Professor Robin Paul Malloy, the E.I. White Chair and Distinguished Professor of Law and Senior Fellow at the Burton Blatt Institute, delivered the opening and closing Keynote remarks at the Real Estate Transactions Symposium at Stetson University College of Law, on Feb. 21, 2026.
Malloy discussed real estate transactions and disability law in the morning and then close the day with a “fire side” conversation focused on the market context for real estate transactions.
Malloy’s opening session addressed the critical role that real estate development plays in creating communities that are safe, and easy to navigate by people with disabilities and by those seeking to age in place. The address emphasized the importance of designing and developing the built environment in ways that empower diverse populations to participate fully in community life.
The address also explored how we must adjust our approach to the built environment in response to the civil rights of people with disabilities. “This in turn requires that we consider local real estate law in the context of federal civil rights law,” said Molloy. He spoke on the tension between the desire for greater accessibility and the cost of providing the inclusive designs, assistive technologies, and accessible infrastructure needed for enhancing access.
A central focus of the lecture was the key economic considerations in disability law as they relate to real estate development and access to our built environment. “The overall goal is to engage real estate lawyers on the difficult issues involved in improving accessibility to our built environment,” said Malloy.
The symposium brought together legal scholars, practitioners, and students to examine contemporary issues in real estate law. Malloy’s keynote sets the stage for a day of discussion on how law and policy can advance inclusive, accessible communities.