Saal & Schoenbrodt: Lawyers need deeper training to engage with individuals with disabilities

Lawyers spend years perfecting the art of the client-attorney relationship and regularly engage with individuals from various socioeconomic, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds. Each relationship is unique to the circumstances. However, there are certain situations that require deeper consideration and care, such as working with individuals with disabilities. In 2015, one of us was invited to serve as a competency expert on a case where an adolescent, “James,” with intellectual disabilities was arrested for stealing cellphones.