The Massachusetts SJC Lawyer Well-Being Committee is hosting this town hall to better understand the lived experiences and challenges lawyers and law students with disabilities face.
5:30pm – 7pm | Thursday, August 5
The goal of these sessions is not for the Committee to tell the diverse lawyer populations of the Commonwealth what these challenges are or how we’re planning to respond, but for the Committee to really hear from affected individuals, so that we are better equipped to ensure that the individual and collective well-being challenges faced by diverse populations in the MA bar are reflected in the Committee’s ongoing work to improve the lives of lawyers and legal professionals throughout the Commonwealth.
Additional Details:
CART and ASL Services will be provided.
Any lawyer and law students is welcome to attend the meeting. However, we request that attendees that do not identify as having one or more disability attend with the goal of listening.
July is Disability Pride Month
Started in 1990 along with the passage of the ADA, Disability Pride Month offers a reminder for everyone to make time and space to support and amplify those with disabilities, recognizing how different those voices can be. For example, a tweet from @GaetaAmy emphasizes “that it’s okay if you don’t have disability pride. Developing or getting a disability can be the result of trauma and systemic violence. ‘Pride’ isn’t to be forced upon or expected of any disabled person.” For those of us striving to act as allies, it’s important to listen to a wide range of experiences of those with both visible and invisible disabilities, and with intersecting identities as members of other oppressed groups as well.
Saturday, July 26: The 18th Annual Disability Pride Parade – Virtual Event at 11am
Related:
5 Questions to Think About this #DisabilityPrideMonth (Forbes, 2021)
Pride Feelings from J. Logan Smilges (Disability Visibility Project, 2021)
Law School is Hard, but Not Usually This Hard (BU Today, 2021)
Special Ed Lawyer Who’s Walked in His Clients’ Shoes (WNPR, 2019)
Shifting Perspective on Disability for Inclusion in the Legal Profession [Guest Post] (LCL MA, 2020)
Invisible Disabilities Week 2020 is October 18-24 (LCL MA, 2020)
Autism Awareness/Acceptance/Pride Month: Inclusion in the Legal Profession (LCL MA, 2021)
ABA Study: Disabled, LGBTQ+ Lawyers Face Discrimination (ABA, 2020)
Transitioning Reasonable Accommodations from Law School to the Workplace (LCL MA Blog, 2020)
Prioritizing Accessibility: Law Firm On-Campus Interview Tips for Law Schools (NDLSA, 2020)
Why Hire Lawyers with Disabilities? (ABA, 2020)
The Business Case for Diversity is a Sinking Ship (Lily Zheng, 2019
Technological Accommodations for Lawyers (ABA GP Solo, 2020)
National Association of Attorneys with Disabilities
National Disabled Law Students Association
ABA Commission on Disability Rights
Website Accessibility for Solo and Small Law Firms (Mass LOMAP, 2020)
Free & Confidential Consultations:
Lawyers, law students, and judges in Massachusetts can discuss concerns with a licensed therapist, law practice advisor, or both. Find more on scheduling here.
