Case: DOJ Investigation Regarding the Tennessee Board of Law Examiners
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Case Summary
The investigation addressed claims of discrimination on the basis of disability against the Tennessee Board of Law Examiners (TBLE) and the Tennessee Lawyers Assistance Program (TLAP).
It is unclear the exact time this investigation was opened, but on December 17, 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee and the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division released a findings letter which reported that "TBLE and TLAP violated Title II of the ADA with respect to: (1) subjecting bar applicants to burdensome supplemental investigations triggered by their status or treatment for a substance use disorder; and (2) excluding them or implementing burdensome, intrusive, and unnecessary conditions on admission that are improperly based on individuals’ diagnosis of or treatment for a substance use or mental health disorder." These findings were based on the mistreatment of two anonymous individuals, D.S. and C.B., who were subjected to "additional, burdensome examinations" and "restrictions and conditions" before being able to obtain their license to practice law due to their opioid use disorder (OUD).
The DOJ and U.S. Attorney's Office proposed five recommended remedial measures, which included requiring nondiscriminatory bar admission practices that protect applicants’ lawful substance use disorder medications, limiting disability-related inquiries to narrowly tailored assessments of current fitness to practice, ensuring individually tailored admission conditions, and providing ADA compliance training for relevant personnel.
On April 15, 2025, TBLE and TLAP sent a letter to the DOJ responding to the December 17, 2024 findings letter; this reply was never released to the public. On August 25, 2025, the U.S. Assistant Attorney General released a letter closing the investigation. Referencing the TBLE and TLAP response letter, the closure letter simply states that "we understand that TBLE and TLAP agree that they may consider the conduct of applicants to the bar, but cannot lawfully consider an applicant's disability as a basis for denying membership or setting conditions of membership in the bar." The letter makes no mention of any remedial action (or lack thereof) taken by TBLE and TLAP in response to the initial findings letter. The 2024 findings letter was also removed from the DOJ website, but remains accessible on the Clearinghouse.
Summary Authors
Talia Richland (9/20/2026)
Jinan Abufarha (10/4/2026)
Documents in the Clearinghouse
Docket
Docket sheet not available via the Clearinghouse.Case Details
State / Territory:
Case Type(s):
Special Collection(s):
Trump Administration 2.0: Reversing Course on Existing Litigation
Key Dates
Closing Date: Aug. 22, 2025
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division
Plaintiff Type(s):
U.S. Dept of Justice plaintiff
Public Interest Lawyer: No
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
State
Tennessee Board of Law Examiners (TBLE)
Tennessee Lawyers Assistance Program (TLAP)
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 42 U.S.C. §§ 12101 et seq.
Other Dockets:
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: None Yet / None
Relief Granted:
Source of Relief:
Issues
Disability and Disability Rights:
Discrimination Basis:
Disability (inc. reasonable accommodations)
Case Summary of DOJ Investigation Regarding the Tennessee Board of Law Examiners, Civil Rights Litig. Clearinghouse, https://clearinghouse.net/case/48035/ (last updated 10/4/2026).