[blindlaw] paralegal jobs

Sat May 16 15:37:02 UTC 2009

Hey Chuck:

What would you say are your main job duties and how do you perform them?

Steve
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <ckrugman at sbcglobal.net>
To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, May 16, 2009 3:01 AM
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] paralegal jobs

Hi Kate,
I am a totally blind paralegal in California. This is a career change after
having done social work and community organizing for many years. To become a
paralegal for a law firm in most states it is recommended that you go
through a paralegal training program. If you have not had extensive legal
experience I would recommend a program that is live rather then a
correspondence based program. In most paralegal programs offered through
colleges or universities an internship is part of the program.
I actually free-lance which means I work for various attorneys on an as
needed basis. I mostly work for small firms or solo practitioners that don't
require a full-time paralegal. I am not sure that there are that many blind
paralegals in the U..S. and I am trying to collect some data about this
question and to find other blind paralegals to find out their circumstances.
While it is much easier today with on-line legal research and forms software
program there are some duties in some circumstances that don't lend
themselves to a totally blind person doing all jobs. Examples would apply
where it is necessary for a paralegal to review many handwritten documents
as part of trial exhibits or information that is provided by a client. This
issue came up when I was in the paralegal program when I interviewed with
the local public defender's office as interns would assist the lawyers in
court and would frequently need to read handwritten police reports.
Entering the profession I had some advantages as much of my experience as a
social worker was involving law related issues such as court-ordered
treatment when I was a therapist, providing alternative sentencing
recommendations for criminal defense attorneys, representing clients in
Social Security appeals and other administrative law hearings and
administering a caseload of workers compensation clients assigned to private
rehabilitation services. I have found that working with the attorneys that I
have we have been able to develop innovative methods of dealing with various
issues and much of the work that I do is done on-line and submitted to the
attorneys electronically. If needed I will travel to the firm or attorney
that I am working with to meet clients and will to other duties as needed
including filing of paperwork with the court. Here in California paralegals
who have completed a paralegal training program and who meet other
requirements including posting of a surety bond with the county where are
working can prepare documents for the general public as a "legal Document
Assistant" or an Unlawful detainer Assistant" which in other states is known
more commonly as land-lord tenant matters.
I hope this information helps and you may feel free to contact me off list
as needed.
Chuck Krugman, M.S.W., Paralegal
1237 P Street
Fresno ca 93721
559-266-9237
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kate Thegreat" <shamaniclivin1281 at hotmail.com>
To: <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, May 15, 2009 12:18 PM
Subject: [blindlaw] paralegal jobs

Is it possible to become a paralegal if I am totally blind? I am 28 years
old. I have a bachelor's degree in nutrition. A lot of my prior background
is in various teaching capacities related to computers and disability
habilitation. Currently, I write for the local paper. I also am taking an
online course for medical transcription.

I am not terribly interested in the medical transcription, but my counselor
at the state agency for the blind had suggested I'd be good at it.

I looked at some explanations of the type of work that paralegals do and it
sounds interesting to me.

If this job is possible for a blind person to do, how does one approach a
law firm in order to get a shadowing experience?

Thanks,

Kate

_________________________________________________________________
Insert movie times and more without leaving Hotmail®.
http://windowslive.com/Tutorial/Hotmail/QuickAdd?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_HM_Tutorial_QuickAdd1_052009
_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/ckrugman%40sbcglobal.net

_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
blindlaw:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/stevep.deeley%40insightbb.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 8.5.325 / Virus Database: 270.12.32/2117 - Release Date: 05/15/09 
17:55:00