<p>Widener University Delaware Law School will present a daylong program that examines the benefits of a more inclusive legal profession with the event &ldquo;Breaking Down Barriers,&rdquo; set for Friday, April 8.<br /><br />The program will examine a fundamental shift underway as lawyers with disabilities increasingly make their marks in the profession. It will explore the benefits of inclusion and identify best practices for recognizing and addressing barriers to the recruitment, employment, advancement and general success of lawyers with disabilities. The media is invited and encouraged to attend.<br /><br />The event will take place from 8:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Ruby R. Vale Moot Courtroom in the Main Law Building at 4601 Concord Pike, Wilmington. Gov. Jack Markell will be among the opening speakers. Markell has been an outspoken proponent of increasing job opportunities for people with disabilities, calling it a &ldquo;moral imperative&rdquo; that they not be left behind.<br /><br />The program is presented by the Widener Law Review and Delaware Law School in association with the Delaware State Bar Association Committee on Legal Professionals with Disabilities. Law school alumnus Santino Ceccotti &rsquo;07 chairs the committee and has been a key figure in planning the event. He will speak after the governor and emcee the program.<br /><br />Event highlights include:</p>
<ul>
<li>9 a.m. Panel discussion on the framework of disability law.</li>
<li>10:15 a.m. Panel discussion on how the bar can become more inclusive and increase professional opportunities for attorneys with disabilities.</li>
<li>12:30 p.m. Distinguished speaker Andrew J. Imparato, of the Association of University Centers on Disabilities.</li>
<li>1:45 p.m. Panel discussion of a Delaware State Bar Association survey of lawyers with disabilities.</li>
<li>3 p.m. Panel discussion on technology and advancements that assist lawyers with disabilities as they practice law.</li>
</ul>
<p>Delaware and Pennsylvania attorneys who attend will be eligible for six continuing legal education credits. New Jersey attorneys may self report for credits with a certificate of attendance. The registration fee to attend for credits is $175 or $150 for law school alumni and government employees. The payment includes continental breakfast and lunch. Students and members of the public who are not seeking credits may attend at no cost, without meals or materials.<br /><br />To register, visit <a href="ipl://764//W10=">delawarelaw.widener.edu/DisabilitiesCLE</a>. For more information contact Carol Perrupato at 302.477.2178 or <a href="mailto:caperrupato@widener.edu">caperrupato@widener.edu</a>.&nbsp;<br /><br />Widener University is a metropolitan university that connects curricula to social issues through civic engagement. Dynamic teaching, active scholarship, personal attention, applied leadership, and experiential learning are key components of the Widener experience.&nbsp; Its Delaware Law School is the First State&rsquo;s only law school, providing juris doctor, legal graduate and paralegal degree programs with an emphasis on developing legal professionals who reflect the Delaware Way and its traditions of civility, integrity and mutual respect. The school offers signature programs in corporate and business law, environmental law, family health law and policy, and trial advocacy. Widener University is proud to be tobacco free. Visit <a href="{staticroot}">delawarelaw.widener.edu</a> for more information.</p>
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