Disability Law

SCOTUS will consider impact of death row inmate’s multiple IQ tests in determining execution eligibility

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether and how courts can consider multiple IQ tests when considering whether a death row inmate is intellectually disabled and ineligible for execution.

Jun 12, 2025 3:51 PM CDT

Lawyer alleges BigLaw firm fired her 11 days after she disclosed epilepsy diagnosis, violating disability law

A former lawyer at Ballard Spahr has filed a lawsuit alleging that she was fired for taking medical leave after suffering gastrointestinal problems and a seizure.

Apr 10, 2025 9:00 AM CDT

SCOTUS once again grapples with First Amendment religion clauses in Wisconsin employment tax case

While cases stemming from the second Trump administration’s torrent of executive actions begin to work their way up to the U.S. Supreme Court on the emergency docket, the court still has some important cases to hear in the final two months of argument for the term.

Mar 27, 2025 9:53 AM CDT

Are you a neurodivergent lawyer? The ABA wants to hear your story

The ABA Commission on Disability Rights is seeking neurodivergent legal professionals for a new project that will highlight their valuable contributions to the workplace.

Feb 12, 2025 10:28 AM CST

Federal appeals judge, 97, loses bid to unseal documents about her suspension

Federal law does not permit a 97-year-old federal appeals judge to unseal documents about her suspension absent consent of the chief judge of her circuit, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled Monday.

Feb 4, 2025 9:30 AM CST

Penn Law is quicker to discipline whites than minorities, controversial prof alleges in lawsuit

The University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School is facing a lawsuit alleging that the school violated First Amendment principles and anti-discrimination laws when it disciplined a professor for her controversial remarks.

Jan 21, 2025 12:29 PM CST

Law grads with past substance-use disorders suffered disability bias in quest for license, DOJ says

Would-be Tennessee lawyers encountered unlawful disability discrimination when they were required to submit to “burdensome examinations” and conditions triggered by their past diagnosis or treatment for a substance-use disorder or a mental health disorder, the U.S. Department of Justice has concluded.

Jan 6, 2025 3:15 PM CST

Dive into our favorite long reads of 2024

The end of the year will hopefully bring you some downtime for leisure reading. We’ve curated a list of some of our favorite web and print long reads from 2024.

Dec 23, 2024 9:35 AM CST

Lawyer suspended for ‘predatory style of taking on client representation’

A Philadelphia lawyer has been suspended for five years after a state disciplinary board concluded that he lacked an “ethical compass” and provided no evidence of “genuine concern for his clients.”

Nov 21, 2024 2:52 PM CST

MacArthur ‘genius grants’ fellows include law prof, domestic violence researcher

Among the winners of the 2024 MacArthur Foundation fellowships, commonly known as "genius grants," are a law professor who studies racial inequities and a researcher who studies the impact of technology on intimate partner abuse.

Oct 3, 2024 2:30 PM CDT

Death row inmate held in solitary confinement for 26 years can sue, federal appeals court rules

A death row inmate with a known history of serious mental illness can sue Pennsylvania’s corrections chief for holding him in solitary confinement for 26 years, a federal appeals court ruled Friday.

Sep 26, 2024 9:22 AM CDT

Suspended federal appeals judge, 97, has ‘extraordinarily high level of cognitive ability,’ evaluation says

A suspended 97-year-old federal appeals judge appears to be a “super-ager” because she shows no effects of age on cognition and demeanor, according to a neurosurgeon who is also a lawyer and an inventor.

Sep 25, 2024 11:44 AM CDT

Lawyer alleges ‘impeachment by subterfuge’ after federal appeals judge, 97, suspended for another year

Judge Pauline Newman of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has been suspended from hearing cases for another year amid concerns about her “cognitive state.”

Sep 9, 2024 9:44 AM CDT

Former counsel sues BigLaw firm for alleged disability discrimination

A former counsel at Mayer Brown who was diagnosed with breast cancer in April 2022 has filed a disability bias lawsuit against the law firm.

Aug 8, 2024 11:48 AM CDT

97-year-old federal appeals judge should be suspended another year for exam refusal, panel says

A 97-year-old judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit should be suspended from case assignments for another year for failing to participate in a probe of her mental fitness, according to a three-judge special circuit committee.

Jul 25, 2024 12:07 PM CDT