Attorneys with Disabilities

40 ABA Journal Attorneys with Disabilities articles.

Lawyer is still entitled to disability benefits for depression linked to law practice, 6th Circuit rules

A former Traverse City, Michigan, personal injury lawyer is entitled to continued monthly payments under his disability insurance policy because of evidence that his recurrent depression makes him unable to work as a trial attorney, a federal appeals court has ruled.

Sep 13, 2022 9:49 AM CDT

Responses wanted: Motherhood penalty and caregiver bias will be evaluated in new ABA survey

The ABA Commission on Women in the Profession is launching a new survey to assess how the motherhood penalty and other caregiver bias impacts the careers of female lawyers.

Sep 8, 2022 2:00 PM CDT

Unbroken: A call for psychiatric disability initiatives in the legal profession

So many of us struggle in silence while striving for excellence, when only a helping hand and understanding—not only from family and friends but also from colleagues and those with leading positions in law firms—could guide our way to attain success as humans and as professionals.

Aug 25, 2022 8:45 AM CDT

11th Circuit rules against lawyer disbarred for failing to comply with mental health requirements of conditional bar admission

A federal appeals court has ruled against a Florida lawyer who challenged her disbarment for failing to comply with mental health requirements of her conditional admission to the bar.

May 27, 2022 9:34 AM CDT

How to best accommodate neurodiverse lawyers and neurodivergent clients

During my first year of law school, I wanted to get involved in disability advocacy with other students and lawyers, primarily as it related to neurodiversity. Before law school, I was pretty entrenched in the autism advocacy scene: I spoke at my first conference when I was 13, wrote a book that was published while I was still in high school and had another book come out while I was in college.

May 19, 2022 8:37 AM CDT

Law firm leaders are still mostly white and male, ABA diversity survey says

White male attorneys continue to constitute the highest percentages of equity partners, non-equity partners and associates at law firms, according to an ABA report released Monday.

May 16, 2022 2:35 PM CDT

Do digital distractions justify law professors’ prohibitions on laptops?

A first-year student who is autistic has an accommodation to use a laptop for taking notes. He also has 14 years of experience teaching in addition to a PhD in education. He was surprised, therefore, when his criminal law professor, who prohibits technology in the classroom, asked him to sit in the back of her class so his computer would not distract others.

Apr 19, 2022 12:02 PM CDT

ABA’s new CLE policy appears to comply with state ban on diversity ‘quotas,’ Florida Bar says

The ABA Board of Governors on Tuesday revised the association’s diversity policy for continuing legal education programs after the Florida Supreme Court banned course credit in the state for programs with panel “quotas.”

Apr 6, 2022 2:38 PM CDT

Some law firms are promoting record numbers of associates to partnership

Several law firms have announced their largest new partner classes on record amid a push to reward lawyers and create an incentive for associates to stay.

Nov 15, 2021 3:35 PM CST

Has COVID-19 made the workplace more accessible for lawyers with disabilities?

Since March 2020, most law firms and legal organizations have adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic by allowing their employees to work remotely and transition to more flexible hours. For some lawyers with disabilities, teleworking has brought significant benefits, including increased access to their clients and colleagues and to more job opportunities.

Oct 26, 2021 10:45 AM CDT

New ABA ethics opinion clarifies obligations for language access in lawyer-client relationships

Attorneys often must take affirmative steps to ensure that they can communicate effectively with clients with limited English proficiency or with those with noncognitive physical disabilities, such as a hearing or a speech impairment.

Oct 6, 2021 10:03 AM CDT

ABA internship for law students with disabilities spurs young lawyer’s work at IT company

Lawyer Derek Bolka credits an American Bar Association internship for kick-starting his career at Accenture, an information technology services company, where he is now an inaugural fellow of a legal program for lawyers with disabilities.

Oct 5, 2021 11:40 AM CDT

Sotomayor discusses friendship with Thomas, shares advice during ABA’s inaugural Equity Summit

When U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor thinks back to her first year of law school, she wishes someone would have told her not to be afraid to ask more questions.

Sep 29, 2021 3:58 PM CDT

ABA’s inaugural Equity Summit will highlight importance of inclusion; guests include Justice Sotomayor

Throughout the summit’s four days of programming, registrants can attend five CLE programs; four TED-style talks; three workshops on critical diversity equity and inclusion issues; and a fireside discussion Sept. 29 with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

Sep 22, 2021 11:51 AM CDT

How neurodiverse lawyers can thrive in the profession—and change it for the better

There's a business case to be made for hiring attorneys with ADHD, autism, learning disabilities and other neurological differences. Businesses have long touted out-of-the-box thinking, but cookie-cutter hiring practices don't tend to result in diversity of thought. A legal professional who quite literally thinks differently can be an invaluable part of a team.

Aug 11, 2021 9:04 AM CDT

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