As
recently
as
2019,
there
were
a
couple
of
things
that
seemed
immutable
about
the
law
school
learning
formula.
Notes
or
even
recordings
are
helpful,
but
you
can’t
compare
that
to
the
magic
that
is
in-person
teaching.
Then
COVID
came
along
and
proved
that
generations
of
lawyers
were
hoodwinked
by
sleight
of
hand.
Thinking
like
a
lawyer
got
forced
online
and
proved
that
not
only
could
most
classes
have
been
a
Zoom
call,
but
that
a
great
deal
of
legal
work
could
have
been
figured
out
from
our
laptops.
After
living
through
seeing
how
law
schools
can
adapt
to
unexpected
learning
conditions,
Wayne
State
University’s
response
to
a
law
student
looking
for
learning
accommodations
doesn’t
really
pass
muster.
Law360
has
coverage:
A
student
at
Wayne
State
University
Law
School
alleges
the
university
violated
the
Americans
with
Disabilities
Act
by
refusing
to
allow
her
to
attend
class
remotely
or
provide
other
accommodations
due
to
her
disabilities.According
to
a
15-page
complaint
filed
in
the
Eastern
District
of
Michigan
on
Friday,
Hind
Omar
—
who
is
blind
and
sufferers
from
chronic
mental
illness,
according
to
the
complaint
—
was
told
by
the
university
when
she
asked
to
attend
classes
remotely
that
her
accommodations
would
be
a
“fundamental
alteration”
of
the
law
school’s
course
of
study.“The
law
school’s
frequent
response
to
Ms.
Omar’s
requested
accommodations
was,
‘That
is
not
how
we
do
it
here,’”
the
complaint
states.
The
administrators
must
have
a
short
memory.
They
might
not
do
it
that
way
now,
but
they
did
very
recently
—
COVID
and
all
—
so
the
claim
that
recording
lectures
would
be
a
“fundamental
alteration”
to
the
law
school
is
hyperbolic
at
best.
What’s
the
big
change?
Did
the
school’s
tech
guy
change
his
phone
number?
Can’t
afford
to
prop
a
phone
camera
so
Omar
can
Zoom
in?
It
would
have
been
more
honest
if
the
school
responded
with
a
poop
emoji.
The
school’s
response
amounted
to
the
cookie
cutter
“We
do
our
best
to
comply
with
the
ADA”
that
you’d
expect.
As
the
case
develops,
I
look
forward
to
a
judge’s
eventual
“No
the
hell
you
didn’t.”
In
the
meantime,
you
can
read
the
complaint
here.
Wayne
State
Univ.
Law
School
Violated
ADA,
Student
Alleges
[Law360]
Chris
Williams
became
a
social
media
manager
and
assistant
editor
for
Above
the
Law
in
June
2021.
Prior
to
joining
the
staff,
he
moonlighted
as
a
minor
Memelord™
in
the
Facebook
group Law
School
Memes
for
Edgy
T14s.
He
endured
Missouri
long
enough
to
graduate
from
Washington
University
in
St.
Louis
School
of
Law.
He
is
a
former
boatbuilder
who
cannot
swim, a
published
author
on
critical
race
theory,
philosophy,
and
humor,
and
has
a
love
for
cycling
that
occasionally
annoys
his
peers.
You
can
reach
him
by
email
at [email protected] and
by
tweet
at @WritesForRent.