Do all law schools allow extra time for people who supposedly have ADD?

[verbal]

i cant believe that most would since add isnt real. If my school did allow it id go get diagnosed today

[xferlawstudent]

I think the Americans with Diabilities Act requires this for the LSAT, law school and Bar

[Jumboshrimps]

This reminds me...

What's the worst thing about having ADD? Wanna go ride bikes?

[onedashL]

such a dumb policy.  our school (T3) allows it as well.  about 10% of the class gets this extra time because of ADD.  i didn't realize it was so prevalent until students found out they could get 3 extra hours. 

potential remedies:

1) give the ADD kids their own curve
2) have them put on their transcript that they received extra time

the dumb thing is that these people have drugs to remedy the problem.  in the real world, if you need double the time to do write a memo that a normal person will do in normal time, you will likely be fired.  i can say that i would do better with extra time especially on issue-spotting exams.

[Vee15]

From your post, it sounds like you have ADD. Learn to write coherent sentences. I get the extra time, and it actually feels good to leave an exam knowing that you have thoroughly exhausted every issue.

such a dumb policy.  our school (T3) allows it as well.  about 10% of the class gets this extra time because of ADD.  i didn't realize it was so prevalent until students found out they could get 3 extra hours. 

potential remedies:

1) give the ADD kids their own curve
2) have them put on their transcript that they received extra time

the dumb thing is that these people have drugs to remedy the problem.  in the real world, if you need double the time to do write a memo that a normal person will do in normal time, you will likely be fired.  i can say that i would do better with extra time especially on issue-spotting exams.

[onedashL]

i'd write more coherently, but sorry i don't have 6 hours to write perfectly constructed sentences.

you make my point exactly.  congrats to you and your extra time.  let me know how that works out for you in the real world.  you and the ADD-ers get the time needed to hit every issue while everyone else suffers to barely finish exams.  where is the logic in this? 

i'm not knocking people that have ADD, but it is absolutely ridiculous and infuriating that people like you take their precious time to take exams that affect our curve.  obviously, there is not much we can do about it except female dog. 

maybe you can help me here.  what does ritalin do?  i assumed people with ADD were prescribed it so it could help balance them out and make them "normal."  if that is the case, then why do you need extra time?

[KEa2b]

This problem is really upsetting my fellow peers and I.  Our class has about 68 students.  Last semester we had 6 people claim ADD/disabilities to get extra time.  (ex. 3 hour test/they get 6)  Out of those 6, 2 made top 10%.  Now those numbers don't sound to bad, I can live with that.  This semester we have almost triple the amount of people claiming ADD/disabilities. Talk about a total curve buster.  You know I understand when someone has gone their whole life and lived with a disability or ADD and made it through high school and college with the help of drugs and/or extra time, but it seems ridiculous how our school lets people go their first semester (make passing grades) and then let them the second semester get extra time because between the fall exams and the spring exams a student miraculously discovered they had a learning disorder (it's law school, it's suppose to be tough).  Also, these students with ADD/disabilities have no problems when they get called on in class, in fact they seem to be sharper than the average student.  Should the school not give them extra time to brief a case in class?  There are several options for schools that allow extra exam time that would solve the problem between a student with a disability, who can finish the entire exam and have extra time to spell check every word, and the average student, who can't get everything out and has 1,000 typos.  First, the school could make every student claiming "extra time" be checked out by the same physician before being granted extra time.  Therefore, everyone would be held to the same ADD testing.  You and I both know of a doctor who we could get to give us the right paperwork for the right price.  A school appointed Dr. wouldn't allow frivolous claims.  Second, the school should look at when this disability came about.  I think that if a student makes it through college without any help, the school should not extend this extra time.  Third, the easiest way to fix the problem is just grade them separate.  Let them have their own curve and let us have ours, this is easy, economically efficient for the school, and it would still accomplish the average G.P.A. that most schools have set.  Until something changes I'm just going to keep bitching and let the one's who fraudulently get extra time, get what they deserve.  I don't think the Court's favor granting extra time because a particular counsel hasn't been allowed enough time to prepare their case. 

[onedashL]

i couldn't agree with you more.  we had 4-5 in the first semester and then 9 this go-round.  not only that but they gave extra time to 2 people (1 that had a cousin die like 3 weeks before exam time and 1 that fractured her arm).

that means 10% of our class basically gets all the time they need to do better than everyone else.  pretty damn ridiculous.

if someone that has ADD can please explain why you need extra time, I would greatly appreciate it.  please, please, please persuade me into thinking that i'm wrong...

i beg you.

[torturedbylawschool]

At least one person in our section this year (at a top 40 school) got extra time....makes me really mad. You don't get extra time in the real world to write a memo or what have you, so why should you be allowed special treatment in the venue? Absolute BS!

[pch5905]

I am shocked to some of the posts that deny the existance of ADD.  Please open your mind a little and consider the following:

I was a police officer headed for law school when I was wounded in the head by a drug crazed felon.  My traumatic Brain Injury left be with ADD ADHD or what ever they want to call it.  It's real and a permanent life sentence to attention drugs. (Rx like Ritalin)

Yes, they gave me a little more time for the LSAT and schools have to recognize it under ADA. It requires more than a letter from 1 doctor.  Some of you elitists ought to consider what living with a disability is like!  Low pension, chronic pain, government BS, medical issues, and living in a world designed for someone else.

Consider that my life is a fraction of what it was and the descrimination is VERY real!  People look at you and see no wheelchair or obvious missing limbs and make assumptions.  From assuptions its not to far to get to that unfair "special treatment" argument - Yes, law school is hard but I would trade my TBI with any of you.  It doesn't level the playing field nor does it provide any unfair advantages.  ADA provides a needed opportunity for those are not as fortunate or who have sacrificed for others!