This page provides information for law students and recent law graduates with disabilities, along with established lawyers with newly acquired disabilities, who wish to benefit from the experience of a seasoned lawyer with a disability. Further, this page provides information for lawyers with disabilities who want to volunteer their time and talents to help others.

VOLUNTEER TO BE A MENTOR TODAY!

The Disability Issues Committee of the State Bar is proud to announce the creation of a mentorship program in which licensed Texas attorneys are paired with law students and other lawyers with disabilities. If you are interested in being a source of support and encouragement to a law student or other lawyer with a disability, please sign up to be a mentor today! In particular, the committee encourages attorneys with disabilities to volunteer and share their experiences with a mentee.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The Disability Issues Committee was contacted frequently by law students with disabilities who sought a one-on-one resource to answer questions, provide guidance, and offer support, regarding the practice of law, barriers they might encounter, and recommendations on overcoming those barriers to make their law school experience and their entry into the practice of law a more rewarding and successful experience. The committee also heard from attorneys interested in sharing their experiences, training, and insight toward the pursuit of a successful legal career. To provide that support, the Disability Issues Committee created the mentorship program for:

• law students with disabilities

• recent law school graduates with disabilities

• established lawyers with newly acquired disabilities

The goal of the mentorship program is to provide law students and attorneys with an invaluable resource of information, guidance, and support.

ENROLLMENT AND PARTICIPATION

Complete our SurveyMonkey online form in order to enroll as a mentor or mentee.

To start the process, prospective mentors or mentees are asked to contact the Disability Issues Committee at committees@texasbar.com, indicating:

• Name

• Best contact information

• Interest in being a mentor/mentee

• Disability (if comfortable disclosing)

• Legal areas of interest and/or experience

• Geographic information

The committee will make every effort to match the mentor and mentee based on the type of information sought, the disability involved, common legal areas of interest, and geographical location. You will be contacted via email with the status of your match. Because the goal of the mentorship program is to provide as much individualized guidance as possible, once the match is made, the mentor and mentee are free to develop this mentor/mentee relationship as they mutually agree and believe will best meet their needs. The Disability Issues Committee and its members are always available to assist and help develop the relationship.

Currently, the Mentorship Program of the Disability Issues Committee is seeking participation from offices and individuals at law schools and law firms who provide disability support services.

If you have any questions about our Mentorship Program, please email the committee at committees@texasbar.com.