The student completes the Registration Form and submits documentation supporting their request for accommodations. Each request is handled on a case-by-case basis.

Documentation must be typed or written legibly in English, signed, and dated by a professional who is qualified to conduct assessments, render diagnoses, and recommend accommodations. The name, title, and credentials of the evaluator shall be included. Documentation may not be provided by family members.

Documentation must describe the current severity and limitations of a student’s functional abilities that rise to the level of a disability as defined by the ADA, as well as a direct link between the functional limitations and request for accommodations. Documentation must be submitted for each disability. A DSM-5 or ICD-10-CM diagnosis alone does not necessarily warrant accommodations under the ADA.

Documentation should include a relevant history, background information and/or compensatory strategies related to a student’s disability. OAS understands that some students may not have access to this history if a diagnosis happened later in life.

Students with Learning Disabilities and/or Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder requesting accommodations must submit a psychoeducational or neuropsychological evaluation report to determine the degree to which the student’s disability currently impacts access. An assessment might include testing of intellect, achievement, processing speed, fluency, executive functioning, memory, attention, etc. The documentation provided should reflect a substantial limitation for which the student is requesting an accommodation and should include standardized scores and/or percentiles that establish the need for accommodations.

In general, learning disabilities evaluations should be completed using an adult-normed instrument within five years of a student’s registration with the office. Attention disorders evaluations should be completed using an adult-normed instrument within three years of a student’s registration with the office. If a student does not have a current evaluation for learning disabilities and/or attention disorders, OAS encourages the student to submit any documentation that may support their request for accommodations.

Documentation of chronic health, physical and mental health disabilities should be within six months of a student’s registration with the office and indicate current treatment information and prognosis (if relevant).

Supporting documentation provides additional information to support a student’s request for accommodations. It is important to note that students with functional limitations that rise to the level of a disability as defined by ADA may not receive the exact same accommodations at Georgetown Law as they received at a previous institution. Examples of supporting documentation may include: approval forms for national standardized exams (e.g., GRE, LSAT, GMAT, SAT, ACT); letters verifying prior accommodations (e.g., high school, college, law school); and/or an IEP and/or 504 Plan verifying previous accommodations.

A student may submit documentation at any time. With that said, it can take 3-4 weeks to review documentation, consult with providers, schedule an intake meeting, determine reasonable accommodations, and implement those accommodations. Students are encouraged to submit requests and supporting documentation at least one month before the requested accommodation would be implemented.

Following documentation review, an OAS staff member will email the student to schedule an intake meeting.

The purpose of accommodations is to remove access barriers for students who have limitations of their functional abilities that rise to the level of a disability as defined by ADA. Reasonable accommodations are determined following documentation review, an intake appointment, and clinician consultation (when necessary and with approval). The Office of Accessibility Services carefully considers a student’s access needs while balancing learning preferences.

Following documentation review and an intake meeting, the Accessibility Services team will inform the student of approved accommodations via email. A student who disagrees with an accommodation determination may appeal as outlined in the Policy for Requesting Disability Accommodations at the Law Center.

Georgetown University recognizes that individuals with temporary medical conditions that do not qualify for accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act or Section 504 may nevertheless benefit from access to services, resources, and course or co-curricular modifications. Examples of such temporary conditions may include, but are not limited to, broken limbs, hand injuries, concussions, or a virus such as mononucleosis. Although post-secondary institutions are not required by law to accommodate students with these types of temporary conditions, it is Georgetown University’s general practice to facilitate reasonable modifications on a short-term basis.

Students who need assistance for a temporary medical condition (i.e. of less than one semester) should complete the Registration Form. The student might be asked to submit documentation from a treating clinician that includes a short explanation of the diagnosis, resulting physical or cognitive limitations, prognosis for recovery and estimated duration of the illness or injury. Students whose illnesses or injuries are expected to last longer than one semester should register with the Office of Accessibility Services for disability accommodations.

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities including academic, educational, extracurricular, athletic, and other programs or activities of schools. This prohibition includes discrimination against pregnant and parenting students.

Students may request adjustments based on general pregnancy needs or accommodations based on a pregnancy-related condition. Students seeking a pregnancy adjustment are to complete a Pregnancy Adjustment Request Form noting the requested reasonable adjustment. In certain situations, a student may be entitled to a reasonable accommodation due to a pregnancy-related condition. Students requesting accommodations should complete the OAS Registration Form. Additional information may be found at Title IX at Georgetown University: Pregnancy Adjustments and Accommodations for Students.

The Office of Accessibility Services (OAS) contacts registered students at the start of each semester. Each student must respond if they plan to use their approved accommodations for classes and/or clinic. OAS shares a faculty accommodation letter with the student noting individually approved accommodations that may be relevant to the clinic. An accommodation that fundamentally alters program requirements would not be approved. Dean Patrick Griffith (Assistant Dean of Clinical Programs) and Mary Ellen Vigeant (Director of Accessibility Services) are available for consultation if a student has a question about how an accommodation may be implemented in the  clinic setting.

To help determine which clinic(s) might be a good fit:

Search Clinical Programs to match your interests.

Review the Clinic Supplemental Material for application instructions for specific clinics. More information can be found on each clinic’s website.

Attend the Clinic Fair and individual Clinic Information Sessions.

Carefully review the Clinic Registration Handbook.

Review the Frequently Asked Questions From Students about participating in a clinic.

The process for seeking Bar Exam accommodations varies for each state. Your first step is to review your specific state requirements and deadlines in order to apply for accommodations well in advance of your preferred test administration. The Law Center’s process of providing reasonable accommodations is not necessarily reflective of the process for the Bar; thus, receipt of accommodations at Georgetown Law does not ensure accommodations on the Bar exam. It is not uncommon for a student to appeal an initial accommodation determination. It is highly recommended that you compile documentation and apply well in advance of your preferred test administration (4-6 weeks prior to the recommended submission deadline) and prepare to appeal. Make sure to carefully review the appropriate state instructions for writing the Personal Narrative for Bar Exam Accommodations.

Applicants will be asked to submit Proof of Past Accommodations from all prior institutions. You may complete this History of Accommodations Request Form to request that OAS draft a letter verifying approved accommodations at the Law Center.

Bar Information for Applicants with Disabilities (opens in new window)

Character and Fitness Mental Health Questions State-by-State Chart (opens in new window)

National Disabled Law Student Association (NDLSA): Bar Prep Accessibility

DC Bar Admissions Frequently Asked Questions (opens in new window)

What is the composition of the D.C. Bar Examination? (opens in new window)

The Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) is a two-hour multiple-choice exam administered on computers at Pearson testing centers. The National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) provides reasonable accommodations for candidates with documented disabilities. Receipt of accommodations at Georgetown Law does not ensure accommodations on the MPRE. The Law Center’s process of providing reasonable accommodations is not necessarily reflective of the process for the MPRE. For more information about what you can expect at the testing center, see MPRE Test Conditions and/or MPRE Test Day Policies (opens in new window).

Your first step is to review the Important Dates for MPRE Test Accommodations. You must apply for accommodations and receive a determination before scheduling a test. It typically takes NCBE at least 25 business days to review a request. The later a request is submitted after the recommended submission date, the greater the chance the request will not be approved on the preferred date, time, or location.

You must Log in to your NCBE Account in order to prepare your request for accommodations. There are Four Components of a Complete Request for MPRE Accommodations.

The first component is the applicant’s information, including a Personal Narrative. The goal of a Personal Narrative is to demonstrate that you have a disability, that the current functional limitations impact your access the exam, and to describe how each requested accommodation is necessary to level the playing field for equitable access to the exam. A diagnosis alone does not automatically warrant the need for accommodations. According to the ADA, a person with a disability is someone with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity (e.g., reading, writing, concentration).

In your narrative, focus on the functional limitations associated with your disability and how they impact your day to day life, work, in academic settings, on standardized exams, etc. Organize the narrative chronologically at each stage of life, whether the disability is developmental (present since childhood) or acquired later in life. If you were not diagnosed in childhood, provide an explanation. Indicate if cultural and/or family background prevented you from having a disability diagnosed during childhood. Include any report cards or notes from teachers that may give insight into symptoms and functional limitations. Use your personal narrative to indicate if you have compensatory strategies or ways to self accommodate in order to manage or mitigate the impact of your disability (e.g., talking to yourself to stay organized, taking frequent breaks, movement or breathing exercises).

Second, you must also submit current documentation that meets the Documentation Guidelines for MPRE Test Conditions. In most cases, a student should submit a comprehensive evaluation report completed within the last 12 months, unless a disability is long standing, well documented, and fixed. You might share the MPRE documentation guidelines with your provider and ask them to describe the condition, manner, and duration of your disability or disabilities. You could also share a copy of your Personal Narrative to give your provider additional insight into how you experience your disability.

The third component of a complete request is proof of Past Accommodations from all institutions. You may complete the History of Accommodations Request Form to request that OAS draft a letter verifying approved accommodations at the Law Center.

Finally, you need to include score reports for all standardized tests (e.g., LSAT, SAT, ACT, GRE) previously taken, with or without accommodations. The last step is to complete the NCBE portion of the registration process once you receive notification of a determination.

If a request is denied or partially denied, you may submit either an (1) appeal based on re-review of the same documentation, or a (2) request for reconsideration including additional documentation that is new and substantially different from the previous submission. It may take an additional 25 days to review and issue a determination.

A request may be denied if the documentation lacks objective measures and/or does not support the request for accommodations. For example, if you seek an accommodation for a cognitive impairment resulting from a psychological disability, then a neuropsychological evaluation may be necessary. Another reason that a request may be denied is if there is a history of past success without accommodations. For example, if you pass the MPRE without accommodations, then it may be more difficult to get approval for Bar Exam accommodations. In some cases, requests are denied when English as a Second Language (ESL) is cited as the concern rather than a disability.

If you wish to appeal a decision or request reconsideration, see Accommodation Decisions: Appeal or Reconsideration.

Students who are approved by OAS for accommodations also receive accommodations during their time at The Center for Transnational Legal Studies (CTLS). Students should contact OAS well before the start of the semester to be connected with Maike Kotterba-Wilson (Executive Director of CTLS) to discuss accommodation implementation.

Students studying at Sciences Po are encouraged to visit Disability & Accessibility: Support for Students and/or email pole.handicap@sciencespo.fr regarding requests for accommodations. Universities abroad have their own laws and policies, so there is no guarantee that accommodations will be provided. It would be very important to work this out ahead of time if a student is basing the decision to study abroad on whether or not accommodations will be provided.