In Florida and across the nation, a coordinated campaign has been initiated to limit how topics related to race, racism, and gender can be discussed, taught, and researched. We believe that academic freedom is fundamental to higher education and free thought, expression and opinion are fundamental to the practice of law and the lifeblood of a democracy.
In the Oath of Admission to the Florida Bar, each potential lawyer must swear that “I will never reject, from any consideration personal to myself, the cause of the defenseless or oppressed, or delay anyone’s cause for lucre or malice. So help me God.” As such, many of the issues discussed, and the cases considered by the DIAL Clinic address the defenseless and oppressed, and how race and gender affect the social construction of disability and resources provided to people with disabilities. As academics and as members of the legal profession, we have the freedom to choose what topics we want to investigate, and the duty to address the root causes of oppression and discrimination.
Exploration of these topics allow students the opportunity to be exposed to varied and numerous perspectives while forming their own opinions and beliefs, even when they disagree with what is being shared. Failure to learn and engage in critical thinking across differences and disagreements undermines students’ personal intellectual growth, professional identity, and causes them to be ill-prepared to enter the legal profession where they will be expected to represent a diverse population and understand how to navigate different perspectives and experiences.