Jennifer Mathis, Esq.
Collaborative Consultant

Organization: RRTC Affiliate - Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law

Jennifer Mathis, Esq., is the Bazelon Center’s deputy legal director. Jennifer is nationally recognized throughout the disabilities community for her expertise and record of success in disabilities rights law and litigation. Since she joined our staff in 1999 she has conducted litigation, provided nationwide technical assistance and training, and engaged in policy advocacy and coalition work on issues involving rights of individuals with mental disabilities with particular focus on disability discrimination laws and Medicaid. In addition to the many cases she has contributed to at the lower court level, Jennifer is a key player on Bazelon’s legal strategy teams working to uphold the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) at the U.S. Supreme Court. She was a key player on the team that successfully argued two of the most influential disabilities rights cases heard at the High Court: Olmstead v. L.C. and Tennessee v. Lane. For Olmstead, she helped bring together a broad array of disabilities advocates and designed a coordinated amicus strategy; the Court’s ruling agreed with our position: that the unnecessary institutionalization of people with disabilities is a form of discrimination prohibited by the ADA. Jennifer was also a key in securing a victory in the two most recent ADA challenges in the Supreme Court, Tennessee v. Lane and ADA, Goodman and U.S. v. Georgia. In addition to her legal expertise, Jennifer has lead research projects for the Center including the segregation of older adults with mental disabilities. Jennifer holds a B.A. (magna cum laude) from Harvard University and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center (1994).

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