July 26 was the 33rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and though much progress has been made, many barriers still exist that are more than physical. Accommodations that are required by the ADA, such as the right to live as closely as possible to the ways a non-disabled person does, are still being sought. The work of the Minnesota Disability Law Center (MDLC) includes helping to legally assert the rights of persons with disabilities under the ADA.

Chad Wilson, staff attorney with MDLC, recently spoke with KARE11 news and said, "We advocate for people with disabilities to access the necessary supports and services they need to live in their most integrated setting in the community so they can live where they want to live."

Last year, MDLC won a settlement against Metro Transit on behalf of a client who was denied bus access over 150 times. As part of the settlement, Metro Transit was required to create a new training video for their drivers instructing them on where they need to stop for persons who have a visual impairment.

MDLC advocates also prevailed in a class action lawsuit against the Minnesota Department of Human Services when it was discovered that DHS was delaying help for those trying to leave group homes and live in their own places. Watch the story here or read more on the KARE11 website.

On February 15, 2023, outstanding individuals and teams were honored for their exemplary legal work by Minnesota Lawyer. The annual Attorneys of the Year event recognizes efforts in procuring a successful result in an important case or business transaction, leadership in professional associations, participating in newsworthy events in the legal community, performing significant public services or excellence in providing in-house legal services.

The 2022 Attorneys of the Year Awards were presented at an in-person celebration held at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Minneapolis.

Among the legal teams recognized as Attorneys of the Year were Justin Perl, Steve Schmidt, Justin Page and Eren Sutherland of Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid; along with Peter J. McElligott and Steven M. Pincus of Anthony Ostlund Louwagie Dressen & Boylan PA; and Laura Farley of Nichols Kaster, PLLP for their work on Murphy et al. v. Harpstead, 16-cv-2623 (DWF/BRT).

After almost 6 years of litigation, the team reached a settlement agreement in the federal class action lawsuit, which requires DHS to take a variety of specific steps to improve access and opportunities for people with disabilities who want to live in their own homes or apartments. Read Settlement Reached in Disability Rights Class Action Lawsuit for more about the case.

Rana Alexander of StandPoint, and Katie Barrett Wiik of Saul Ewing LLP, were honored for their work on In re Hope Coalition before the Minnesota Supreme Court. In the appeal, the high Court ruled that communications between sexual assault counselors and their clients are protected by state law. The ruling is a major victory for advocacy groups in Minnesota, reversing a district court decision that allowed a court review of a victim’s private communications with a sexual assault advocacy counselor in a criminal case. Read Standpoint Wins Minnesota Supreme Court Appeal to Protect Victims' Privacy for more about the case.