UCLA School of Law has a long history of supporting equal access to education for students with disabilities.  It does so by working in close collaboration with the UCLA Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) and the law school’s Disability Standards Committee (DSC).  Law school policy is to provide appropriate consideration to disabled students in course assignments and examinations, with the objective that the examination results shall – to the extent feasible – reflect the performance of such disabled students on a basis comparable with all other students in the course.  All accommodations are provided on an anonymous basis; there is no notation on the academic record, and faculty members do not know which students have been accommodated or which exams have been taken under accommodated circumstances.

Students with disabilities who intend to request academic adjustments and/or exam accommodations during law school must register with and provide relevant documentation to OSD, which will then provide recommendations to Dean Cheadle regarding reasonable and appropriate adjustments and accommodations. The choice of a procedure that will fulfill these objectives shall be within the discretion of Dean Cheadle and/or the DSC, in consultation with OSD.  Reasonable accommodations in the past have included the provision of note takers, alternative format textbooks, extended time for exams, a different exam environment, and reduced course loads.  

Students are strongly encouraged to register with OSD during the summer prior to enrolling at the law school to ensure that accommodations (as well as resources and support systems, including health practitioners) are in place prior to the start of orientation.   Students with disabilities who have not previously requested accommodations in the educational environment are strongly encouraged to register in the event that the need arises.  Keep in mind that bar examiners in California and elsewhere will require evidence of prior accommodations in determining whether to grant them on a bar exam.

To make an intake appointment for registration with the Office for Students with Disabilities, call (310) 825-1501.  Once you have been registered, OSD will recommend accommodations to Dean Cheadle.

To petition the Disability Standards Committee for a reduced course load or other extraordinary accommodation, you should seek advice and counsel from Dean Cheadle.