This year marks the 30th anniversary of the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA has transformed American society in many ways and has enabled a generation of Americans with disabilities to advance further in their personal and professional lives. At the same time, there continues to be barriers and the need for continued work to promote equal opportunity for people with disabilities. Join this panel for a conversation with advocates and attorneys that will discuss this landmark Act and its impact on their lives and practices.
Panelists include:
William J. Phelan, IV, Esq. (Moderator) Bill is the lead litigator for the Philadelphia office of Cordell & Cordell, P.C. and exclusively practices family law. He is co-chair of the PBA Disability Services Committee and formerly practiced disability rights law.
Jennifer Ellis, JD, Jennifer Ellis, JD, LLC. Jennifer is a disabled lawyer and practices in the area of ethics law. She also assists attorneys with practice management and is Chair of the PBA Solo and Small Firm Section.
Andrea Farney, Esq., Triquetra Law. Andrea is a founding partner of Triquetra Law®, a plaintiff’s law firm focusing exclusively on employment law, civil rights, and appeals. Her employment practice concentrates on representing employees in ADA discrimination, retaliation, and reasonable accommodation cases. She is a lawyer with chronic depression.
Andy Imparato, Esq., Executive Director at Disability Rights California. Andy is a lawyer with bipolar disorder and directs one of the largest disability rights organizations in the country with over 100 attorneys. He has considerable experience as a disability rights lawyer, policy professional, and non-profit leader, including serving previously as Disability Policy Director for Chairman Tom Harkin on the US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
Sean Pevsner, Esq., founder and owner, Whitburn & Pevsner, PLLC. Sean practices in the areas of ADA (including Olmstead cases), FHA, IDEA, probate, and guardianship law. He represents group homes and other disability organizations which face unlawful discriminatory action committed by homeowners’ associations and governmental agencies. He is the Chair of the Texas State Bar Disability Issues Committee. He is a commissioner on the ABA Commission on Disability Rights as well. Sean is a lawyer with severe cerebral palsy.
Course Planner, Nancy Conrad, Esq., Chair, PBA Diversity Team
Presented in collaboration with the PBA Disability Services Committee.
New Jersey Diversity, Inclusion and Elimination of Bias Credits
The Diversity, Inclusion and Elimination of Bias Credits do not apply to attorneys with a credit reporting cycle that ends in Dec. 2020. Effective Jan. 1, 2021, this requirement will apply to attorneys in the next 2-year cycle. This course will be applicable to attorneys who have a deadline for Dec. 2021. NJ follows a 50-minute credit hour as opposed to Pennsylvania’s 60-minute credit hour. Because PBI is not an approved provider in NJ, you will receive a 1:1 credit for attending this course. NJ is also a self-reporting state. PBI does not report credits.
Recorded in November 2020.