On Wednesday, June 18, 2025, RS Attorney James Radford, along with our co-counsel Andrew Coffman of Parks, Chesin & Walbert, and attorney Georgia Lord, met with members of the City of Atlanta Department of Transportation and City Attorneys’ Office to view areas impacted by the Lawson Consent Decree.

The Lawson Consent Decree is a comprehensive 25-year plan that Radford Scott and our co-counsel negotiated on behalf of wheelchair users and other mobility-impaired residents to address the lack of equal access to the City’s sidewalk infrastructure. Lawson, et al. v. City of Atlanta was filed on behalf of these residents, who have been unable to access the many services and benefits of the City of Atlanta, due to sidewalks that do not comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). For example, many major intersections have lacked curbed ramps, and sections of sidewalk have been badly damaged or obstructed. You can learn more about the Lawson consent decree here.

The June 18, 2025, tour group included a court-approved third-party monitor with expertise in ADA compliance as it pertains to public infrastructure. The group viewed areas where new intersection ramps have been constructed and where obstructed sidewalks have been repaired.

As class counsel, the attorneys of Radford Scott, along with our partner counsel, will continue to closely monitor the City’s progress in bringing sidewalks into ADA compliance. There is much work left to do. The cooperative approach of the City’s leadership, and its Department of Transportation in particular, is greatly appreciated.