource Center
Disability Services (DS) provides accommodations and services to eligible students, both virtually and in-person, dependent upon the student’s location as well as the classroom setting.
Students & Faculty can contact us at any time by phone at 212-854-2388 or by email at [email protected] for more information and answers to questions regarding our services.
Courses
Seminar: Mental Health Law: A study of the delicate balance between civil liberties and government benevolence. Beginning with Buck v. Bell and concluding with surrogate decision making and the "right to die," the course will explore such issues as involuntary civil commitment, the rights of the homeless mentally ill, the accuracy of psychiatric predictions of violent behavior in death penalty cases, the right to treatment, the right to refuse treatment, the regulation of experimental treatment, and, time permitting, assisted suicide. Although there is some discussion of mental disability cases involving the death penalty and incompetency to stand trial, the course focuses primarily on civil rather than criminal law issues. For those who are interested, there may also be an opportunity to examine international human rights issues as they relate to mental disabilities. Students have the option of writing a paper or completing a take-home examination and will attend a court hearing to observe how the cases we study are actually applied.
Student Organizations
Columbia Law School Disabled Law Students Association (DLSA): Columbia Law School Disabled Law Students Association is an inclusive organization where students with disabilities and allies can receive academic and personal mentorship while advocating for positive change. It provides support to students and faculty and encourages a more inclusive environment by raising Columbia’s awareness about issues that disproportionately impact people with disabilities. Our members include those interested in disability law as well as those with a general interest in advocacy work. Members leave with friendships and a support system that continues after graduation. Contact: [email protected]
Cornell Law School (Ithaca)
Contact/ Disability Resource Center
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
It is our intention to provide reasonable accommodations for students with qualifying disabilities. The procedures for applying for an accommodation(s) due to such a disability apply to classroom accommodations, exam accommodations, and accommodations relating to our building.
Upon arrival in Ithaca, you should arrange for an appointment with Student Disability Services at Cornell University. They can offer you advice and guidance on the services available to students at the University. In the alternative, you may wish to schedule a phone appointment before your arrival. To schedule an appointment with Student Disability Services, call +1 607-254-4545 or write to [email protected].
Courses
Law and Mental Health: The course will explore (1) the impact of neuropsychiatric disorders on emotion, cognition and behavior, (2) the admissibility and use of neuroscientific evidence in legal proceedings, and (3) the role of law in fostering effective treatment of individuals with neuropsychiatric disorders and in regulating conduct that violates or threatens legal and social norms. There are two goals. The first is to convey an appreciation of the complexities of diagnosing and treating neuropsychiatric disorders. The second is to address the challenges involved in accommodating the rights and interests of individuals whose conduct can be puzzling, distressing or dangerous to self or others. Readings will include a casebook on Law and the Mental Health System and handouts from legal and medical sources.
Fordham University School of Law (New York City)
Contact/ Disability Resource Center
Office of Student Affairs Counseling and Services
Fordham University School of Law ensures access to qualified students with disabilities in the belief that the legal profession will benefit from the skills and talents of these individuals. The School complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 which prohibits organizations from preventing an otherwise qualified individual with a disability access to or participation in their services, programs and activities.
Office of Disability Services (University)
Welcome to the Office of Disability Services (ODS) at Fordham University. This office handles student accommodations for all of the undergraduate and graduate schools, except the law school. All law students seeking accommodations must contact Abel Montez at [email protected].
Abel P. Montez, Esq., Director of Student Affairs
Fordham University School of Law
Office of Student Affairs
140 West 62nd Street
Room 06 (Garden Level)
New York, NY 10023
(212) 636-7955
[email protected]
Courses
Disability Law
Employment Discrimination
Law and Neuroscience Seminar
Student Organizations
Disabled and Allied Law Student Association: DALSA is an open and inclusive organization dedicated to providing community and support to students with all types of disabilities at Fordham Law, and to the advancement of equal rights for individuals with disabilities.
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: fordham.dalsa
Instagram: @dalsa.fordham
Twitter: @DalsaFordham Association
Fordham Law Mental Health Society
Hofstra University Maurice A. Deane School of Law (Hempstead)
Contact/ Disability Resource Center
Student Access Services (SAS) provides disability related education, services, and resources to the Hofstra Community. SAS ensures equal access to education for all Hofstra students, regardless of disability, in compliance with federal law and in keeping with Hofstra’s long-standing commitment to equality and access in its programs and services. We respectfully serve our students by facilitating barrier-free educational opportunities and assisting them in becoming independent, self-advocating learners.
Student Access Services
Suite 107 Mack Student Center
Phone: 516-463-7075
Fax: 516-463-7070
Email: [email protected]
Courses
Disability Law: This course provides an introduction to the legal protections of the rights of people with disabilities. It will focus on the Americans with Disabilities Act, but may also examine the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and its guarantee of equal access to education, the Fair Housing Act’s prohibition against disability-based discrimination in housing transactions, and parts of the Rehabilitation Act that prohibit disability-based discrimination in federally assisted and operated programs. We will consider application of these statues to a wide range of public and private conduct, with special emphasis on employment. Throughout the course, we will critically evaluate the distinct response of disability rights law to the problem of disability-based disadvantage and will consider the merits of alternative responses.
Employment Discrimination: This course explores the federal statutes that govern nondiscrimination in employment The focus is on Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin), the Civil Rights Act of 1991, Section 1981, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the Americans With Disabilities Act.
Law and Psychiatry: This course examines the interaction of psychology, psychiatry and law in a number of areas. In addition to covering significant case law, the course looks at the similarities and differences in how the mental health and legal professions conceptualize problems, behave and view their roles philosophically, socially, legally and ethically. Methods of addressing and resolving such conflicts are addressed. Students are also introduced to concepts of psychological testing, diagnostic nomenclature, psychotherapy and research methodology. Among the topics covered are: mental disabilities, rights and remedies, competency determination, the right to treatment, criminal responsibility and insanity, child custody, child abuse, examination of expert witnesses, and psychological trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Mental Health Issues in the Criminal Justice System: Deinstitutionalization has created a vacuum for those individuals with mental illness in need of services. As a result, the courts, jails and prisons have become the largest providers of mental health services in the United States. The course will examine issues that impact on the daily practice of those who prosecute, defend, and advocate for people with mental illness who are criminal justice involved. It will focus on issues such as competency, ethical considerations, interdisciplimary practice, psychiatric defenses, involuntary confinement and medication, understanding diagnoses and medication and access to services.
The ADA: Statutory Interpretation: This course covers the fundamentals of statutory interpretation through the lens of a particular statute, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended. The course introduces students to the basics of statutory interpretation, then asks students to apply what they have learned in doctrinal context. Students will be exposed to the various mechanisms by and forums in which statutes are analyzed and interpreted, and the evidence used in the process, including but not limited to legislative history, agency interpretation, judicial decisions, and administrative regulations. Although the course is not designed as a doctrinal course in disability law, students should come away from the offering with a solid grasp of its fundamentals, as well as an understanding of the subject matter at hand.
Student Organizations
Hofstra Law Disability, Rights, and Community (HLDRC)
Other Information
Guardianship Demonstration Project: The Guardianship Demonstration Project (DP) offers students the opportunity to work in a pioneering interdisciplinary demonstration project sponsored by the Law School’s Center for Children, Families and the Law designed to improve the quality of representation provided to developmentally disabled or delayed children in Guardianship Proceedings under Section 17-A of the Surrogate’s Court Procedure Act. Students in the DP will learn the governing law and the practice of guardianships. They will also be exposed to interdisciplinary knowledge concerning the nature and extent of developmental disabilities in children. Students will develop skills in interviewing, case assessment, counseling and courtroom advocacy. Students will interview and counsel their clients- often the parents of the child- and draft petitions for guardianship. Students will conduct hearings before the Surrogate’s Court of Nassau and Suffolk Counties which are cooperating with the Demonstration Project. In the final weeks of the DP students will help analyze and draft potential changes in the Surrogate’s Court Procedure Act that their experience in the DP supports. Their work will be supervised by a former Judge of the Surrogate’s Court, a former Court Administrator and lawyer experienced in the area. This course is a Demonstration Project to be offered for two years and, if successful will be incorporated into the Law School’s more permanent curriculum.
New York Law School
Contact/ Disability Resource Center
Students with Disabilities Portal
New York Law School welcomes all students to join our community. We are committed to ensuring that all students with disabilities have equal access and opportunity in their legal studies and in the life of the School. In compliance with federal regulation, NYLS provides reasonable accommodations to students with documented disabilities. The Office of Student Life meets with students on a case-by-case basis to review their documentation and develop an accommodation plan best suited to their needs.
Office of Student Life • T 212.431.2851 • E [email protected]
Clinics
Civil Rights and Disability Justice Clinic: Students in the Civil Rights and Disability Justice Clinic will engage in impact litigation and other forms of legal and strategic policy advocacy to advance the cause of social justice. In this year-long clinic, students will work under close faculty supervision and in partnership with community members, grassroots groups, and legal organizations to litigate cases and develop advocacy related to a range of civil rights and disability justice issues including racial, economic, and criminal justice, and education, housing, and voting rights.
Education Law Clinic: In the Education Law Clinic, students attend a substantive education law seminar that prepares them to represent clients in education matters from various civil rights agencies, including but not limited to, Legal Services New York City, Brooklyn Defender Services, Advocates for Children of New York, and the New York Civil Liberties Union. Law students are supervised on their cases by education law attorneys from these agencies who are NYLS adjunct faculty. Caseloads vary, but they typically include: special education, school discipline, Title IX, discrimination, language access, Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) litigation, or school admissions issues. Law students may also draft impartial hearing requests, advocate for students at Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings, research and draft complaints, assist with coordinating advocacy/policy campaigns, deliver know-your-rights workshops to students and parents, and prepare for and/or conduct opening and closing arguments and witness examinations in administrative hearings.
Courses
Elder Law and Aging in America: This is a survey course covering a broad range of subjects relating to problems of aging and persons with disabilities, including demographics and economics of aging and disability, social policy and political trends, families, caregiving, government programs and resources, resources provided by the not-for-profit community, housing issues and programs, tax policy effecting benefits and programs, understanding incapacity and functional limitations, guardianship and other protective devices, issues concerning decision making at the end of life, Medicare and its limitations, Social Security and Social Security Disability, Supplemental Security Income and Food Stamps, health care reform and its effect on the elderly and persons with disabilities, methods of financing long term care including private resources, insurance and Medicaid, and basic estate planning. This course will also examine the special ethical issues faced by elder law attorneys and attorneys who represent persons with disabilities, address those problems, and study the rules of professional conduct and whether they appropriately deal with these issues. The course will also include study of the special problems of persons in non-traditional relationships.
Mental Disability and Criminal Law: This course explores in depth the relationship between mental disability and the criminal trial process. Topics include all aspects of the criminal incompetency status (including trial, plea, counsel waiver and other pre-trial, trial and post-trial stages); the insanity defense; institutionalization and release policies that govern the cases of persons found permanently incompetent to stand trial and those found not guilty by reason of insanity; the right of forensic patients to refuse antipsychotic medications; the role of mental disability evidence in other aspects of criminal trial and pre-trial proceedings (including confessions and privilege against self-incrimination matters); sentencing, the death penalty (including issues involving mitigation, predictions of future dangerousness, executability of persons with mental retardation, and competency to be executed); and the effectiveness of counsel in cases involving defendants with mental disabilities.
Special Education Law and Practice: The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires states that receive federal funding to provide a free appropriate public education to children with disabilities. The law has had a pervasive impact on our educational system. In this course, students will examine the history and purposes of the IDEA and its statutory and regulatory framework. Topics covered will include the history of the IDEA, the definition of special education and related services, placement in the least restrictive environment, parental placement rights, discipline of students with disabilities, eligibility for special education and related services, the process for identifying and evaluating students with disabilities, the creation and role of the Individualized Education Program in providing a free appropriate public education, the IDEA administrative process, and litigating special education cases in federal court.
Therapeutic Jurisprudence: This course explores the proposition that all aspects of the legal system (and all roles played by judicial actors) have some therapeutic impact on mentally disabled individuals who are litigants or are the subject of litigation. This course focuses on the empirical issues and social assumptions underlying the major mental disability legal doctrines developed the past two decades in such areas as involuntary civil commitment law, treatment of juveniles in the mental disability process, rights of the institutionalized mentally disabled, the trial of mentally disabled criminal defendants, the role of the mentally disabled as third parties' in tort actions, and scope of the psychotherapist-patient privilege.
New York University School of Law (New York City)
Contact/ Disability Resource Center
The Moses Center for Student Accessibility (CSA)
New York University is committed to providing equal educational opportunity and participation for all students. The Moses Center for Student Accessibility (CSA) works with NYU students to determine and implement appropriate and reasonable accommodations as well as access available programs and resources to support equal access to a world-class education.
If you would like to speak with an Accessibility Specialist before you request accommodations the Moses Center has a virtual drop-in hour scheduled each weekday (excluding University holidays) from 1-2 PM EST. Please note: you will need to wait in the Zoom waiting room until an Accessibility Specialist is available; expect the drop-in meeting to last no more than 10-15 minutes to determine next steps. Please email [email protected] to request a current Zoom link.
726 Broadway, 2nd Floor,
New York, NY 10003
Phone: (212) 998-4980
Fax (212) 995-4114
Academic Accommodations & Accessibility Support
The Office of Academic Services works closely with the Moses Center for Student Accessibility, the Office of Residential Life, the Office of Facilities Services, and the Office of Student Affairs to fulfill classroom, exam and housing accommodation requests for our students.
General services provided include testing accommodations, adaptive computer equipment, sign language interpreters, and readers, to name a few. Any student who needs an accommodation must start the process by submitting appropriate documentation to the Moses Center. (The steps can be found on Requesting Academic Accommodations.)
Contact Us:
We are offering virtual drop-in hours bi-weekly on Fridays starting September 8, 2023 from 1:00pm - 3:00pm. EST. Book an accessibility support appointment through Google Calendar.
You may also submit a ticket through our Service Desk or visit us at Furman Hall suite 400 (Monday - Friday 9:00am - 5:00pm).
Clinics
Disability Rights and Justice Clinic: The Disability Rights and Justice Clinic advocates to enhance and promote the civil rights, autonomy, and self-determination of low-income individuals with disabilities. DRJC represents clients on a range of matters, including securing eligibility for government benefits and services, advocating for sexual rights, ensuring due process protections in guardianship proceedings, engaging in prisoners’ rights advocacy, and challenging discrimination in access to programs and services at the state and federal levels. Students engage in direct legal representation and advocacy projects with the mission to facilitate access to justice for our clients. In the clinic seminar, students learn substantive disability rights law, explore ableism as a foundational social justice issue, discuss the sustaining impact of slavery and eugenics on current disability law and policy, practice lawyering skills, and engage in case rounds and reflective discussions on issues that arise in students’ cases and advocacy projects.
Civil Litigation - Employment Law Clinic: The Civil Litigation-Employment Law Clinic provides two semesters of training in the tasks and skills involved in civil litigation through simulation and fieldwork cases involving employment law. The Clinic represents individuals in claims of (1) employment discrimination based on race, sex, national origin, age and disability; (2) violations of the Family and Medical Leave Act (denial of leave and retaliation); and (3) violations of the minimum wage and overtime pay laws. Most of the Clinic cases are in federal court, although some are in federal agencies such as the EEOC and the Department of Labor, in state court, or in state and local agencies, such as the NYC Commission on Human Rights.
Education Advocacy Clinic: The Education Advocacy Clinic represents public school students in education cases. Students who are interested in the Education Advocacy Clinic may apply to the 5-credit, semester-long clinic or may apply to the 14-credit Pro Bono Scholars Program-Education Advocacy Clinic. Clinic students work on education cases with a focus on special education cases. In these cases, law students work closely with families from low-income backgrounds to help their public school students get supports and services to address their educational and behavioral needs. Students will participate in various stages of the representation process including intake, investigation, settlement negotiations, advocacy at school-based meetings, and possible participation in mediation or hearings. Clinic students will also work on education policy initiatives focused on the needs of students most at risk of academic failure.
Courses
Social Security Disability Law Seminar: The Seminar seeks to impart a comprehensive understanding of the history, principal policy choices, and law, legal practice and legal frameworks underlying the Social Security Disability Programs: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)--a component of the Old Age Survivors’ and Disability Insurance (OASDI) social insurance program; and Supplemental Security Income Disability (SSID)--a component of the SSI means-tested program for adults and children with disabilities and for the elderly. The course will advance participants’ skills in analytical reasoning and legal writing involving judicial case law and interpretation of statutory, constitutional and legislative materials, along with analysis of public policy materials and the historical currents shaping the social security programs’ evolution. Issues of race, ethnicity, gender and class will be explored as those issues arise in social security program design, administration and practice.
Examining Disability Rights and Centering Disability Justice Seminar: This course will consider how law has constructed and defined disability and the role of law in shaping how disability has been conceptualized, classified and used to stigmatize, criminalize, and dehumanize. This course will explore statutes, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, as well as case law interpreting these statutes. In doing so, this course explores the limitations of federal disability rights laws that guarantee equal access to and treatment of people with disabilities in, for example, prisons, jails, congregate residential settings, workplaces, and schools. This course will further examine how, in some cases, law and policies intended as protections have further marginalized people with disabilities. Topics will include de/institutionalization, sexuality, reproductive choice, mass incarceration, civil commitment, police violence, school discipline, social movements, housing, accessibility, and both legal and non-legal advocacy efforts.
Student Organizations
Disability Allied Law Students Association (DALSA): DALSA is NYU Law's affinity group for people with disabilities and their allies. The focus of our group is on all disabilities including physical disabilities, mental health, sensory impairments, learning disabilities, communication disorders, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and other impairments that substantially limit major life activities. Our approach is intersectional and inclusive of the varied experiences that people with disabilities have based on race, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, visibility of disability, religion, immigration status, ability, and class. 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. DALSA works independently and in collaboration with other student groups to provide programming to educate the law school community about how disability is experienced by different groups of people and how that experience is shaped by the law. DALSA aims to amplify the awareness of and people with disabilities in all areas of the law.
Mental Health Law and Justice Association: The Mental Health Law and Justice Association at New York University School of Law is committed to increasing awareness of and decreasing stigma related to mental health in the justice system, the legal profession, and law school. We aim to facilitate this change by being a resource for mental health supports and information, as well as hosting panels on the changing landscape of mental health awareness in the profession, and trainings to provide concrete skills for working with clients with mental health needs. We also seek to promote dialogue around the student experience at NYU Law and advocate for change where needed.
Pace University Elisabeth Haub School of Law (White Plains)
Contact/ Disability Resource Center
Student Accessibility Services
Beginning an undergraduate or graduate career is an exciting and challenging experience. If you are a student with a disability, this experience can be especially challenging. Assistance is available to students with disabilities through the Student Accessibility Services to enable them to have equal access to Pace University's educational programs and facilities.
Any questions about the services offered by the University to students with disabilities or the procedures for requesting an accommodation should be directed to Student Accessibility Services for the Westchester campuses at (914) 773-3201.
To request an accommodation for a qualifying disability, a student must self-identify and register with the Student Accessibility Services for his or her campus. Student Accessibility Services for the New York City campus may be contacted at (212) 346-1199 or 161 William St, 10th Floor. Student Accessibility Services for the Westchester campuses may be contacted at (914) 773-3201 or the Administration Center, 861 Bedford Road, Pleasantville. Notifying other University offices, faculty or staff does not constitute giving notice to the University of a request for an accommodation. No one, including faculty, is authorized to evaluate the need and arrange for an accommodation except the Student Accessibility Services staff. Moreover, no one, including faculty, is authorized to contact Student Accessibility Services on behalf of a student.
Clinics
Equal Justice America Disability Rights Clinic: Student interns advise and represent disabled and elderly clients and their families in a variety of transactional matters and administrative proceedings, as appropriate. The Clinic considers inquiries from disabled individuals and their families with low to moderate income and limited assets who cannot afford a private attorney.
Courses
Law and Education: This course will provide a broad overview of developments and current issues in education law and policy relating to K-12 public education. A wide range of topics will be covered, including student speech rights, student discipline, authority over curriculum, religion in the schools, racial and gender equality, affirmative action, special education, school-finance reform, and the No Child Left Behind Act.
Mental Disability Law: This course is a study of statutory, regulatory, and decisional law in the field of mental health, both civil and criminal. The subjects include the nature of mental disability, civil commitment, guardianship, patients' rights, deinstitutionalization and homelessness, the insanity defense, competency to stand trial, and the movement for reform in mental disability law.
St. John's University School of Law (Jamaica)
Contact/ Disability Resource Center
The goal of Disability Services is to aid students with all types of conditions including physical and learning disabilities, temporary injuries, and chronic illnesses to access the educational possibilities at St. John’s University as per federal law. We work in collaboration with all departments and programs at the University to facilitate accommodations, advocate for our students and, assist students to maximize their potential while helping them develop and maintain independence.
Queens Campus
Marillac Hall, Room 134
Tel: 718-990-6867
Fax: 718-990-2609
[email protected]
Clinics
Child Advocacy Clinic: The Child Advocacy Clinic (CAC) is part of the St. Vincent de Paul Legal Program. It is a 4-credit, one-semester, in-house clinical program available to students who have successfully completed their 1L year. The Clinic handles a variety of legal matters relating to children including Family Court abuse, neglect, custody and guardianship cases; immigration removal proceedings and status applications; foster parent fair hearings, education and disability advocacy; international child abduction cases under the Hague Convention; and more.
Courses
Disability and the Law: Disability and the Law explores the ways in which the legal system deals (and has dealt) with people with disabilities in such areas as employment, public accommodations, and interactions with government and government-funded agencies (e.g., prisons, institutions, health care agencies, etc.). Although we will discuss the constitutional dimensions of disability law and several statutes that deal with disability (the Fair Housing Act, the Affordable Care Act, etc.), this course focuses almost exclusively on the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. This course does not cover K-12 education or the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). In addition to legal materials, students will examine historical and contemporary depictions of people with disabilities in society and will engage in two out-of-class activities designed to help students without disabilities understand some of the barriers that people with disabilities face on a daily basis. Grades will be based on a final examination, an interview exercise and write up, and an accessibility assessment.
Student Organizations
Disability Law Society
Syracuse University College of Law
Contact/ Disability Resource Center
Accommodations and Accessibility
The College of Law is devoted to the inclusion and success of students with disabilities and those in need of special accommodations.
The accommodations we provide may include:
- Special services for deaf or blind students, including CART, large print or audio books
- Special accommodations on tests, including additional time and minimally distracting test environments
- Note taking services; accommodations for physical disabilities such as special locker locations
- Tutoring
- Other accommodations as needed and authorized.
Accommodations are arranged through the Center for Disability Resources (CDR) at Syracuse University and the Office of Student Experience at the College of Law. The first step in seeking an accommodation is to visit the CDR website. Students will need to provide necessary medical documentation through the online portal to support their records. CDR will then recommend the appropriate accommodations. For additional information please visit https://disabilityresources.syr.edu/students/lawstudents/
Office of Student Experience
950 Irving Ave
Suite 220
Syracuse, NY 13244-1030
P: (315) 443-1146
F: (315) 443-9719
[email protected]
Clinics
Disability Rights Clinic: The Disability Rights Clinic (DRC) is dedicated to providing representation to individuals with disabilities as well as groups representing the disabled community. The Clinic covers a broad range of disability discrimination matters and accessibility issues under federal and state laws. Specifically, the DRC focuses on employment, access to state and local government services, access to places of public accommodation (private businesses open to the public), transportation, prisoner rights, as well as international human rights work.
Courses
Civil Rights Law This course examines the role of law in confronting discrimination based on race, gender, sexual identity, social and economic class, and disabilities. We will study (1) the extent to which law has been used to reinforce existing patterns of privilege that result from such discrimination and (2) the ability of law to eliminate discrimination and alter those patterns. The focus will be primarily on federal law.
Disability Law This course introduces students to federal laws prohibiting discrimination against people with disabilities, focusing primarily on the American Disabilities Amendments Act (ADAA). The goal of this course is to provide students with a legal, conceptual, and practical understanding of the legal rights of people with disabilities, forms of discrimination that occur on the basis of disability, and the protections against such discrimination that currently exist under federal law. Because the focus of this course is on a federal statute and its implementing regulations, we will devote substantial class time to discussions about statutory interpretation, including the various canons and approaches to statutory interpretation, judicial review of agency action, the role of agency decision making and the rulemaking process, and the role of legislative history in judicial decision-making.
Constitutional Civil Rights Litigation This course examines bringing and defending lawsuits alleging violations of federal civil rights laws, including: 42 U.S.C. § 1983; Title VII; the Americans with Disabilities Act; the Fair Housing Act; and Title IX. The course will also introduce students to intersectionality, and will study the impact of modern civil rights movements. Discussion of landmark cases will consider their historical context and recent litigation in which the cases have been applied.
Advanced Disability Law & Policy Advanced Disability Law is an applied research course that requires students to select a topic of interest in disability law, research it, and prepare a class PowerPoint or Prezi presentation and a research paper on their topic. Students must select a topic related to domestic or international policy or practice. Topics include research methodology, human rights, history, mass media, health care, justice, and education. The course is open to all students, including those who have not taken a disability law course in the past. However, a background in disability law will be useful.
Disability Law Litigation & Use of Social Science Research Seminar Litigation involving disability civil rights is a fast-evolving area of practice, further complicated by the COVID-19 epidemic. Often, this area of litigation involves an understanding of social and medical science research from multiple disciplines-psychology, sociology, economics, education, organizational behavior, among others-which is important to litigation process and outcomes. In litigation in general, and in disability civil rights litigation in particular, social science studies and the testimony of expert witnesses, increasingly are presented to courts and juries by plaintiffs and defendants. This seminar examines litigation in disability civil rights (primarily brought under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 as amended, or ADA), with focus on lawsuits brought in federal court and using social science research and expert testimony. The areas of coverage include issues with bringing the lawsuit, development of the facts and law of the case, use of social science and expert witnesses, pleadings, and court opinions. In using actual court filings as teaching materials, along with the other readings, the course provides a basic understanding of Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (FRCP) and the complex litigation process.
International Human Rights and Comparative Disability Law Seminar This course introduces students to recent developments in international human rights and comparative disability law, including an analysis of the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (CRPD). The CRPD was entered into force in 2008 as the first treaty to protect the rights of people with disabilities under international law. This course is for law students and other graduate students who are interested in disability rights and international human rights law, generally. The course uses disability as a case study for the study of the development of international human rights protections for certain groups; the adoption, monitoring, and implementation of UN treaties; the role of regional human rights tribunals in enforcing human rights protections for people with disabilities; and the relationship between international human rights laws and domestic disability-related laws in selected countries.
Capital Habeas Defense Practicum: This course provides students with an overview of the substantive and procedural law involved in capital post-conviction litigation. Topics include an overview of some of the constitutional principles governing the imposition of the death penalty, the exclusion of intellectually disabled defendants from death-eligibility, effective assistance of counsel in capital cases, and certain aspects of state post-conviction and federal habeas corpus procedure. This course has a heavy experiential component in which students focus on developing lawyering skills needed for effective post-conviction capital litigation, including legal research and writing and effective courtroom advocacy.
Student Organizations
Disability Law Society: an organization of Syracuse University College of Law students who are working to create and support a positive climate toward disability that values individual difference. We are the sister organization of the Beyond Compliance Coordinating Committee (BCCC), a group created by graduate students in the School of Education interested in pursuing a career in disability law or a related field.
Other Information
Burton Blatt Institute: The Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) at Syracuse University reaches around the globe in its efforts to advance the civic, economic, and social participation of people with disabilities. BBI builds on the legacy of Burton Blatt, former dean of SU’s School of Education and a pioneering disability rights scholar, to better the lives of people with disabilities. BBI has offices in Syracuse, Washington, DC, and Atlanta.
Disability Law and Policy Program: The Disability Law and Policy Program (DLPP) houses the nation’s first Joint Degree Program in Law and Disability Studies, a Curricular Program in Disability Law and Policy, and the Disability Rights Clinic as well as disability-related summer and semester-long externships in New York and Washington, DC.
Touro College, Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center (Central Islip)
Contact/ Disability Resource Center
Office of Student Disability Services
Touro University is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to students who request accommodations for their documented disabilities. Our policies and procedures ensure that students with disabilities will not, on the basis of those disabilities, be denied full and equal access to academic and co-curricular programs or activities or otherwise be subjected to discrimination under programs offered by the University. Our accommodations are designed to meet the educational needs of enrolled students with documented disabilities.
A student requesting accommodation for a documented disability must meet with the OSDS coordinator for their school and submit an Application for Accommodations & Services(opens in a new tab). Verbal disclosure of a disability and request for accommodation is not sufficient and cannot substitute for required documentation. Students may apply for reasonable accommodations at any time. Accommodations, if granted, are only done so on a prospective basis. Reasonable accommodations are never provided retroactively.
Contact for Touro Law Center: Heather DePierro ([email protected])
Clinics
Education Justice Clinic: Clinic students represent young people with educational disabilities in Family Court and in administrative litigation. We defend young people involved in the Suffolk County juvenile justice system and advocate for their educational rights in school. The Education and Youth Justice Clinic collaborates with professionals from other disciplines to meet the diverse client needs of these vulnerable group. The course also provides an opportunity to discuss and address systemic issues around the school-to-prison pipeline. The Clinic includes simulated investigations, client interviewing and counseling, and a trial.
Courses
Disability Law: This course provides an overview of the rights of individuals with mental and/or physical disabilities—whether confined to an institution or residing in the community. Subjects covered include the authority of the state to confine and to treat mentally disabled individuals; the role of anti-discrimination laws, including the Americans With Disabilities Act; the educational rights of handicapped children; and the legal status of persons with HIV/AIDS.
Education Law: This course offers a survey of the legal issues that arise in the school context with respect to both students and teachers. The topics considered may include compulsory attendance laws; residency requirements; control of the curriculum by parents and teachers; sex, age, and race classification; students’ and teachers’ procedural and substantive due process rights; teachers’ collective bargaining rights; equality in public school financing; ability grouping of students and special education; religion in school; and state aid to private religious schools.
Employment Discrimination Law: This course covers basic principles of employment discrimination law and examines theories of violation, methods of proof, administrative and judicial procedures, remedies, and litigation strategies. Students examine Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as other federal and state statutes dealing with workplace discrimination based upon race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, and sexual orientation.
Special Education Law: The course provides a comprehensive overview of the federal laws addressing special education. In addition, students will learn about the least restrictive environment and procedural due process requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), including the right of parents to obtain an independent educational evaluation (IEE) of their children. The last part of the course will involve a review of the rules and limitations imposed by the IDEA on disciplinary procedures involving students with disabilities.
Student Organizations
Disabled & Allied Law Students Association (DALSA)
University at Buffalo Law School, State University of New York (SUNY)
Contact/ Disability Resource Center
The School of Law believes in providing an equitable and inclusive environment for students with disabilities.
Our Office of Student Affairs coordinates with UB’s Office of Accessibility Resources (OAR) to help provide reasonable accommodations to qualified students. The OAR staff meets with students to obtain appropriate documentation, discusses the students’ needs, and provides accommodations memos.
Contact Information
UB - North Campus
60 Capen Hall, Buffalo, NY 14260
Phone: 716-645-2608; Fax: 716-645-3116
UB - South Campus
1 Diefendorf Hall, Buffalo, NY 14214
Phone: 716-645-2608
Courses
Fighting Inequality in Buf/Nia: The Buffalo-Niagara region suffers from severe inequities, measured by factors such as income, race/ethnicity, gender, nation of origin, sexual orientation, and disability. What are the causes of these inequities, and what are successful ways to address them? In this class, we'll examine inequality through many lenses. We'll meet with non-profit groups that are fighting inequality and study policy changes at the local and state level to strengthen their efforts. Students will learn research and advocacy skills such as writing policy briefs and working with media, elected officials, and community groups. We will invite the public to our final class, in which we'll present findings and recommendations.
Student Organizations
Law Students with Disabilities and Neurodivergencies (LSDN): LSDN is dedicated to the education of neurotypical individuals and supporting those who have visible and invisible disabilities. This organization serves to be a safe place to discuss how to be the best student (and lawyer) you can be while managing your neurodivergencies and disabilities. It can be difficult to know when to disclose a disability, or how to disclose. And so, our organization strives to help law students navigate the workforce and classroom by creating a community of both lawyers and students who have both invisible and visible disabilities.
Yeshiva University, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law (New York City)
Contact/ Disability Resource Center
Office of Student Services and Advising
The Office of Student Services and Advising (OSSA) helps students in all aspects of life at Cardozo, and serves as a resource for information and guidance.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 646-592-6420
The Office of Student Services and Advising assists students in obtaining reasonable accommodations for documented disabilities/medical conditions. Such disabilities/conditions include physical, sensory and health-related disabilities; psychiatric disorders; learning disabilities; ADHD.; or temporary disabilities.
If you believe that you may need an accommodation, please make an appointment with a member of the Office as soon as possible to discuss your situation. You can schedule an appointment by emailing [email protected]. If you are ready to apply for an accommodation please read the Accommodations Memo below and fill out the attached Initial Request Form and bring it with you to the appointment.
The Office of Disability Services (ODS) collaborates with students, faculty, and staff to provide reasonable accommodations and services to students with disabilities. In serving as a resource to the Yeshiva University community, our goal is to provide access to campus programs and activities, thereby empowering students with disabilities to actualize their full academic and personal potentials.
Clinics
Bet Tzedek Legal Services Clinic: Each year, Bet Tzedek—which means “House of Justice” in Hebrew—represents dozens of elderly and disabled people seeking health, disability, and housing benefits that they could not get without Clinic assistance. In representing these individual clients, the student lawyers also identify systemic problems affecting thousands of similarly situated people. Often, the result is a class action lawsuit to correct these problems. As a result of Bet Tzedek class actions, thousands of New Yorkers are protected from arbitrary reductions in their home-care services; the Social Security Administration has changed its restrictive policies for determining when HIV-positive individuals are eligible for benefits; hundreds of disabled applicants for public housing are protected from the public housing authority's intrusion into their confidential medical records.
Labor and Employment Law Field Clinic: In this field clinic, students will work in the Labor and Employment Law Division of the New York City Law Department (also known as the Office of the Corporation Counsel). The Law Department serves as attorney and counsel for the City of New York and City agencies in all legal matters. The Labor and Employment Law Division handles a wide variety of matters, including claims of First Amendment retaliation and other forms of retaliation; claims of gender, race, age, and disability discrimination; violations of the Equal Pay Act; violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act; claims arising under the Civil Service Law, collective bargaining agreements issues; and challenges to City agency actions under Article 78 of the New York Civil Practice Law and Rules. Attorneys within the division litigate cases brought against every City agency, as well as lawsuits brought against high-ranking City officials. Attorneys practice in federal and state courts, appear before the New York State Division of Human Rights and the New York City Commission on Human Rights, and participate in proceedings at the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings. Consequently, attorneys within the division apply and hone every type of litigation skill, including legal research and writing, conducting discovery, arguing motions, negotiating settlements, and trying cases.
Special Education Law and Advocacy Field Clinic and Seminar: This seminar combines classroom study of the history and practice of special education law with hands-on involvement representing parents of children with disabilities in special education cases in New York City. The goal of the field clinic is for students to gain understanding of the Page 119 process of representing families of students with disabilities, while honing basic trial skills. Students will work at Advocates for Children and collaborating organizations which provide free legal services to low-income families. In their fieldwork, students will assist with the representation of families seeking appropriate educational services and placement from the New York City school system. Students will assist with or advocate at the administrative hearings which will determine what educational services and placement are appropriate for a student with a disability. These hearings involve legal research, opening statements, direct and cross examination, and closing statements. The seminar surveys key topics in special education law. We will review the history of special education and explore its legal framework in New York City, including relevant statutes, regulations, and caselaw. Students will practice the skills involved in representing a family seeking services and placement. Students will also address the policy-level and practical aspects of the system for students with disabilities and for school districts responsible for the provision of education services.
Courses
Antidiscrimination Law: This course will focus on the legal rules governing discrimination on the basis of race, national origin, sex, gender, age, disability, and other protected grounds. It will focus primarily on federal statutory and constitutional law regulating discrimination and equal opportunity in employment. Topics to be studied include: intentional discrimination, disparate impact, stereotyping, harassment, bona fide occupational qualifications, affirmative action, and enforcement regimes. Some attention will also be given to antidiscrimination and equality norms in European legal systems, international human rights law, and state constitutional and statutory law.
Disability Law and Its Implications: In this survey course of federal disability law and policy, we will focus on federal laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act that prohibit disability-based discrimination in employment, access to public services and accommodations, education, health care, and decision making. The course will examine the implications of our disability rights laws and policies—what those laws and policies say about our conceptions of what it means to “have a disability,” their impact on the lives of people with and without disabilities and on the society in which we all live, and whether they achieve justice. The course will provide students with an introduction to the major legal issues in the field of disability rights law and the essential ethical and philosophical questions about if, and when, it is appropriate to treat persons with disabilities differently so that they are treated equally. In doing so, the course will explore ways in which disability rights laws differ from laws created for other protected groups.
Employment Discrimination II: Procedure and the ADA: Employment Discrimination II will address issues raised by the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, religious discrimination and the procedural issues that typically arise in litigating employment discrimination claims.
International Human Rights: This course will assess the political theories, laws and institutions that address recognition and protection of human dignity. The idea that humans have rights under international law is both radical and essential: radical because international law traditionally governed state-to-state relations, not ones between the state and individuals; essential because states often cannot or will not protect fundamental notions of human dignity in the absence of an international legal superstructure. We will explore the idea of human rights as a body of international law, its origins, progress, implementation and enforcement. We will study its relation to other bodies of international law, such as the laws of armed conflict, international criminal law, refugee law and the law of state responsibility, as well as its relation to domestic legal frames of civil rights and civil liberties. We will discuss distinctions between the so-called 'first generation' of civil and political rights and the “second generation” of social, economic and cultural rights as well as distinctions between individual and group rights. We will consider whether non-state entities such as armed groups and businesses such as extractive industries and private military and security contractors have human rights obligations. Page 72 We will explore discrimination, including on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, race and disability and we will measure progress toward its elimination. We will consider ‘cultural relativism’ vs. the concept of universality of rights; tensions between various rights (e.g., freedom of expression and association vs. non-discrimination, life vs. choice and death penalty); and the effects of globalism, contemporary conflicts, and the rise of the national security state on human rights.