Committee Activity & History

In 1993, the State Bar of Texas created the Disability Issues Committee to study the concerns of Texas lawyers with disabilities, as well as clients and members of the public, and make recommendations to the Board of Directors of the State Bar of Texas concerning ways in which the role of the disabled in Texas can be enhanced by improvement in programs and initiatives sponsored by the State Bar.

Since that time, the Disability Issues Committee has been instrumental in increasing awareness of particular legal issues surrounding clients with mental and physical disabilities, as well as addressing concerns of lawyers with disabilities. The committee has sponsored CLEs, published articles, produced videos, and undertaken various projects in order to educate about and promote legal concerns surrounding disabilities.

CLEs and webcasts

Since 1999, the Committee has sponsored a number of disability-related CLEs and webcasts, including topics like "Special Education Issues and the Juvenile Justice System," "The Affirmative Defense of Insanity in Texas," and "Employment of Attorneys with Disabilities." These programs are aimed at keeping attorneys abreast of legal developments pertaining to representation of clients with disabilities as well as those surrounding the rights of attorneys with disabilities.

Publications/Videos

Articles and videos have been produced by individual members as well as by the Committee as a whole. The Committee received a sizeable grant in 2003 to put together a video entitled "Hiring? Don't Underestimate Lawyers with Disabilities." (click for an excerpt. Quicktime, 1.2MB)

Advocacy

The committee has written letters to various organizations and sponsored seminars for physicians in attempts to advocate for those with disabilities.

Grant-Related Projects

In 2003, the Texas Bar Foundation funded production of the "Hiring? Don't Underestimate Lawyers with Disabilities" video. In 2007, the Committee received $20,000 from the Texas Bar Foundation to work with Advocacy Incorporated to set up the Sign Up Fund (PDF). The Fund provides resources and training to Texas lawyers on how to accommodate the needs of deaf clients. Get the Sign-Up Fun Request Form here (PDF).

Miscellaneous Projects

Other projects have included initiating an outreach program to increase disability awareness, supporting legislative proposals for uniformity in criminal standards, developing an accessibility checklist for organizations hosting CLEs, and assisting the State Bar in planning ADA-compliant building renovations.

The Disability Issues Committee has several goals and upcoming projects centering around physical and mental disability issues affecting attorneys. For example, a subcommittee is working to develop a mentorship program for law students with disabilities. Another subcommittee is designing a new CLE focusing on accessibility issues. This website is your source for the most recent information.