Attend T-14 With Disability or Defer? Forum

[hamiltoniana]

Hey all, I was recently diagnosed with dysautonomia, a disorder of the autonomic nervous system which presents with symptoms like dizziness, fatigue, GI problems, heat intolerance, and nausea. I just started treatment, but the treatment process can be unpredictable and the condition often gets worse before it gets better. I am currently deciding whether to accept a deferral for a year in order to better evaluate my treatment plan and learn to better live with the disease before putting my 1L grades on the line. There's not really any accommodation a school could offer that would be helpful: it's just a matter of deciding whether I can succeed while coping with this. Spending a lot of time going out with classmates and even networking at outdoor events is probably out the window for a while, at the very least. That being said, my primary interest is state-level PI, so my grades in the short term won't be as important as my summers, and I have no interest in DOJ Honors or clerking right now.

Does any one know of a person who has gone through law school with a similar situation? Any general thoughts or advice on attending with a disability like this? Appreciate anything any one can offer!

[HonestAdvice]

Hey all, I was recently diagnosed with dysautonomia, a disorder of the autonomic nervous system which presents with symptoms like dizziness, fatigue, GI problems, heat intolerance, and nausea. I just started treatment, but the treatment process can be unpredictable and the condition often gets worse before it gets better. I am currently deciding whether to accept a deferral for a year in order to better evaluate my treatment plan and learn to better live with the disease before putting my 1L grades on the line. There's not really any accommodation a school could offer that would be helpful: it's just a matter of deciding whether I can succeed while coping with this. Spending a lot of time going out with classmates and even networking at outdoor events is probably out the window for a while, at the very least. That being said, my primary interest is state-level PI, so my grades in the short term won't be as important as my summers, and I have no interest in DOJ Honors or clerking right now.

Does any one know of a person who has gone through law school with a similar situation? Any general thoughts or advice on attending with a disability like this? Appreciate anything any one can offer!

I'd rely on your doctor's recommendation. I went to school with someone who had just been diagnosed with a serious medical condition. I can't say what without outing them as it's not that common, and being diagnosed after adolescence is even less common. However, it didn't seem to impact them and they did well.

[lymenheimer]

You asked this the other day and people suggested you defer. I doubt you will get different answers now, and it's generally frowned upon to make duplicate posts.