Ambitious Leader of the Disability Law Society Aims for a Career in Washington's National Security Legal Sphere
Kaitlin Sommer L'26, a law student at Syracuse University, is making a name for herself by pursuing a unique career path that integrates national security law with disability law. Only about 1.4% of lawyers in the U.S. self-identify as having a disability, according to the American Bar Association, but Sommer is determined to make her mark.
Sommer is co-president of the Disability Law Society at Syracuse Law, a community for students with disabilities and their allies. She is also the co-president of the Disabled Law Students Association, demonstrating her commitment to both fields simultaneously. Her goal is to innovate and bridge these two areas, which are traditionally considered unrelated, by advocating for disability rights within the national security legal framework.
Sommer has already gained practical experience through internships in Washington, D.C. She has interned for New York State Congressman Joe Morelle and is currently interning with The Spinal Cord Injury Law Firm, PLLC. These opportunities have helped deepen her expertise in national security law while allowing her to continue her disability advocacy efforts.
Sommer hopes to live and work in Washington, D.C. in the future, where she can continue to make a difference. She wants to ensure people do not make assumptions about her based on her use of a wheelchair and hopes to be a positive example of a compassionate and knowledgeable disabled lawyer.
The Disability Law Society, under Sommer's leadership, aims to raise awareness and provide related information across the University. They strive to set permanent roots and have a noticeable space to make their voices heard. Sommer recently presented at her alma mater's third annual Together RIT: A Day of Dialogue centered on the theme of Deaf culture, disability, and neurodiversity.
Sommer has made the most of opportunities offered to her as a law student. She has attended the Ms. JD Fall 2024 Leadership Academy Intensive and recently completed an internship at the POPVOX Foundation. She is also working towards her Certificate of Advanced Study in National Security and Counterterrorism.
Sommer's career goal is to find a way to incorporate disability law into her national security law practice. She seeks to be a trailblazer, advocating for disability rights within the national security legal framework, and reflecting her unique perspective and dedication to addressing the intersection of security policies and disability rights.
- Kaitlin Sommer L'26 demonstrates her passion for both education-and-self-development and career-development by simultaneously holding leadership roles in the Disability Law Society at Syracuse Law and the Disabled Law Students Association.
- In addition to her commitment to disability law and national security law, Sommer shows a keen interest in politics, as evident by her internships with New York State Congressman Joe Morelle and her aspirations to work in Washington, D.C., and advocate for disability rights within the political sphere.
