Strategies for Building a Disability Inclusive Legal Workplace

Why is disability inclusiveness important for law firms and how does everyone benefit from a disability-inclusive environment? What should law firms be doing to support disabled attorneys and staff? This session, presented by attorneys with personal connections to disability rights and disability justice, will provide an overview of the concepts of ableism, disability justice (versus disability rights), and intersectionality. The panelists will then discuss why inclusiveness is important for law firms, how everyone benefits from a disability-inclusive workplace, barriers to inclusivity, and best practices to accommodate attorneys with disabilities.

Panelists: Dan Brown, Pro Bono Partner, Sheppard Mullin; Nicole Saunders, The Florida Supreme Court; Zainab Alkebsi, Policy Counsel, Law, and Advocacy Center, National Association of the Deaf; Maia Goodell Kakalec Law PLLC.

Learning Objectives:

1. Discuss the concepts of disability justice, ableism, and intersectionality

2. Analyze why inclusiveness is important

3. Examine barriers to inclusivity

4. Identify best practices for building a disability-inclusive workplace