Policies & Rules — Disabilities Handbook

Untitled Document The policies and procedures of the MU School of Law are revised on a regular basis. Provisions regarding such policies and procedures contained on our website are subject to change without notice. If you have questions or note errors or omissions, please contact the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. All statements concerning requirements, prerequisites, conditions or other matters are for informational purposes only, and are subject to change without notice. They are not to be regarded as offers to contract.

It is the policy and practice of the University of Missouri-Columbia 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-Columbia 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 the 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.

Notice

Students who have been accepted for admission are advised in their acceptance letter to contact the Associate Dean 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 as soon as possible. Early identification of disabilities is necessary to allow adequate time to evaluate documentation and to coordinate accommodations required. 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 Law School and the Office of Disability Services have arranged the following accommodation process:

  1. A student who believes he/she has a disability that requires any accommodation should notify the Associate Dean.
  2. The Associate Dean will then refer that student to the Office of Disability Services, located in Room A038 of Brady Commons.
  3. The Director of the Office of Disability Services will meet with the student, request medical records and other information from the student, and make a recommendation to the Associate Dean about what, if any, accommodations seem appropriate. Please note that the Office of Disability Services must first receive all necessary medical documentation from the student.
  4. The Associate Dean and the Director of Disability Services will then decide what accommodations to provide, if any, in light of the student's medical information and the student's course schedule, exams, and/or graded exercises.
  5. In the event the Director of Disability Services and the Associate Dean disagree about what accommodations are appropriate, the Associate Dean's determination will govern.
  6. The Associate Dean will then provide the student with a letter identifying the accommodations the Law School will provide. At that time, the Associate Dean will ask the student to indicate his/her acceptance of the accommodations in writing.
  7. The Law School and the Office of Disability Services will work in conjunction to coordinate the accommodations. Any problems that arise should be brought to the attention of the Associate Dean and/or the Office of Disability Services.

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. The Associate Dean will forward the request to the Law School's Standards & Readmissions Committee which acts on the requests. For further information on the readmission process, please see the Student Handbook.

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 Office of Career Services. 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 Office of Career Services provides assistance to all students and does not discriminate on the basis of disability. Students who believe that an employer working through Career Services has discriminated on the basis of disability should bring their concerns to the attention of the Director of Career 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. The Associate Dean and the Office of Disability Services will attempt to resolve the matter and will communicate their decision to the student. If the student is dissatisfied with the decision, the student may file a grievance with the ADA Coordinator. Grievances filed with the ADA Coordinator must be in writing and must be filed within two weeks of the date the Associate Dean 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.