Serving the city's law profession since 1854
July 27, 2015
Fellowship for new lawyer with disabilities starts
Todd A. Solomon
Barry C. Taylor
BY JOHN FLYNN ROONEY
LAW BULLETIN STAFF WRITER
As the Americans with Disabilities Act marked 25 years Sunday, a fellowship for an
upcoming law school graduate with a disability has been established.
In an effort to commemorate and advance the anniversary, a group of more than
160 civic organizations, government agencies and businesses came together to form ADA
25 Chicago.
Barry C. Taylor, vice president for civil rights and systemic litigation at Equip for
Equality, is co-chairman of ADA 25 Chicago’s legal community group. The other cochairman is Benjamin C. Weinberg, a Dentons pro bono partner.
“Our idea was to create a two-year fellowship for new attorneys with disabilities in
Chicago,” Taylor said.
The legal community group’s fellowship would begin in September 2016.
Finding jobs for lawyers with disabilities remains difficult, Taylor said. U.S.
Department of Labor figures show that the employment rate for people with disabilities is
20 percent as of June.
“Even though the ADA has been helpful in many areas, the unemployment rate for
people with disabilities remains very high, including attorneys with disabilities,” Taylor
said. “This initiative seeks to highlight that issue and try to address it through this
fellowship.”
The fellowship was created while working with McDermott, Will & Emery LLP and
Equal Justice Works, a Washington, D.C.-based group that funds fellowships throughout the
country for recent law school graduates and other lawyers.
McDermott will pay $56,000 to fund the first two years of the fellowship for a disabled
lawyer working at a legal aid entity, said Todd A. Solomon, a firm partner and chairman of
its firmwide pro bono and community service committee.
“The fellowship is a unique intersection between our pro bono and diversity
initiatives,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity for McDermott to sponsor a person with
disabilities and to jump start that person’s legal career while they are providing legal aid
services.”
ADA 25 Chicago will use Equal Justice Works’ application process for the fellowship.
Third-year law students or lawyers who have one or two years of experience with
physical or mental impairments can apply for the fellowship.
President George H.W. Bush signed ADA into law on July 26, 1996. The wide-ranging
civil rights measure prohibits discrimination based on disability.
The law extends rights to the disabled in the areas of employment and accessibility to
businesses and public transportation.
“What a great and unique way to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Americans with
Disabilities Act,” said David Stern, Equal Justice Works executive director. “We hope it will
lead to many more similar opportunities for lawyers with disabilities to follow their
dreams of public service.”
Applications are due by Sept. 18 and can be found at equaljusticeworks.org/postgrad/equal-justice-works-fellowships/apply.
After the application deadline, interviews with selected candidates will be conducted.
McDermott officials will select the fellow who will start work at a yet to be determined
legal aid organization in September 2016.