The course examines the various federal and California state laws addressing discrimination on the basis of disability from a litigator’s perspective, emphasizing both substantive law as well as legal practice skills. Laws will include the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and California’s Fair Employment & Housing Act, Disabled Persons Act, and Unruh Civil Rights Act. The class will review the laws within the historical context of the disability rights movement and provide practical skills training from both the plaintiff and defense perspectives, including but not limited to client and witness interviewing, case assessment, discovery and litigation planning, and pre-trial preparation. Students will gain a fundamental understanding of both the laws that affect us all, and the process lawyers engage in when presented with a disability rights case for representation!
