Thanks to the generous support of our donors, Disability Rights Advocates is pleased to make available on our website and in our offices the work of artists from the National Institute of Art & Disabilities (NIAD). NIAD provides an art program that promotes creativity, independence, dignity, and community integration for people with developmental and other disabilities.
Disability Rights Advocates (DRA) is a non-profit legal center, specializing in high-impact, class action litigation which advances the civil rights of people with disabilities. DRA has handled some of the most complex, challenging and important disability cases in the U.S. Headquartered in Berkeley, California, DRA is renowned in California and nationally for implementing systemic change in areas such as employment, public accommodations, health care, transportation, education and housing.
DRA seeks to sponsor a deferred law firm associate, or a current associate pursuing a law firm-sponsored public interest fellowship, for a one year fellowship. Our Fellows make significant contributions to DRA's precedent-setting work. Each Fellow receives intensive training and considerable litigation experience. We have two major trials set to start in the fall.
DRA has sponsored over 25 fellowships since its inception in 1993 including Skadden, Equal Justice Works, David Boies/LD Access and Disability Rights Advocates Fellowships.
We have worked on many landmark cases during our history, including:
An employment discrimination case against UPS on behalf of over 1,000 UPS employees which resulted in ensuring that deaf employees will have communication access and a promotion plan.
A case against Target Corporation to ensure that their website is made accessible to blind users. In a similar matter, Amazon.com immediately settled and installed the appropriate accessible technology.
Our landmark settlement with Kaiser Permanente, the largest HMO in California to ensure that patients with disabilities receive accessible health care. As a result of the case, Kaiser committed to providing improved architectural access, accessible medical equipment (such as exam tables and x-ray machines), medical literature in alternate formats such as Braille and large print, and upgraded policies and procedures, taking patients' needs into account. We reached a similar settlement with Sutter Health.
As part of our efforts in the health arena, DRA published a second edition of "Through the Maze: A Guide to Health Care and Insurance Rights and Resources for Californians with Disabilities" in 2008.
Our case (which is now on appeal) on behalf of returning Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans who have combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury and have been denied or delayed in receiving medical care and compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Our current ground-breaking case against the California Department of Transportation ("Caltrans") to improve sidewalk access throughout the state for persons with mobility and/or vision disabilities, including seniors. The lawsuit seeks to change Caltrans' discriminatory policies and practices, leading to access barriers along Caltrans' sidewalks.
Qualifications
Deferred law firm associate or current associate pursuing law firm-sponsored public interest fellowship.
Salary
Based on law firm program.
Application Instructions:
If you are interested in being sponsored, please submit your application to DRA.
Please send the following information:
Cover letter
Resume
Transcript
Three references (with contact information)
Writing sample (no more than 3 pages)
Please send the completed package to (email preferred):
Contact Information
Ben Foss
Disability Rights Advocates
2001 Center Street, Fourth Floor
Berkeley, CA 94704-1204
