Do you Qualify for Law School Accommodations?

 

Qualifying for law school accommodations varies by school. Usually it is a matter of completing a single form and waiting for approval. Some schools may require more detailed information regarding your diagnosis and history while others will accept a Doctor’s note or proof oF subscription.

 

The most certain way to qualify for law school accommodations is to have a documented medical history. Sometimes the diagnosis occurred early childhood or adolescence. You may be familiar with the required documents because you assembled them in order to procure accommodations for the LSAT. In such cases students will easily gather the requisite documents to establish their right to accommodations.

 

Students whose diagnosis came later in life such as college or during their adult career may have fewer documents available. In some cases the school may provide accommodations based on a subscription for anxiety or a learning disability. Still your doctor may be required to provide a note or complete a form supporting your diagnosis.

 

The tougher cases are when students discover they have adult ADHD or some other learning disability during law school. Because you will have no diagnosed history, you will likely need to submit to exams administered by a psychologist or psychiatrist. While this may seem like an added burden or expense, the impact of accommodations on your law school performance can be critical.

 

In my experience, students in their first semester of law school without accommodations saw an increase in their GPA when in their second semester they were approved for accommodations. Although their improved performance was not entirely predicated on receiving accommodations, it certainly played an important role when combined with strategies that enhanced their learning style.  Since your first year law school performance governs substantial career opportunities, taking additional steps to assure that you procure they level of accommodations your learning style requires can be a critical to your law school success.

 

For more tools to help with navigating law school with a learning disability such as anxiety, dyslexia or AHDH click here.