We are the people who will shake the system until the law reflects the truth.”—Barack Obama
Eve Hill is one of the nation’s leading civil rights lawyers, known especially for her work with clients with disabilities and LGBTQ+ clients. She has been recognized by Law360 as one of just 12 “Titans of the Plaintiffs’ Bar” for 2023, as well as by Lawdragon as one of the 500 Leading Lawyers in America (2022 and 2023). Her wide-ranging experience complements Brown, Goldstein & Levy’s decades of dedication to high-impact disability rights cases and its advocacy on behalf of individuals with disabilities and their families. Eve also leads Inclusivity, BGL’s Strategic Consulting Group, which works with organizations to promote the education, engagement, and employment of people with disabilities.
From 2011 to January 2017, Eve served as Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, where she was responsible for oversight of the Division’s disability rights, education, and Title VI enforcement and the American Indian Working Group. She was part of the negotiating team for the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled; testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to support ratification of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; enforced accessibility requirements for websites and other digital technology; implemented Olmstead community integration requirements in employment and education; and enforced disability rights in education, testing, and health care.
Eve is the former Senior Vice President at the Burton Blatt Institute of Syracuse University, where she was responsible for the Institute’s work on the Americans with Disabilities Act, disability civil rights, and communications issues.
Preceding her employment at the Burton Blatt Institute, Eve was the District of Columbia’s first Director of the Office of Disability Rights, responsible for ensuring compliance with the ADA throughout District government. This position gave Eve an insider’s view on investigations of complaints, informal dispute resolution, litigation consultation, training, and disability policy development.
As the Executive Director of the Disability Rights Legal Center at Loyola Law School, Eve managed all aspects of this non-profit disability rights organization and supervised all major programs, including the Civil Rights Litigation Project, Disability Mediation Center, Cancer Legal Resource Center, Community Outreach Program, and Education Advocacy Project.
Representative Cases
Doe v. Catholic Relief Services (D. Md) – Obtained a federal district court victory on behalf of a married gay employee who challenged Catholic Relief Services’ withdrawal of health insurance benefits for his husband under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Equal Pay Act, and the Maryland Equal Pay Act.
Powell v. Benson (E.D. Mich.) – Consent decree requiring accessible absentee voting.
Brown v. Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (D. Md.) – ADA challenge to discrimination against blind prison inmates, resulting in settlement agreement providing auxiliary aids and services, accessible formats, and $1.4 million in damages and attorneys’ fees.
National Federation of the Blind v. Boeing Employees’ Credit Union – Obtained an agreement wherein Boeing Employees’ Credit Union will make its website and mobile banking app fully accessible to blind customers.
AngeliCare, LLC v. St. Bernard Parish (E.D. La.) – ADA and FHA case challenging a jurisdiction’s discriminatory zoning of group homes for children with mental health disabilities.
NFB v. U.S. Department of Education (D. Md.) – APA challenge to Office for Civil Rights policy of dismissing civil rights complaints without investigation.
Murad v. Amazon.com (E.D. Mich.) – ADA employment challenge to inaccessible job application and job tool.
Awards
- Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America, 2022-2024
- Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America, 2024
- Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers, 2022 & 2024
- Recognized by Best Lawyers for Civil Rights Law, 2022-2024
- Maryland Super Lawyer, 2021-2024
- TASH Outstanding Leadership in Disability Law Distinguished Honoree, 2023
- Law360 Titans of the Plaintiffs Bar, 2023
- Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Employment and Civil Rights Lawyers, 2021-2023
- The Washington Lawyers’ Committee awarded its Outstanding Achievement Award to Brown, Goldstein & Levy for Eve Hill and Abigail Graber’s work to make absentee voting accessible to Virginia voters with print disabilities (Gary v. Virginia Department of Elections) (2021).
- Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Employment Lawyers (2020)
- Council of Parent Advocates and Attorneys (COPAA) Distinguished Service Award, 2020
- National Disability Mentoring Coalition’s Susan M. Daniels Disability Mentoring Hall of Fame, 2018
- Honored at the 10th Anniversary of the DC Office of Disability Rights, 2017
- Award of Excellence, Disability Rights Legal Center and the University of La Verne College of Law, 2017
- National Disability Institute Allen Jensen Humanitarian Public Policy Award, 2014
- Cornell Law School Public Service Award, 2013
News & Insights
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Eve Hill secures third consecutive year in Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Lawyers in America guide.
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Seven attorneys presented sessions at BGL-sponsored National Federation of the Blind Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium.
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Leading civil rights attorney Eve Hill delivered keynote speech during Virginia Tech’s inaugural Accessibility Awareness Week.
Media Mentions
Eve Hill was quoted in The Baltimore Sun article, “‘An added punishment’: Under conflicting policies, critics say Maryland houses trans prisoners according to birth sex,” published on December 14, 2023.
Eve Hill was quoted in the LAist‘s article, “California Nursing Homes Are Becoming ‘De Facto Mental Health Centers,’” published on September 20, 2023.
Eve Hill was quoted in the Prince Williams Times‘ article, “In legal settlement, Youngkin administration agrees masking in schools is ‘reasonable’ to protect kids with disabilities,” published on December 15, 2022.
Eve Hill was quoted in The Washington Post‘s article, “Blind and disabled veterans can’t access VA websites, report says,” published on December 14, 2022.
Eve Hill was quoted in The Wall Street Journal‘s article, “Disabled shoppers struggle with inaccessible self-checkouts,” published on November 21, 2022.
Eve Hill was quoted in the Los Angeles Times’ article, “Lawsuit seeks to speed housing on the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs campus,” published November 16, 2022.
Eve Hill was quoted in Kaiser Health News’ article, “Blind to problems: VA’s new medical record system is shutting out visually impaired patients,” published on October 20, 2022.
Eve Hill was featured in DC News Now‘s article, “DOJ files statement of interest in lawsuit over police shooting of Ryan LeRoux,” published October 20, 2022.
Eve Hill was quoted in USA Today’s article, “Blind to problems: VA’s new medical record system is shutting out visually impaired patients,” published on October 18, 2022.
Eve Hill was featured in the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates article, “New USSC decisions related to Section 504 and federal funding raise alarm bells,” published June 28, 2022.
Eve Hill and Dan Goldstein were featured in Harvard Law School’s The Practice article,
“Listen. And then […] listen some more,” published June 2022.Eve Hill featured on the American Bar Association’s Asked and Answered podcast episode, “The country has a long way to go with ADA compliance, say 2 civil rights lawyers,” released February 28, 2022
Eve Hill was featured in Bloomberg Law’s article, published December 14, 2021, “Covid Can Be a Disability Under Anti-Bias Law, EEOC Says (1)”.
Eve Hill was interviewed by WNYC Studios for The Takeaway and its August 3, 2021, story, “Long COVID Now Considered Disability Under the Americans with Disabilities Act”
Eve was quoted in TIME Magazine for its July 20, 2021, article, “How COVID-19 Long Haulers Could Change the U.S. Disability Benefits System.”
Eve Hill was featured in Lawdragon Magazine: The Plaintiff Issue, 2nd Edition, Apr 30, 2021.
Eve was interviewed by WYPR for its June 16, 2020, story, “Lawsuit Says Catholic Relief Services Discriminates Against Gay Employee.”
Eve was quoted in the June 3, 2020, Forbes article “Disabled New Yorkers Can Vote – For Now.”
Eve was quoted in the May 6, 2020, Washington Post article “To Get Federal Benefits for Disabilities That Prevent Them From Filling Out Paperwork, They Have to Fill Out Paperwork – So They Are Suing.”
Eve was quoted in the March 17, 2020, Washington Post article “Disabled People Have Worked Remotely for Years, and They’ve Got Advice for You and Your Bosses.”
Eve was quoted in the December 14, 2019, Washington Post article “’They Destroy People’s Lives:’ Forced to Retire Because of Illnesses and Injuries, Four Former DC Police Officers are Suing.”
Eve was quoted in the July 20, 2019, Washington Post article “Do Protections for People with Disabilities Apply Online? Domino’s Asks High Court.”
Eve was interviewed for the July 10, 2019, New York Times article “How to Disclose a Disability to Your Employer (and Whether You Should.)”
Eve was interviewed in the July 25, 2018, NRP Ed article “Students Seeking Equal Access to Education May Find Federal Help Harder to Come By.”
Eve was quoted in the May 31, 2018, New York Times article “Disability and Civil Rights Groups Sue DeVos Over Investigation Rollbacks.”
Presentations
National Federation of the Blind Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium, “Transgender Rights are Disability Rights: Protecting Incarcerated Transgender Women and a New Frontier for the ADA,” March 22, 2024.
National Federation of the Blind Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium, “Holding Police Officers Accountable Under the ADA in a Post-Cummings World: Lessons Learned from Montgomery v. District of Columbia,” March 22, 2024.
Virginia Tech Accessibility Awareness Week, “A Day with Eve Hill,” March 19, 2024.
Level Access, “Navigating Digital Accessibility Compliance: Midyear Legal Trends and Insights” webinar, July 26, 2023.
National Federation of the Blind National Convention, “Securing Equal Protection Under the Law: The Essential Role of the Organized Blind Movement,” July 5, 2023.
National Federation of the Blind Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium, “Using the ADA to Bring Justice to the Criminal System,” March 23, 2023.
National Federation of the Blind Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium, “Accessible Voting Roundup,” March 23, 2023.
ADA Live! podcast: 30th Anniversary of the ADA Interview with Cong. Tony Coehlo, July 2020.
eSSENTIAL Accessibility, “The State of Digital Accessibility” webinar, June 25, 2020.
Digital Accessibility Legal Summit 2020, “Problems (and Solutions) in Making a Good Start: Plaintiffs, Defendants, and Consultants” webinar, June 4, 2020.
Ortus MasterClass: “The State of Digital Accessibility,” May 28, 2020.
Deque Global Accessibility Awareness Day webinar, May 20, 2020.
ANA BAA Conference, “The Rise in ADA Accessibility Problems,” November 4, 2019.
Fulfilling Olmstead Symposium, Georgetown Law School , November 1, 2019.
Maryland Judicial College ADA Training , October 11, 2019.
American University Washington College of Law – Lawyers with Disabilities, October 8, 2019.
Monroe County Opioid Summit, September 24, 2019.
National Federation of the Blind Convention, “Digital Equality and the Myth of Injustice: Equal Access for the Blind May Not be Delayed,”July 10, 2019.
Association on Higher Education and Disability, “Addressing Access for Students with Mental Health Conditions,” webinar, April 5, 2018.
Testimony before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights about the school-to-prison pipeline at the intersection of race and disability, Washington, DC, December 8, 2017.
Keynote Speaker, Disability Rights Maine Annual Conference, October 6, 2017.
UDC David A. Clarke School of Law and Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, “The Long Game: Why the 1957 Civil Rights Act Still Matters Today,” September 13, 2017.
Panel Discussion, National Council on Disability Quarterly Meeting, “Charter Schools & Vouchers Part 2: Promising Practices,” August 24, 2017.
The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities Taskforces on Rights, Employment and Training and the Collaboration to Promote Self-Determination, and the co-chairs of the Congressional Bipartisan Disabilities Caucus, “Employment of People with Disabilities: Achieving the Americans with Disabilities Act’s Goal of Economic Self-Sufficiency,” July 19, 2017. An attendee at the event wrote to Eve: “I wanted to reach out to say how impacted I was by your speech at Employment of People with Disabilities: Achieving the Americans with Disabilities Act’s Goal of Economic Self-Sufficiency. I’ve been percolating over all of the amazing points you made, especially the importance of having high expectations for people with disabilities, the importance of accessible job applications, and how companies should be embarrassed to exploit people with disabilities through sheltered workshops in order to label their products “Made in America”. Meaningful employment opportunities with upward mobility is a value we share. Your passion is infectious, and I hope to provide that same passion to my internship program for people with intellectual disabilities. Thank you for the work you do, and for the message you gave.”
Testimony before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Judge Neil Gorsuch’s nomination to be an associate justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, March 23, 2017.
White House Forum on Criminal Justice Reform and People with Disabilities, July 18, 2016.
Publications
“Accessible Voting in a Pandemic: A Review of Recent Cases“, Harvard Law Review, February 19, 2021
“Panel: Building Coalitions and the Disability Rights Movement,” Georgetown Journal on Poverty Law & Policy, co-presenter Judith Heumann, 2020.
“Technology Vendor Contracts and Accessibility: What Every Business Lawyer Should Know,” Business Law Today, E. Hill, L. Feingold, April 19, 2018.
“Preparing Transition-Age Youth with Disabilities for Work: What School Leaders Need to Know About the New Legal Landscapes,” Institute for Educational Leadership Policy Brief, E. Hill, R. Kline, C. Richards, February 2018.
“Whither the Disability Rights Movement? The Future of Disability Rights Law,” ABA Human Rights Magazine, Vol. 42 No. 4, 2017.
“The ADA, Disability and Identity,” J. of the Am. Med. Assn., co-author D. Goldstein, 2016.
“Legal and Policy Implications of Cloud Computing,” proceedings of the Human Computer Interaction International conference, 2011.
Contributor, Litigating Employment Discrimination Cases, Friedman, 2010, 2011.
“Cases & Materials on Disability Civil Rights Law & Policy,” Thomson-West, co-authors P. Blanck, C. Siegal, M. Waterstone, 2005, 2009.
“Future of Disability Law and Advocacy and ‘The Right to Live in the World,’” Second Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium, 15 Tex. J. on Civil Liberties and Civil Rights 1, co-author P. Blanck, 2009.
“Future of Disability Rights: Part Three—Statutes of Limitations in Americans with Disabilities Act Design and Construction Cases,” 60 Syracuse L. Rev. 125, co-author P. Blanck, 2009.