Disability Law Commons^™

From Waiver To Shield: The Routine Misapplication Of The Federal Tort Claims Act’S Discretionary Function Exception, Alexander Sitnikov

Cardozo Law Review

When a pedestrian trips and falls on a defective sidewalk, liability usually turns on negligence. But when the property surrounding the sidewalk belongs to the federal government, tort liability often vanishes altogether. This result is just one of the many shortcomings of the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) and one of its most controversial and heavily litigated provisions: the discretionary function exception (“DFE”). This Note explores the current judicial interpretations of the FTCA and DFE, which often work in conjunction with state laws and federal regulations. Despite the central public policy rationale and congressional intent surrounding the FTCA and its …

Necessity Or Preference? Navigating The Role Of Physical Presence In The Post-Pandemic Workplace, Shelby Wray

Cardozo Law Review

The COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally altered how society conceptualizes the spatial boundaries of the workplace, proving that businesses can operate effectively without requiring employees’ physical presence. As remote work gained legitimacy during the pandemic, longstanding assumptions about where jobs can be performed—and where legal protections apply—have come into question. In particular, the scope of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has become increasingly hazy, especially regarding when the ADA is triggered outside of the physical workplace.

Currently, there is a circuit split as to whether employees with disabilities are entitled to ADA protections for their commute to work. This Note addresses …

Disability-Related Misconduct And The Untapped Potential Of The Disparate Impact Theory, Kelly Cahill Timmons

Cardozo Law Review

Disabilities often manifest themselves in behavior that could be characterized as misconduct. Since the early days of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), courts have struggled with how to treat disability-related misconduct in the workplace. In Raytheon Co. v. Hernandez, the Supreme Court indicated that terminating an employee for violating a neutral, generally applicable conduct rule is not disparate treatment because of disability. Instead, the Court suggested that concern about the effect of such a rule on a disabled employee should be addressed under the disparate impact theory of discrimination. In the years that followed, Congress enacted the ADA Amendments …

Digital Danger For People With Visual Disabilities: Online Adhesion Contracts And The Lack Of Web Accessibility Standards, Narmina Aliyev

Cardozo Law Review

Since Title III of the American with Disabilities Act was enacted, the landscape of where people with disabilities may experience discrimination has grown even larger. With the digital world expanding rapidly, people with visual disabilities face unique dangers presented by inaccessible websites and the lack of federal web accessibility standards. While courts across the nation scatter to find balance in protecting the rights of people with disabilities without overburdening businesses, Congress’s failure to legislate web accessibility standards, and the Department of Justice’s ineffective enforcement mechanisms propel misunderstanding and confusion among those affected by this legal gap. Specifically, the growing presence …

A Distinct System For Presidential Succession On Inauguration Day: Getting The Most Out Of Section 3 Of The Twentieth Amendment, Brian C. Kalt

Cardozo Law Review

The current presidential-succession statute uses the same line of succession for every conceivable situation. But there are many different types of potential succession scenarios. Succession need not—and should not—be governed by a one-size-fits-all approach.

Before the Twentieth Amendment was ratified in 1933, the Constitution authorized Congress to provide only for double vacancies during the term, when there already is a President and Vice President. Recognizing this gap, Section 3 of the Twentieth Amendment empowered Congress to cover inauguration-day double vacancies: at the outset of a term, when nobody is available to become President or Vice President in the first place. …

The Due Process Owed To Noncitizens: Standardizing The Burden In Sec. 1226(A) Bond Hearings With The Help Of Hernandez-Lara And Velasco Lopez, Sharon Shaji

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Coming Causation Revolution In Employment Discrimination Litigation, D’Andra Millsap Shu

Cardozo Law Review

For more than a decade, employment discrimination causation law has been a confusing, often overly restrictive quagmire that has contributed substantially to the paltry success rate of plaintiffs in employment discrimination cases. Most of these cases are dismissed pretrial, all too often based on a failure of causation. A key reason traces back to loose and misleading language—centered on a single word—in a 2009 Supreme Court opinion involving the but-for causation standard that applies in most discrimination cases. The Court said that the discriminatory motive must be “the” but-for cause of the employer’s action when it should have said “a” …

Employers’ Secret Weapon: How The After-Acquired Evidence Doctrine Allows Employers To Get Away With Disability Discrimination, Emma Schwab

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.

Disability, Universalism, Social Rights, And Citizenship, Samuel R. Bagenstos

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.

An Americans With Disabilities Act For Everyone, And For The Ages As Well, Anita Silvers, Leslie P. Francis

Cardozo Law Review

The article argues that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was originally intended to universally protect individuals from disability-based discrimination, rather than focusing on categorizing who is disabled. The authors contend that the ADA should be interpreted to prevent discrimination based on disability for everyone, regardless of specific eligibility criteria, and that the statute's effectiveness has been undermined by court decisions that emphasize categorical limitations. They advocate for a broader, more inclusive understanding of the ADA, aligned with its original purpose of combating discrimination.

Meaningful Access And Disability Discrimination: The Role Of Social Science And Other Empirical Evidence, Mark C. Weber

Cardozo Law Review

In cases alleging disability discrimination in the provision of state and local government services, courts frequently hold that plaintiffs' claims depend on the question whether, despite the disadvantage that government actions impose, the plaintiffs nevertheless receive meaningful access to the government services. Whether people with disabilities actually have meaningful access is in reality a factual question, one on which social science and other empirically supported facts should matter. But courts frequently ignore evidence about the nature and level of access that people with disabilities have to government programs when decisions regarding those programs are being challenged. This Article catalogues judicial …

Regarding Age As A Disability: Conceptualizing Age Discrimination At Work As (Mis)Perception Of Disability Discrimination, Kevin M. Cremin

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.

Making Accessible Futures: From The Capitol Crawl To #Cripthevote, Faye Ginsburg, Rayna Rapp

Cardozo Law Review

The article examines the evolving recognition and integration of disability rights in American society, emphasizing the transformative impact of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the cultural shift towards inclusivity. It highlights the growing demographic presence of individuals with disabilities, the role of activism, and the importance of inclusive design and representation in media and politics. The authors argue that while significant progress has been made, ongoing advocacy is crucial to address persistent challenges and ensure the full recognition of disability as a valued aspect of human diversity.

Alternatives To Immigration Detention, Fatma E. Marouf

Cardozo Law Review

The United States places over 440,000 people each year in immigration detention, far more than any other country in the world. This Article argues that there are compelling humanitarian and financial reasons to utilize more alternatives to detention. It examines the strengths and limitations of existing alternatives, including the need to develop more community-based case management programs and to rely less on electronic monitoring. The Article then sets forth several legal arguments under the Constitution, Rehabilitation Act, and international human rights law for requiring greater consideration of alternatives to detention.

Achieving The Promise Of Assistive Technology: Why Assistive Technology Evaluations Are Essential For Compliance With The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, Alexandra Abend

Cardozo Law Review

The note advocates for a more rigorous and proactive approach to incorporating assistive technology (AT) in special education, arguing that it is essential for ensuring students with disabilities receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It critiques the current legal standard established by Rowley as insufficient, calling for a higher threshold that prioritizes maximizing educational opportunities. The analysis emphasizes the importance of comprehensive AT evaluations and the need for systemic improvements to prevent procedural violations and ensure effective implementation of AT in Individualized Education Programs (IEPs).

Bullying And The Individuals With Disabililities Education Act (Idea): A Framework For Provising Relief To Students With Disabilities, Sarah H. Ganley

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.

Cracking The Code: Implementing Internet Accessibility Through The Americans With Disabilities Act, Carly Schiff

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Social Model's Case For Inclusion: "Motivating Factor" And "But For" Standards Of Proof Under The Americans With Disabilities Act And The Impact Of The Social Model Of Disability On Employees With Disabilities, Lisa Schlesinger

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.

Developing A Full And Fair Evidentiary Record In A Nonadversary Setting: Two Proposals For Improving Social Security Disability Adjudications, Frank S. Bloch, Jeffrey S. Lubbers, Paul R. Verkuil

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.

Table Of Contents - Cardozo Law Review, Volume 15, Issue 5

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.

Framing The Compensation Inquiry, Elizabeth Rolph

Cardozo Law Review

No abstract provided.