More than 42 million Americans have a disability, according to the 2021 U.S. Census Bureau. In the legal profession, the data is not so clear. Historically, many legal professionals have been reluctant to disclose an invisible disability or request accommodation, but it’s time to change that. Lawyers with disabilities deserve representation, inclusion, and a stronger voice in the legal community.
Enter a small group of like-minded legal professionals, including Hutchinson Black and Cook’s Matt Simonsen. Over the past two years, this group has worked to create the Colorado Disability Bar Association (CDBA). The mission of the CDBA is to represent the interests of people with disabilities working in the legal profession, legal professionals working in areas of law affecting or that affect people with disabilities, clients and community members with disabilities, and other allies.
Matt’s disability advocacy is personal, as he was diagnosed with narcolepsy and a circadian rhythm disorder when he was in high school. Likewise, many of the founding members of the CDBA are talented attorneys and judges with a variety of disabilities, who practice a variety of law.
At HBC, Matt’s practice focuses on civil litigation and appellate work. He has first hand experience managing the challenges of law school and practicing law with narcolepsy. As a result, he has enjoyed being able to advocate on behalf of people with disabilities in his law practice and with CDBA.
Matt is particularly proud of the work the CDBA has done in disability education for the legal community. For example, one of the many CLEs hosted by CDBA over the last 18 months was for an audience of more than 80 Colorado state court judges. Among other things, the program provided information to the judges on how to proactively help people in their courts request reasonable accommodations. This training prompted changes in many Colorado courtrooms seeking to better support jurors, attorneys, witnesses, and parties who need reasonable accommodations.
The CDBA also worked with the Colorado Attorney Mentoring Program, University of Colorado School of Law, and University of Denver Law School to start a mentorship program for law students with disabilities, which, among other things, has helped connect law students with disabilities with resources for obtaining test accommodations for the Colorado Bar Exam. In addition, the CDBA may have played a role in the Colorado Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel’s recent move to start tracking disability status in its annual demographic survey for Colorado attorneys.
“We often remind the legal community that you don’t have to be born with a disability. Anyone can become a person with a disability at any time – it can happen through an accident or through aging, losing eyesight, hearing, mobility, or cognitive functions,” said Matt. “That’s why educating the broader legal community on inclusivity is so important.”
Joining Matt in supporting the CDBA are HBC attorneys Tim Shannon and Brendan Chatham, who have put in many pro bono hours to get the CBDA incorporated as a non-profit organization.
As part of its broader commitment to people with disabilities, HBC is sponsoring Phamaly’s Big Night Annual Fundraiser on September 30, benefiting the Phamaly Theatre Company, a local nonprofit that exclusively features actors with disabilities. For more information or for tickets, https://phamaly.org/show/big-night-cabaret/.
The Colorado Disability Bar Association is an important addition to Colorado’s specialty and diversity bar associations, and it is off to an impressive start. Congratulations to Matt and the founding members of CDBA for your dedication to giving legal professionals with disabilities a collective voice.
To learn more about the CDBA, check out the September’s issue of Colorado Lawyer https://cl.cobar.org/departments/introducing-the-colorado-disability-bar-association/ or email directly at codisabilitybarassn@gmail.com.