Today’s blog entry is an update on a prior blog entry where I discussed a District Court of New Hampshire decision saying that legislative immunity trumps everything, including the ADA. That case got appealed to the First Circuit. I was very flattered to learn that my blog entry discussing the decision holding that legislative immunity
Constitutional law
Legislative Immunity Trumps Everything
Today’s blog entry explores an issue that we have not discussed before. It is hard to believe that after 400+ blog entries over eight years that we could find a topic we haven’t discussed. However, that is the beauty of how comprehensive and all-encompassing the ADA is. Today’s case takes on the question of whether…
Does a Witness Testifying with a Service animal Violate a Defendant’s Right to a Fair Trial or Violate the Confrontation Clause?

Today’s blog entry explores the following situation. A defendant was charged with multiple counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. The victim, R.L., of that abuse suffered posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as a result. She testified at trial with a service dog. The…
Sierra Redux: Legislative Streaming, Sovereign Immunity, and the 11th Circuit
Today’s blog entry is a case from the 11th Circuit that I have blogged on before at both the Circuit Court level and the District Court level. A link to both can be found here185180191118201. On November 10, 2020, the 11th Circuit vacated their previous opinion issued back in March and re-issued…
Public Schools Ability to Regulate Off-campus Speech in the Digital Age
We now have a new Associate Justice on the United States Supreme Court, Amy Coney Barrett. For those interested in how she might rule on disability rights matters, see this blog entry1821206969198. Today’s blog entry came to me from my involvement with the Federal Bar Association civil rights section. Caryl Oberman, a Pennsylvania attorney…
Does the Ministerial Exception Apply to Hostile Work Environment Claims?
Before getting started on the blog entry of the day, I put my absentee ballot in a drop box yesterday. Whoever you are voting for, please do vote. Also, my Braves beat the Dodgers yesterday in game one of the National League championship series. Can they win another three? I see the Tampa Bay Rays…
Judge Amy Coney Barrett and Persons with Disabilities
Before getting started on the blog entry of the day, I wanted to wish everyone with teams in the baseball playoffs good luck. I actually have three teams in the baseball playoffs: brave; cubs; and White Sox. No, I am not watching nine hours of baseball today, but I am recording all three of my…
But For Causation is not Sole Causation and Other Matters: the Supreme Court LGBT Decisions
This week the Supreme Court came down with the decisions in the LGBT cases, which I previously discussed here. The decision will have an absolute huge impact on people with disabilities in both positive and possibly negative ways. Before moving onto the decision, I do want to say that my wife and I and…
Fundamental Right to Access Legislative Proceedings
Happy Fourth of July holiday everyone!
Today’s case, National Association of the Deaf et. al. v. State of Florida et. al., comes to me from Courtney Cunningham who has been working this case for some time. The National Association of the Deaf (by way of disclosure, I have known the Executive Director of…
Transgender: Equal Protection, Due Process, and ADA
One of the topics that we have discussed before (see here for example), is transgender individuals alleging that they have been the victims of disability discrimination. Recently, transgender plaintiffs have also had success in alleging that they are the victims of sex discrimination as sex discrimination includes stereotyping based on gender, which by…