I. Academic Policies and Procedures

F. Disability Accommodation

1) REQUEST FOR DISABILITY ACCOMMODATIONS

In order to receive disability accommodations from the Law School, a student must submit a written request for accommodations to the assistant dean for student affairs. All requests for disability accommodations must be supported by a Verification of Disability Form and/or psychoeducational testing reports.  If the student has documentation showing disability accommodations permitted at other institutions, including undergraduate colleges and on standardized tests (including the LSAT or GRE), that documentation should also be provided to the assistant dean for student affairs. Students should not request disability accommodations from individual professors. Information on disability accommodations will be disclosed to professors only to the extent necessary to implement them.  

Students are strongly encouraged to make all requests for disability accommodations on exams to the assistant dean for student affairs at least 30 calendar days prior to the start of the exam period for the semester in order to provide sufficient time to assess and implement the accommodation. The Law School may not have sufficient time to assess and implement disability accommodation requests that are not made at least 30 calendar days prior to the start of the exam period, although disability accommodations may be put in place for subsequent semesters.

If classroom-related disability accommodations are requested, students are strongly encouraged to make the request at least 30 calendar days prior to the start of the semester in order to provide sufficient time to assess and implement such accommodations prior to the first day of class. Disability accommodation requests made after this date may be processed and implemented, but no classroom accommodations will be put in place on a retroactive basis (e.g., peer notes will not be provided for the period prior to the approval of the accommodation).

2) PROCESS FOR DISABILITY ACCOMMODATION DETERMINATIONS

The assistant dean for student affairs will review all requests and documentation and forward them to the University’s Student Disability Access Center for determination of disability status. The Student Disability Access Center may require additional documentation and engage in an interactive process with any student seeking disability accommodations. 

As part of a deliberative process, the Student Disability Access Center will communicate the recommended accommodations, if any, to the assistant dean for student affairs, who will evaluate the recommended accommodations to ensure that they do not impose undue burden, lower academic standards or fundamentally alter the Law School’s program requirements, academic policies, accreditation requirements, and other applicable standards.  The assistant dean for student affairs will consult with the vice dean and/or faculty of the Law School as necessary as part of the deliberative process, and will consult with the Student Disability Access Center to determine alternative accommodations that may be put into place if the recommended accommodations impose undue burdens, lower academic standards, or fundamentally alter the Law School’s program requirements, academic policies, accreditation requirements, and other applicable standards.

The assistant dean for student affairs will prepare a written notification to a student who has requested disability accommodations as to 1) whether or not disability accommodations have been approved; 2) the nature of any approved disability accommodations; and 3) the process to appeal the determination.  Disability accommodations may be put in place for a limited period of time, in which case the student will be required to submit a new written request and supporting documentation, as needed, to extend the accommodations.  Disability accommodations may also be permanent until the graduation of the student, in which case no additional request or documentation need be provided.

All students with an approved disability accommodation must meet with the assistant dean for student affairs prior to its implementation.

All requests for accommodation and related information will be confidential, except to the extent necessary to evaluate the student’s condition to determine and implement an accommodation. 

State bar requirements for disability accommodations vary. Students should contact bar authorities for information on the disability accommodation requirements for the bar exam they intend to take.

3) IMPLEMENTATION OF DISABILITY ACCOMMODATIONS

The assistant dean for student affairs implements all disability accommodations at the Law School.  Students should not consult their professors regarding the implementation of disability accommodations.  The assistant dean of student affairs will disclose disability accommodations to professors only to the extent such disclosure is necessary to implement them. 

4) APPEAL OF DISABILITY ACCOMMODATION DETERMINATION

If a student does not agree with a disability accommodation determination, the student may request reconsideration within 14 calendar days of the determination from the assistant dean for student affairs, who may seek additional input regarding the request from the Student Disability Access Center.  If the request for reconsideration is denied, the student may appeal to the Law School Disability Accommodation Committee within 14 calendar days of the denial of reconsideration. 

If a student believes he or she has been subject to treatment prohibited under the University’s Preventing and Addressing Discrimination and Harassment and/or Preventing and Addressing Retaliation policies (PADHR)(e.g., discrimination on the basis of disability in the form of denial of a reasonable academic accommodation or failure to implement an approved accommodation), the student may contact the University’s Office for Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights (EOCR) for assistance at (434) 924-3200 or uvaeocr@virginia.edu or file a complaint with EOCR (see the PADHR procedures here).

Index

Academic Policies (continued)