On Friday, August 15th, 2014, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it had entered a settlement agreement with the Louisiana Supreme Court (the Court) under the Americans with Disabilities Act to protect the right of those with mental health disabilities applying for the bar to have equal access to the legal profession. This agreement requires that the Court refrain from imposing unnecessary burdens on bar applicants with mental health disabilities. This includes requests for medical records and compulsory medical examinations. The agreement also prohibits the Court from asking intrusive and unnecessary questions about the mental health diagnosis or treatment of a bar applicant.
For more information about the ADA, please visit the ADA Network Translation Center at http://adata.org. To view a copy of the agreement please visit the DOJ website at www.ada.gov.
