Disability and legal education

Traditionally, disability has been overlooked in law schools and legal education. Whilst disability is now more widely disclosed in higher education, there is still some way to go before disability sits comfortably alongside other protected characteristics such as sex, race and LGBTQ+ visibility in law schools. Disability is often linked with wellbeing issues or mental health rather than explicitly referred to as an area which needs addressing more broadly in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion initiatives. The rights of disabled law students are well documented but stereotypical assumptions by employers and internalised disability stigma often impacts on the ability to use those rights when looking for graduate employment in the legal profession, despite reasonable adjustments being sought during a disabled student's time in law school, which reveals a complex disabled law student identity.