Before getting started on the blog entry of the day, I am currently reading Over Ruled by Justice Gorsuch and Janie Nitze. My passion for constitutional law and legal theory started in college when I took those two separate classes from Professor Rumble while majoring in political science at Vassar College. Now, I enjoy reading
Rehabilitation Act
It Was Inevitable: A Court of Appeals Holds Emotional Distress Damages Not Available Under Title II of the ADA
When Cummings v. Premier Rehab Keller was decided, discussed here, it was inevitable that eventually courts would start addressing the issue of whether Title II of the ADA allows for emotional distress damages. During Cummings oral argument, a couple of the Justices anticipated that, and court decisions are beginning to come on this issue. The…
Does an Employer Have to Allow an Employee’s Service Animal?
I always assumed that a dog satisfying the definitions of a service animal under the DOJ final regulations for title II and title III of the ADA would have to be automatically allowed by an employer where the employee has a service dog satisfying that definition. At least in the Eighth Circuit, that isn’t the…
HHS Final §504 Regulations
As I anticipated, it was not possible for me to get a blog entry up last week with all the traveling I was doing. However, I am back now. Recently, HHS came out with their final 504 regulations, which we previously blogged on the proposed regulations here. There were a few changes that are…
Hostile Environment Claims are Viable Under Both the Rehabilitation Act as well as the ADA
Before getting started on the blog entry of the day, I will be out of town not this week, but the week after this week. So, I am not sure if I will get a blog entry up for the next week. I would have to do it next Sunday, but I will also be…
But For Causation and Motivating Factor are Two Different Things
I have been absolutely slammed this week, which is why I am so late in getting a blog entry up for the week. Before getting started on the blog entry for the day, I do want to mention that the Department of Justice has now issued a final rule on website accessibility involving Title II…
Murray v. UBS Securities and its Possible Impact Upon ADA Jurisprudence
The blog entry for the week is actually not an ADA case at all but it may have a substantial impact on the ADA universe. The case of the day is Murray v. UBS securities, LLC, a unanimous decision written by Justice Sotomayor, from the Supreme Court decided on February 8, 2024, here. It…
Nested Positions
Today’s blog entry considers the question what happens when you have an individual with a disability seeking to perform a job that the person can do but in order to do that particular job they also have to be simultaneously eligible to do a different job which they may or may not be able to…
ADA Disparate Impact Claims
When it comes to the ADA, there are three possible kinds of lawsuits. First, disparate treatment. Second, failure to accommodate. Third, disparate impact. You don’t see a lot of disparate impact cases. As a result, I thought it would be useful to blog on a decision dealing with the disparate impact issue. Our case of…
Convincing Mosaic as a Standard for Deciding Summary Judgment Motions Arrives
I hope everyone is getting back into the swing of the new year. Next week, I will be visiting my daughter in between January term and second semester. I will be here Monday but leave Tuesday and back Friday. So, I am not sure of the timing of the blog entry for next week. This…