Disability Accommodations - Law Students
It is the policy and practice of the University of Missouri School of Law to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and state and local requirements regarding students and applicants with disabilities. No individual shall be discriminated against by the University of Missouri School of Law because of a disability, nor shall any qualified individual with a disability be denied access to or participation in Law School services, programs, or activities because of a disability. The School of Law is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities, though the School is not required to make accommodations that are unduly burdensome or that fundamentally alter the nature of the program.
Students who have been accepted for admission are advised to contact the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs as soon as possible regarding disabilities that might require accommodation. Continuing students who believe they have acquired or developed a disability should also contact the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs as soon as possible. Early identification of disabilities is necessary to allow adequate time for an evaluation, to review supporting documentation and to coordinate required accommodations. The accommodation process takes some time, so the Law School may be unable to grant last-minute requests for accommodation.
Accommodation Process
To accommodate students with disabilities, the School of Law worked with the University's Disability Center to arrange the following accommodation process:
- A student who believes he/she has a disability that requires any accommodation should notify the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
- The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs will then refer that student to the Disability Center, located at S5 Memorial Union.
- The Director of the Disability Center or a representative will meet with the student, request medical records and other information from the student. Please note that the Disability Center must first receive all necessary medical documentation from the student.
- The Disability Center will then decide what accommodations are necessary and appropriate to provide, if any, in light of the student's medical information and the student's course schedule, exams, and/or graded exercises.
- The student will then forward the Disability Center's accommodation recommendations to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and to the Law School Registrar.
- The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and the Registrar will work with the student to provide the accommodations that the Disability Center recommends.
- Any problems that arise should be brought to the attention of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and/or the Disability Center.
Academic Dismissal and Readmission
If a student who is academically dismissed raises a previously undisclosed disability as a basis for academic difficulty, the burden will be on the student to explain why the disability was not previously brought to the attention of the administration, to explain why accommodations were not requested or why those provided were not adequate, and to demonstrate that the disability was the cause of the dismissal.
Readmission requests should be directed to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs who will forward the request to the Law School's Standards and Readmissions Committee, which acts on the requests. For further information on the readmission process, please refer to the Policies and Honor Code section on School of Law website under Dismissal and Probation.
Bar Examination
Law students with disabilities who believe they will require accommodations in taking the bar examination should inquire early in their legal education as to what will be necessary to obtain accommodations. Information on how to contact bar examiners in all states is available from the National Conference of Bar Examiners. Many state boards of bar examiners will request that the law school provide information on accommodations provided during law school upon a written release from the student.
Career Services
The Career Development and Student Services Office provides assistance to all students and does not discriminate on the basis of disability. Students who believe that an employer working through Career Development and Student Services has discriminated on the basis of disability should bring their concerns to the attention of the Assistant Dean for Career Development and Student Services.
Grievances
If a student who requests accommodations from the School of Law believes that he/she has been discriminated against on the basis of his/her disability, the student should bring this matter to the attention of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, who will work with the Disability Center to attempt to resolve the matter. The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs will communicate the decision to the student. If the student is dissatisfied with the decision, the student may file a grievance. Grievances filed with the Disability Center must be in writing and must be filed within two weeks of the date the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs communicated the decision to the student.
Confidentiality
Information related to a student's disability is treated as confidential information under applicable federal, state and university laws.