Jump to Navigation | Jump to Content
 
  |  Join ABA  |  Media  |  Contact
Advanced Search
Topics A-Z
 

 
Print This  |  E-mail This

disability law disability rights

 

 

To promote the ABA's commitment to justice and the rule of law for persons with mental, physical, and sensory disabilities and to promote their full and equal participation in the legal profession. Click here for more information.

 

 

CMPDL Law School Disability Programs Directory


CALIFORNIA

California Western School of Law (San Diego)

Contact
Student organization
Clinical program
Other information
Student & Diversity Services      

Chapman University School of Law (Orange)

Contact
Student organization
Clinical program
Other information
Jayne Kacer: Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, Chapman University School of Law, 1 University Dr, Orange, CA 92866     Students with disabilities may receive testing and other accommodations depending on the severity and nature of their disabilities. This is done through the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, Jayne Kacer (714-628-2641). All areas of the law school building are accessible to students with physical handicaps by ramp or wheelchair lifts. The law school has an Academic Achievement Program that is available to all students, including those with disabilities. The program includes workshops on law school success skills, peer tutoring, and individual counseling and instruction by Professor Rich Faulkner, the Director for Academic Achievement (714-628-2663). Law students also have access to the Center for Academic Success on the main campus of the University. The Center is located directly across the street from the law school. Services provided include note takers, interpreters, training on assistive devices and technology, etc. Dr. Lynn Mayer (714-997-6857). Students have access to psychological counseling at the University's Psychological Counseling Services Center. Dr. Jeanne Walker (714-744-7078). They also have access to the Student Health Center on the main campus. Director Jacqueline Deats (714-997-6851). The law school Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, the Psychological Counseling Services Center, and Student Health Center are all able to refer students to community medical and mental health resources, if needed.

Golden Gate University School of Law (San Francisco)

Contact
Student organization
Clinical program
Other information
       

Loyola Law School (Los Angeles)

Contact
Student organization
Clinical program
Other information
       

Pepperdine University, Odell McConnell Law Center (Malibu)

Contact
Student organization
Clinical program
Other information
       

Santa Clara University School of Law

Contact
Student organization
Clinical program
Other information
E. Ann Ravenscroft: Disabilities Resource Director, eravenscroft@scu.edu; 408-554-4111      

Southwestern Law School (Los Angeles)

Contact
Student organization
Clinical program
Other information
Dean of Students Office
3050 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90010
213-738-6871
deanofstudents@swlaw.edu
    Southwestern's Externship Office (213-738-6802) offers placement opportunities in the Disability Legal Rights Clinic. In addition, Southwestern established the Annual Public Interest Summer Grant Program to provide financial assistance to students working for legal service organizations that assist people with disabilities. Southwestern also offers a course in Disability Law every year.

Stanford Law School

Contact
Student organization
Clinical program
Other information
Dr. Joan Bisagno: Associate Dean and Director of the Office of Accessible Education      

Thomas Jefferson School of Law (San Diego)

Contact
Student organization
Clinical program
Other information
       

University of California-Berkeley School of Law, Boalt Hall

Contact
Student organization
Clinical program
Other information
       

University of California-Davis School of Law

Contact
Student organization
Clinical program
Other information
       

University of California, Hastings College of Law (San Francisco)

Contact
Student organization
Clinical program
Other information
Laura Andrews, Resource Coordinator, Disability Resource Program Active Minds: Dan Turner, dantrnr@gmail.com; Hastings Disability Law Society: Jennifer Wyatt, jrb.wyatt@gmail.com; Hastings Health Law Organization (HHLO): Viet Bui, buiv@uchastings.edu Individual Representation Clinic: Students represent claimants who have applied for Social Security benefits due to a disability Director sits on Disability Rights Committee of the San Francisco Bar Association, and works with California Bar Pipeline Taskforce addressing admissions issues and bar exam accommodation issues

University of California Los Angeles School of Law

Contact
Student organization
Clinical program
Other information
Edna Sasis: Asst. to the Dean of Students and Disability Services Coordinator, PO Box 951476, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1476, 310-825-4891, F 310-206-7763, sasis@law.ucla.edu; Professor Christine Littleton, Chair, Disability Standards Committee, 310-206-1245, littleton@law.ucla.edu; Kathy Molini, Director, UCLA Office for Students with Disabilities, A255 Murphy Hall, PO Box 951426, 310-825-1501, 310-206-6083 (TDD), Fax 310-825-9656, kmolini@saonet.ucla.edu Disability Law Society, dls@lawnet.ucla.edu; Chronic Illness Resource Support & Advocacy Network, cirsan@lawnet.ucla.edu Educational Advocacy: This is a year-long special education multidisciplinary advocacy clinic. It combines instruction in special education law, assistance to individual families an discussions and drafting projects regarding proposed changes in state law and policy. Individual student cases present a wide variety of disabilities, most often autism and learning disabilities, with ages ranging from early childhood to early adulthood. Faculty work with students in law, psychology, and psychiatry to help parents and students examine options, formulate advocacy plans, and review the results of correspondence and meetings. Cases feature a wide variety of school system responses, some warranting due process proceedings, and some amenable to tinkering through correspondence and IEP meetings. Students attend meetings and observe public and private school programs. Students see the very different ways in which lawyers and medical professionals address such shared ethical issues as how to practice under time constraints, how to balance confidentiality obligations with necessary or mandated disclosures, and how to reconcile students' right to community inclusion with their needs for specialized instruction. The course is graded and goes from August 2007 - April 2008. 1. Disability Standards Committee: Reviews and evaluates petitions for accommodations in situations where a student requests waivers for existing academic standards and exceptions to curricular, residency or graduation requirements. Professor Christine Littleton, Chair, littleton@law.ucla.edu. 2. Disability Studies Reading Group: "The Disability Studies Reading Group (DSRG) is sponsored by the UCLA School of Law Critical Race Studies Program, in conjunction with two law student organizations at UCLA, the Disability Law Society and CIRSAN. The DSRG focuses on exploring disability, disability law, and disability studies in terms which mutually integrate disability and critical race theories, feminist legal theories and an analysis of intersecting forms of subordination." Contact Professor Littleton or Professor Saul Sarabia, 310-206-8178, sarabia@law.ucla.edu

University of La Verne College of Law (Ontario)

Contact
Student organization
Clinical program
Other information
Colleen Murray: Registrar, 909-460-2010, murrayc@ulv.edu   Disability Rights Legal Center: The Center is part of the college's externship program. Students are supervised by Adjunct Professor and Attorney Heather McGunigle and may participate in the Civil Rights Litigation Project and/or the Education Advocacy Project. The DRLC focuses on disability civil rights litigation and special education issues for low-income and minority families.  

University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law (Sacramento)

Contact
Student organization
Clinical program
Other information
Mary C. McGuire, Dean of Students Office; 916-739-7089   Special Education Practicum: students provide services to disabled children relating to their educational programs We have four other clinics which provide services to the disabled on occation, but are not exclusively for that purpose: Elder Law Practicum, Immigration Clinic, Victims Clinic, and Civil Practice Clinic

University of San Diego School of Law

Contact
Student organization
Clinical program
Other information
Carrie Wilson, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, (619)-260-6851; Janet Madden, Director of Academic Support, (619)-260-2293; Dr. Donald Kirson, Disability Services, University of San Diego, (619)-260-4655   Special Education Clinic I & II -- Students receive practical training and experience in client intake, interviewing, and counseling, and representation of clients at extensive meetings with school district personnel and district counsel. Some cases proceed to formal 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. ; Mental Health Clinic --- The Mental Health Clinic is a fast-paced, hands-on course supervised by the director of the Patient Advocacy Program. Students develop their interviewing, negotiation, investigation and critical thinking skills in the context of statutorily mandated administrative hearings in the psychiatric facilities and resolving patient rights and complaints. Students may attend meetings regarding the administrative/regulatory aspects of behavioral health care. The weekly 1-1/2 hour class component includes lectures, guest speakers, case review, and discussion. ; Also: courses in Health Care Law, Law and Mental Disorder, Special Education & the Law  

University of San Francisco School of Law

Contact
Student organization
Clinical program
Other information
USF Student Disability Services Office, 415-422-6876, sds@usfca.edu 1. Law Student Health Organization, HELPO, includes mental and physical disability issues. Outgoing president (07-08) is Meredith Marzouli, mmarzouli@gmail.com. 2. ABA - LSD organization sponsors a mental health awareness week. Outgoing leader (07-08) is Phyra McCandless, phyra@yahoo.com. 3. Undergraduate student government organization, ASUSF, includes two student representatives for disabled students. Erin Dolly, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, oversees law student groups, 415-422-6304 or eedolly@usfca.edu   The University Student Disability Service office offers a range of support groups for students who utilize their services. The most successful so far has been one dedicated to chronic health impairment. Contact Tom Merrell, Director of USF Student Disability Services at 415-422-6876 or merrellt@usfca.edu

USC Gould School of Law (Los Angeles)

Contact
Student organization
Clinical program
Other information
Dean Robert Saltzman     The law school offers a course in special education and disability law with an accompanying internship.

Western State University College of Law (Fullerton)

Contact
Student organization
Clinical program
Other information
       

Whittier Law School (Costa Mesa)

Contact
Student organization
Clinical program
Other information
       

Back to Top

Copyright American Bar Association. http://www.abanet.org