Join

Members of DRBA are limited to:
Lawyers in and for the following entities and individuals:

• Nonprofit organizations representing or advising persons with disabilities.
• Attorneys in private law firms and individual attorneys representing persons with disabilities.
• Law school professors who teach or study disability rights law.

Members must certify that at least 90% of any disability-related litigation or similar representation work they engage in is on behalf of plaintiffs or otherwise on behalf of people with disabilities.

Members must conduct themselves ethically and professionally in the community at large.

New members of DRBA must be sponsored by a current DRBA member. The Executive Committee will review the potential member’s qualifications to ensure that he or she meets the membership criteria. If any objections are raised to the nominations of a new DRBA member, the Executive Committee will vote on the nomination.

Membership Benefits

• Profile on the DRBA’s web page
• Participation in the DRBA’s listserv with leading disability rights lawyers
• Access to DRBA’s quarterly newsletter
• Access to DRBA’s listserv archives
• Opportunities to collaborate with, support, and mentor other disability rights attorneys through amicus briefs, co-counseling, and public education and advocacy activities
• Early notice of developments in disability rights law

Membership

To be eligible for DRBA  membership, you must:

1. Be an attorney working in the area of Disability Rights Law as a litigator, academic, or policy advocate; OR
2. Be a law school professor teaching or studying disability civil rights law; AND
3. Conduct yourself ethically and professionally in the community at large.

To join the DRBA, please complete and submit the Membership Application Form to drbalaw@syr.edu. Your first year’s membership will be free. DRBA bills members per calendar year, not from the month they join.

Membership Fee Structure

• First year: Free (applies only to first-time applicants)
• Regular Membership: based on tier structure from full scholarship – $200
• Supporting member or organization: $500 or more in membership dues and/or donations – includes name recognition on DRBA’s website.
• Sustaining member or organization: $1000 or more in membership dues and/or donations – includes name recognition and display of firm/organization logo on DRBA’s website.

Invoices for membership dues are sent annually each January by email with instructions on how to remit payment and donation amounts. Fee waivers are available upon showing of need.