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Full-Text Articles in Disability Law

Jealously Guarded: The Right To Trial By Jury In Federal Court Under California’S Unruh Civil Rights Act, Denis Bogatin Feb 2026

Jealously Guarded: The Right To Trial By Jury In Federal Court Under California’S Unruh Civil Rights Act, Denis Bogatin

Pepperdine Law Review

Since California adopted heightened pleading standards for high-frequency litigants alleging violations of the Unruh Act in state court, federal district courts have seen a surge of ADA and Unruh Act claims filed together to secure subject matter jurisdiction. Most courts dismissed the Unruh claims under their discretionary authority under 28 U.S.C. § 1367, but they remained divided on whether plaintiffs in these cases have a right to jury trial—statutory or constitutional. In 2025, the Ninth Circuit resolved part of the split in In re Tsay, holding that the Unruh Act provides a constitutional right to a jury trial because it …


What Copyright Can't Do, Blake E. Reid Apr 2025

What Copyright Can't Do, Blake E. Reid

Pepperdine Law Review

Copyright has become a powerful regulatory regime for modern American life. Copyrighted works, including text, images, video, sounds, music, and software, coupled with routine, frictionless copying, form a large part of the information, cultural and social context, and infrastructure of our increasingly digital society. Copyright law’s powerful remedies are now positioned to intervene in a wide range of everyday activities. As a result, scholars, policymakers, and advocates have increasingly called for modifying and applying U.S. copyright law to solve a wide range of public policy problems, from vindicating disability rights to protecting privacy to promoting competition among wireless carriers. But …


Troubling Trends: Ada Definition-Of-Disability Cases 2019–2023, Nicole Buonocore Porter Apr 2025

Troubling Trends: Ada Definition-Of-Disability Cases 2019–2023, Nicole Buonocore Porter

Pepperdine Law Review

This empirical Article continues my every-five-year tradition of examining every federal case discussing the definition of disability since the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was amended, effective 2009. The results of this research from the third five-year period (2019–2023) are disappointing in both familiar and surprising ways. Similar to the 2014–2018 period, we continue to see way too many courts incorrectly applying (or not even citing to) the ADA Amendments Act. Moreover, I discovered several new troubling trends in this dataset that raise the possibility that we might be heading toward another backlash against ADA plaintiffs. This Article presents my …


An Analysis Of Due Process Hearing Decisions For “§ 504-Only” Students, Perry A. Zirkel Dec 2024

An Analysis Of Due Process Hearing Decisions For “§ 504-Only” Students, Perry A. Zirkel

Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary

Many empirical analyses have tracked the trends for both the frequency and outcomes of due process hearing decisions under the IDEA. However, the literature entirely lacks any such analysis of due process hearing decisions under § 504. This gap in the literature is largely attributable to two overlapping factors: these decisions are much less numerous than those under the IDEA, and they are not publicly available. The purpose of this article is to address this gap in the professional literature through an exploratory analysis of the frequency and outcomes of due process hearings for § 504-only students. Part I of …


Can Online-Only Businesses Constitute Places Of Public Accommodation Under Title Iii Of The Ada?, Nicholas Conti Jun 2024

Can Online-Only Businesses Constitute Places Of Public Accommodation Under Title Iii Of The Ada?, Nicholas Conti

The Journal of Business, Entrepreneurship & the Law

Central to this article is the significant Disability Rights Movement, which aimed to provide equal opportunity and equal access to people with disabilities, while rallying against negative stereotypes and advocating for institutional change. In Martinez v. Cot’n Wash, Inc., the California Court of Appeal for the Second District applied a strict method of textual interpretation to decide that, absent any nexus to a physical location or storefront, a website by itself cannot constitute a place of public accommodation under Title III of the ADA. Part II provides an overview of the Americans with Disabilities Act, focusing on a modern conflict …


The New Elephant In The Room: Why All Professionals Need To Learn About Personality Disorders, Bill Eddy Jun 2024

The New Elephant In The Room: Why All Professionals Need To Learn About Personality Disorders, Bill Eddy

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

Approximately 10% of adults worldwide have a personality disorder, according to the diagnostic manual of mental health professionals currently known as the DSM-5-TR. Unlike other mental health diagnoses, personality disorders are primarily interpersonal disorders leading to frequent conflicts with those around the person due to enduring patterns of rigid behavior, exaggerated interpretation of events, difficulty managing emotions, and impulse control problems. Yet dispute resolution professionals and other professionals generally have little knowledge of personality disorders and the role they play in their work, especially with “difficult” clients or “high conflict” disputes. Indications suggest personality disorders are increasing in family disputes, …


Job Incidence Numbers In Social Security Disability Claims: A Case Study And Analysis, Kevin Liebkemann May 2024

Job Incidence Numbers In Social Security Disability Claims: A Case Study And Analysis, Kevin Liebkemann

Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary

The Social Security Administration (SSA) processes numerous disabled worker applications each year. In adult disability claims, SSA employs a strict five-step sequential disability evaluation to decide whether a person is disabled. Many adult Social Security Disability claimants either win or lose at the fifth and final step, where an SSA adjudicator decides whether there is “a significant number of jobs (in one or more occupations) having requirements which you are able to meet with your physical or mental abilities and vocational qualifications.” This article examines the vocational evidence that SSA uses to decide the significant number of jobs issue. It …


The Outcomes Of Fully Adjudicated Impartial Hearings Under The Idea: A Nationally Representative Analysis With And Without New York, Perry A. Zirkel, Diane M. Holben Dec 2023

The Outcomes Of Fully Adjudicated Impartial Hearings Under The Idea: A Nationally Representative Analysis With And Without New York, Perry A. Zirkel, Diane M. Holben

Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) provides eligible students with the right to a free appropriate public education (FAPE) as specified in an individualized education program (IEP). An unusual feature of the IDEA is providing the parents of students with disabilities and their school districts with the right to a binding “impartial due process hearing” at the administrative level, subject to appeal. This mechanism for administrative adjudication has been the subject of continuing policy debate and occasional statutory refinements. One of the ongoing concerns in this policy consideration has been the win-loss rate of due process hearings (DPHs). Similarly, …


Faux Advocacy In Amicus Practice, James G. Dwyer Apr 2023

Faux Advocacy In Amicus Practice, James G. Dwyer

Pepperdine Law Review

Amicus brief filing has reached “avalanche” volume. Supreme Court Justices and lower court judges look to these briefs particularly for non-case-specific factual information––“legislative facts”—relevant to a case. This Article calls attention to a recurrent yet unrecognized problem with amicus filings offering up legislative facts in the many cases centrally involving the most vulnerable members of society—namely, non-autonomous persons, including both adults incapacitated by mental illness, intellectual disability, or other condition, and children. Some amici present themselves as advocates for such persons but use the amicus platform to serve other constituencies and causes, making false or misleading factual presentations about the …


Impartial Hearings Under The Idea: Updated Legal Issues And Answers, Perry A. Zirkel Feb 2023

Impartial Hearings Under The Idea: Updated Legal Issues And Answers, Perry A. Zirkel

Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary

This updated question-and-answer document is specific to impartial hearing officers (IHOs) and the hearings that they conduct under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The coverage does not extend to the alternate third-party dispute decisional mechanism under the IDEA, the complaint resolution process (CRP) except to the extent that this alternative mechanism intersects with IHO issues. Similarly, the scope only extends secondarily to the IHO’s remedial authority, which is the subject of separate comprehensive coverage. The sources are largely limited to the pertinent IDEA legislation and regulations, court decisions, and the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education’s …


Reasonable Accommodation Requests: Fair Evaluation And The Role Of Decision Makers, Mona Hawkins Jan 2023

Reasonable Accommodation Requests: Fair Evaluation And The Role Of Decision Makers, Mona Hawkins

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine fair evaluations and the role of the decision-makers in the reasonable accommodation process. In many instances, fair evaluations in the reasonable accommodation process which disabled employees experienced, were challenging and looked upon as perceived discrimination in decision-making process. A review of the literature identified further clarification and insight into educating decision-makers about the disability laws, and then altering their behavior in granting reasonable accommodations. The literature progressed with discussions surrounding why every qualified disabled employee should be accommodated as long as the reasonable accommodation is not an undue hardship to the …


State Laws For Due Process Hearings Under The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act Iv: Expedited Hearings, Andrew M.I. Lee, Perry A. Zirkel Jan 2022

State Laws For Due Process Hearings Under The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act Iv: Expedited Hearings, Andrew M.I. Lee, Perry A. Zirkel

Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary

This article is a follow-up to a triad of analyses of state law additions to the basic requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for due process hearings (DPHs). The former three articles covered the pre-hearing, hearing, and post-hearing stages of IDEA DPHs. The present article focuses on expedited DPHs, canvassing state law provisions specific to this more rapid, specialized proceeding in the IDEA. This article covers IDEA foundational requirements for expedited DPHs, and then summarizes and codes the state law provisions that supplement the federal template. Additionally, this article provides a discussion of federal preemption of state …


One-Shotters Or Have-Nots Should Come Out Ahead In The District Of Columbia’S Private Sector Workers’ Compensation System, But Do They?, Melissa Lin Jones Sep 2021

One-Shotters Or Have-Nots Should Come Out Ahead In The District Of Columbia’S Private Sector Workers’ Compensation System, But Do They?, Melissa Lin Jones

Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary

In recognition of the humanitarian purpose of the District of Columbia Workers’ Compensation Act of 1979, D.C. Code as amended, §32-1501 et seq. and the legislative policy favoring awards even in arguable cases, a claimant is entitled to a presumption of compensability (“Presumption”) when applying for workers’ compensation benefits. By establishing a causal connection between the injured worker’s disability and a work-related event, the Presumption enables a claimant to establish entitlement to benefits more easily; however, an analysis of decisions issued by the Compensation Review Board from 2005 – 2019 reveals the Presumption frequently is misapplied. Moreover, contrary to Marc …


Why Proving A Work-Related, Psychological Injury Claim Stresses You Out, Melissa Lin Jones Sep 2021

Why Proving A Work-Related, Psychological Injury Claim Stresses You Out, Melissa Lin Jones

Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary

In recognition of the humanitarian purpose of the District of Columbia Workers’ Compensation Act of 1979, D.C. Code as amended, §32-1501 et seq. and the legislative policy favoring awards even in arguable cases, a claimant is entitled to a presumption of compensability (“Presumption”) when applying for workers’ compensation benefits. By establishing a causal connection between the injured worker’s disability and a work-related event, the Presumption enables a claimant to establish entitlement to benefits more easily; however, misapplication of the Presumption makes it more difficult for claimants to prove work-related psychological injuries because they must satisfy additional requirements (including a credibility …


The Legal Boundaries For Impartiality Of Idea Hearing Officers: An Update, Perry A. Zirkel Apr 2021

The Legal Boundaries For Impartiality Of Idea Hearing Officers: An Update, Perry A. Zirkel

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

Special education has become a significant area of litigation in the K-12 school context. The impartial hearing officer (“IHO”) is the fulcrum of the adjudicative process under the Individuals with Disabilities Act (“IDEA”). However, the IDEA only provides for two standards for impartiality while the framework of remaining standards are left—via the IDEA’s structure of “cooperative federalism”—to state laws. Ultimately, the courts serve as the chief cartographer for the legal boundaries of IDEA IHO impartiality in their interpretation, gap-filling, and application of the federal and state framework. The previous research relating at least in part to IDEA IHO impartiality is …


State Laws For Due Process Hearings Under The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act Iii: The Pre-Hearing Stage, Andrew M.I. Lee, Perry A. Zirkel Mar 2021

State Laws For Due Process Hearings Under The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act Iii: The Pre-Hearing Stage, Andrew M.I. Lee, Perry A. Zirkel

Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary

This article is the third in a triad of analyses of state law additions to the basic requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for due process hearings (DPHs). The first two articles of this series covered the hearing and post-hearing stages of IDEA DPHs. The purpose of this follow-up analysis is to supplement the earlier articles by canvassing state law provisions specific to the pre-hearing stage. After an introduction and overview of the literature, this article covers IDEA foundational requirements for DPHs, and then summarizes and codes the state law provisions that supplement the federal template. As …


Mediation In Education For Foster Care, Anelise Powers Apr 2020

Mediation In Education For Foster Care, Anelise Powers

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

There are well over 400,000 children in foster care. Education can improve the well-being of foster children in critical development stages of life and support their economic success in adulthood. In recent years, the law has given greater priority to the education of foster children, and foster children are often eligible for additional services. However, a common trend in foster care research is that foster children, though eligible, do not always receive the services created to assist them. This paper will explore how improving mediation related to education and foster care can help maximize the impact of efforts to improve …


Impartial Hearings Under The Idea: Legal Issues And Answers, Perry A. Zirkel Jun 2019

Impartial Hearings Under The Idea: Legal Issues And Answers, Perry A. Zirkel

Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary

No abstract provided.


State Laws For Due Process Hearings Under The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, Perry A. Zirkel Sep 2018

State Laws For Due Process Hearings Under The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, Perry A. Zirkel

Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary

No abstract provided.


The Remedial Authority Of Hearing And Review Officers Under The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act: The Latest Update, Perry A. Zirkel Mar 2018

The Remedial Authority Of Hearing And Review Officers Under The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act: The Latest Update, Perry A. Zirkel

Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary

No abstract provided.


Paternalism And The Rise Of The Disability State, David W. Engel, Jeffrey S. Wolfe Mar 2018

Paternalism And The Rise Of The Disability State, David W. Engel, Jeffrey S. Wolfe

Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary

No abstract provided.


The Rowley Enigma: How Much Weight Is Due To Idea State Administrative Proceedings In Federal Court?, Daniel W. Morton-Bentley Apr 2017

The Rowley Enigma: How Much Weight Is Due To Idea State Administrative Proceedings In Federal Court?, Daniel W. Morton-Bentley

Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary

In this article, I argue that the phrase "due weight" incorporates a deferential review standard equivalent to the clear error or substantial evidence standard, a conclusion reached by a minority of the circuit courts of appeal. I further argue that, consistent with Rowley, federal courts must afford due weight to administrative officers' substantive or educational conclusions, but no weight to their procedural or non-educational conclusions. Part II offers a general outline of the IDEA, giving special attention to its judicial review provisions. In Part III, I provide a general discussion of judicial review of administrative adjudication. Part IV is devoted …


The Third Dimension Of Fape Under The Idea: Iep Implementation, Perry A. Zirkel, Edward T. Bauer Apr 2017

The Third Dimension Of Fape Under The Idea: Iep Implementation, Perry A. Zirkel, Edward T. Bauer

Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary

This article provides a synthesis of the three approaches to IEP implementation cases. More specifically, Part I summarizes the materiality/benefit approach, which-like the two-step approach for procedural violations but on a more intertwined basis-requires both a substantial non-implementation and an insufficient benefit. Part II summarizes the materiality-alone approach, which requires only a substantial failure. Part III summarizes the per se approach, which results in a denial of FAPE for any failure to implement beyond one that is clearly de minimis. Finally, Part IV provides conclusions and recommendations for IHOs in light of the incomplete precedential pattern to date. The overall …


Save The Social Security Disability Trust Fund! And Reduce Ssi Exposure To The General Fund, Daniel F. Solomon Jun 2016

Save The Social Security Disability Trust Fund! And Reduce Ssi Exposure To The General Fund, Daniel F. Solomon

Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary

No abstract provided.


Adjudicasaurus Rex, Jeffrey S. Wolfe Jun 2016

Adjudicasaurus Rex, Jeffrey S. Wolfe

Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary

This article proposes a simple theme. While many issues plague the Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income programs, only reform of the hearings and appeals process can solve the decades-long (and growing) hearings backlog. Only then, can the remaining questions regarding the solvency of the DI trust fund be meaningfully addressed. As it now stands, the ongoing backlog of pending hearings and appeals feeds the twin plagues of rising costs and increasing delay. These are the very issues that drove the federal courts in the passage of the Civil Justice Reform Act of 1990 (CJRA). This article provides …


Use Of Facial Recognition Technology For Medical Purposes: Balancing Privacy With Innovation, Seema Mohapatra Jun 2016

Use Of Facial Recognition Technology For Medical Purposes: Balancing Privacy With Innovation, Seema Mohapatra

Pepperdine Law Review

Imagine applying for a job, and as part of your application process, your prospective employer asks for a photograph. You, as an eager candidate, comply with the request and, unbeknownst to you, the employer runs your picture through a software program that scans you for any common genetic diseases and that estimates your longevity. Alas, your face indicates that you may die young. No job for you. Although this sounds like science fiction, we may not be that far off from this scenario. In June 2014, scientists from Oxford reported that they have developed a facial recognition program that uses …


Of Mouseholes And Elephants: The Statute Oflimitations For Impartial Hearings Under Theindividuals With Disabilities Education Act, Perry A. Zirkel Apr 2016

Of Mouseholes And Elephants: The Statute Oflimitations For Impartial Hearings Under Theindividuals With Disabilities Education Act, Perry A. Zirkel

Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary

The purpose of this article, in light of the practical significance and the limited literature addressing the IDEA’s hearing level SOL, is to provide a current and concise overview of the case law addressing this specific issue. Part I provides the basic nature and purpose of SOL generally, and specifically how SOL applies to the IDEA’s impartial hearings. Parts II–IV addresses the elements of the SOL statutory provisions in terms of the triggering date, the exceptions, and the duration and effect of the SOL, including the importance of G.L. v. Ligonier Valley School District Authority. Part V provides practice pointers …


Has The Supreme Court’S Schaffer Decision Placed Aburden On Hearing Officer Decision-Making Under Theidea?, Cathy A. Skidmore, Perry A. Zirkel Apr 2016

Has The Supreme Court’S Schaffer Decision Placed Aburden On Hearing Officer Decision-Making Under Theidea?, Cathy A. Skidmore, Perry A. Zirkel

Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary

This article provides a systematic examination of the BOP in hearing officer decisions both before and after Schaffer. Part II examines the legal basis for the BOP both before and after the U.S. Supreme Court decision, resulting in the questions for this study. Part III explains the method used to collect and analyze the data, and Part IV presents the results that answer the specific research questions. Part V discusses those results and the implications of the findings for special education dispute resolution and provides recommendations for further study.


Special Treatment Stigma After The Ada Amendments Act, Nicole Buonocore Porter Mar 2016

Special Treatment Stigma After The Ada Amendments Act, Nicole Buonocore Porter

Pepperdine Law Review

This article explores a unique source of stigma suffered by individuals with disabilities in the workplace. Instead of focusing on those with the most stigmatizing disabilities, I focus on those individuals who have disabilities that are not perceived as very severe, yet they still suffer stigma. These individuals are stigmatized because of the special treatment they receive (or are perceived as receiving) through workplace accommodations provided pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In prior work, I have called this phenomenon “special treatment stigma,” the harm that arises from receiving special treatment in the workplace, especially when co-workers believe …


An Idea For Special Education: Why The Idea Should Have Primacy Over The Ada In Adjudicating Education Claims For Students With Disabilities, Angela Estrella-Lemus May 2015

An Idea For Special Education: Why The Idea Should Have Primacy Over The Ada In Adjudicating Education Claims For Students With Disabilities, Angela Estrella-Lemus

Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary

No abstract provided.