Disability Accommodations

Texas A&M School of Law Disability Accommodations

It is the law student’s responsibility to contact the School of Law - Office of Student Affairs to request academic adjustments in their educational program. Advance notice of the need for an academic accommodation can help to ensure that there is adequate time to review the request and determine each request on a case-by-case basis. Therefore, students should submit requests by the fourth Friday of the 12-week fall/spring semesters, the first Friday of the six-week fall/spring sessions, and at registration for the summer and winter sessions.

Federal law requires that instructors make reasonable academic accommodations to accommodate the needs of students with disabilities to provide equal educational access and avoid discrimination. In providing an academic adjustment, the University does not have to eliminate or lower essential requirements, make modifications that would result in a fundamental alteration of programs or activities, or impose an undue burden on the institution.

To begin the request process, law students must fill out the Disability Accommodations Initial Request form. To access the form, law students must be logged into Microsoft 365 with their TAMU email.

For this initial request form, the law student will be asked to provide:
        • Contact information
        • Self-reported disability information
        • Documentation of disability from a qualified professional
        • Optional: Previous accommodations documentation
        • Optional: Supplemental documentation

Documentation Guidelines:

Disability-related supporting documentation should provide information on the impact of the disability so that appropriate accommodations can be identified.  Documentation may include assessments, reports, and/or letters from qualified evaluators, professionals, or institutions. Common sources of documentation are healthcare providers, psychologists, and diagnosticians.

1. Typed on letterhead, dated, and signed by a qualified professional.
2. State the disability or disabilities.
3. Describe the impact or symptoms of the disability.
4. If appropriate, discuss the severity and/or expected progression.
5. If appropriate, list medication side effects.
6. Any recommended accommodations.

The professional making the diagnosis of a disability should be an appropriately trained evaluator/professional, such as a physician, psychologist, psychiatrist, or educational diagnostician.  For example, an audiologist would diagnose a hearing impairment; a psychiatrist, psychologist, or clinical social worker would diagnose a mental health disability.  Documentation from a family member or family friend is not acceptable.

If the law student has been approved for accommodations by the TAMU Law Office of Student Affairs, they will fill out the Disability Accommodations Semesterly Request (https://tx.ag/6E8jAMf) form. 
-        This form is to be filled out by the student each semester.
-        If the student has already been approved for accommodations, they will not need to submit medical documentation again unless their disability status has changed from the initial request for accommodations.

If you have further questions, please contact the Office of Student Affairs at law-disability@law.tamu.edu.

Disability Accommodations for Standardized Exams

If a law student needs certification of accommodation history for the Bar, MPRE, or another standardized test, please contact the Office of Student Affairs at law-disability@law.tamu.edu. Please plan accordingly when requesting accommodations certification that a one-week notice at minimum is required.

Texas A&M School of Law Temporary Conditions and Academic Assistive Measures

The Office of Student Affairs recognizes that individuals with temporary conditions that are a result of injuries, surgery, or short-term disabilities may need access to resources and academic assistive measures.

Examples of temporary conditions may include but are not limited to broken limbs, hand injuries, or short-term disabilities following surgery or medical treatments.

Documentation Requirements of Temporary Conditions and Requesting Academic Assistive Measures

To receive academic assistive measures for a temporary condition, the law student should submit information to the Office of Student Affairs indicating the type of disabling condition, impact, and estimated duration of the condition. It is also helpful to know any side effects caused by medication and recommendations for academic assistive measures. The information should be recent enough to identify the current impact. Additional information may be requested to update the Office of Student Affairs on the continued need for academic assistive measures.

Students should complete the Academic Assistive Measure Request which provides an opportunity to describe the impact of the temporary condition, the potential academic assistive measure need, list the courses and/or exams needing the adjustment, and provide documentation from a qualified medical professional. Documentation may include a return to work note, hospital or clinic discharge note, picture of casted limb, etc.