Advice for Law School Applicants with Disabilities
Categories: US Education News
While applying to and attending law school are difficult for anyone, people with disabilities often face extra hurdles on the path to practicing law.“Applying to law school requires strong self-advocacy and patience that puts a unique burden on students with disabilities,” notes Peter Blanck, university professor of Syracuse University in New York and chairman of the school's Burton Blatt Institute, a global advocacy organization for people with disabilities.Depending on an applicant’s specific disabilities, those burdens can take many forms, from stress and time burdens to practical barriers.Of course, applicants with disabilities may differ widely in the challenges they face. Some may have less-visible impairments, like cognitive or learning disabilities or mental health issues. Others, like applicants who are veterans, may have other intersecting considerations. Disability Accommodations for the LSAT The LSAT presents an early hurdle to some law school applicants with disabilities, since the test requires sustained focus, careful reading and logic puzzles solved with the aid of visual diagrams.Fortunately, the test has become more inclusive now that it is a digital test taken at home and proctored remotely. The Law School Admission Council, or LSAC, has agreed to alter the LSAT as a result of recent litigation to better serve test-takers with disabilities.Applicants interested in testing accommodations should first review the information available on the LSAC website as well within individual online LSAC accounts. Applicants may request accommodations directly through their accounts. They may also reach a team of customer relationship specialists by email or telephone for further advice and assistance. When a candidate completes a request through the online request accommodations portal within his or her LSAC account, the system will provide step-by-step guidance. The process allows candidates to include a personal statement of need along with any supporting documentation.After submitting a request, candidates should review the copy of their submitted file made available on the LSAT Status page in their online account, to ensure it is complete and accurate. Candidates may submit changes or additions until the deadline for such requests passes.Don’t panic if a request for accommodation based on disability is denied. Reach out to LSAC’s accommodated testing customer relations specialists to address your concerns. Disclosing Disabilities as a Law School Applicant It is illegal for law schools to discriminate against applicants or students with disabilities. However, applicants may struggle over how much they want to share with law schools about their individual circumstances. Disability Accommodations in Law School Like other educational institutions that receive public funds, law schools are legally required to provide reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities.The ABA works through the law school accreditation process and site visits to ensure that all accredited law schools provide reasonable accommodations that don’t lower academic or performance standards or result in undue financial or administrative burdens.Applicants interested in requesting accommodations should contact a law school's dean of students or disability services coordinator. It may be necessary to provide a written request substantiated by a medical diagnosis or documentation of any previous accommodations received. The school may also have an evaluation process in place, depending upon the accommodation requested. The National Disabled Law Students Association supports and advocates on behalf of law students and recent law graduates with disabilities. The association has members and partners at more than 50 law schools nationwide. Like the ABA, this association can provide answers to specific questions that applicants with disabilities may have about navigating law school, securing employment and qualifying for the bar.