New AALS Disability Section

I pass along, with real excitement and thanks to Ann Hubbard for making this all happen, the following announcement:

NEW DISABILITY LAW SECTION APPROVED BY AALS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

At its May meeting, the AALS Executive Committee approved the petition

for provisional status for a new AALS Section on Disability Issues. Many

individuals played a role in making this happen, but particular thanks are due to Professor Ann Hubbard of the University of Cincinnati Law School, who organized and administered the petition drive for the new section. Our thanks go to everyone who signed the petition and who participated in any way in helping with the development and approval of the new section.

We are pleased to announce that the inaugural chairs of the new Disability Section are Laura Rothstein (Kentucky) and Arlene Kanter (Syracuse). The other officers are: Co-Chairs-elect, Sam Bagenstos (Wash. U.) and Ann Hubbard; Secretary, Wendy Parmet (Northeastern); Program Co-chairs, Michael Waterstone (Loyola) and Camille Nelson (St. Louis); Mentoring coordinator, Michael Stein, (W&M/Harvard); Newsletter Editors, Jennifer Gundluch (Suffolk) and Arlene Kanter; and Scholarship Coordinator, Alice Baker (Mercer). Members of the Executive Committee include: Wendy Hensel( Georgia State); Ani Satz (Emory); Kelly Timmons (Georgia State) and Michael Waterstone.

Two officer positions remain unfilled. Please contact Laura Rothstein at laura.rothstein@louisville.edu if you are interested in working as the Membership Coordinator or the Web Master. The Web position is particularly important as we begin to develop our new Section's web page, blog and/or to track conversations on the listserv that may be the subject of longer substantive articles in our newsletter or advocacy projects.

The new Disability Law Section will host its first program at the January 2007 AALS meting in Washington, D.C. The session is co-sponsored by the Sections on Mental Disability Law and Criminal Law. The title of the session is "Access to Justice for People with Disabilities." Speakers include Professor Martha Minow (Harvard), Jennifer Bard (Texas Tech), Sam Bagenstos (Wash U), Michael Schwartz (Syracuse), and Eve Hill (Western Law Center on Disability Law).