Details

More than 50 million Americans have disabilities, even as the population just begins to age significantly. The Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in 1990 as a key civil rights law to help persons with disabilities obtain access to employment, government functions at all levels, and most public Accommodations. This seminar will explore how our disability laws have succeeded, and failed, to fulfill their promise. We will also examine closely the significant recent activity by the Supreme Court in this evolving, dynamic area of the law. Each student is expected to select a topic of particular interest to him or her, perform an in-depth review of the law related to that topic, and write a paper on the subject. Students? progress will be tracked through class discussion, informed reaction papers and individual sessions with the instructors (Judge Robert Gettleman of the Northern District of Illinois; Barry T. McNamara, Adjunct Professor of Law; Steve Seliger, a noted plaintiffs? lawyer; and Hillary Weis, an associate at Sachnoff & Weaver.) Evaluation: Research Paper, class participation Teaching method: Lecture and discussion with some demonstration Text: The Law of Disability Discrimination, Colker, et al. Prerequisites: None