Lawyers with disabilities may face employment discrimination, disclosure issues, and professional advancement obstacles, says Carrie Basas, visiting assistant professor of law at UNC. In the forthcoming book, "Lawyers, Lead On: Lawyers with Disabilities Share Their Insights," Basas and co-editors Rebecca Williford '09 and Stephanie Enyart provide a collection of letters offering mentoring advice and guidance for emerging lawyers with disabilities.
The contributing authors have a range of disabilities, including psychological, autoimmune, physical, and sensory disabilities, and they share their candid stories and experiences as judges, practitioners, law professors, law school deans, activists, nonprofit executives, and entrepreneurs to encourage others along the same path.
"When I began this book, I wanted to make sure that everything from it went to improving our profession's perspectives on disability as a critical and overlooked diversity and civil rights issue," says Basas. Proceeds from the book will go to disability diversity programs within the American Bar Association (ABA).
Basas is a member of the ABA Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law. Williford serves as an attorney with Disability Rights Advocates, a non-profit legal center whose mission is to ensure dignity, equality and opportunity for people with all types of disabilities.
To pre-order the book, visit the ABA store.