[blindlaw] advice

Wed Mar 24 08:49:25 UTC 2010

When I was in paralegal school I was considering an internship with the 
local public defender's office but at that time the drawback was the high 
volume of handwritten documents such as police reports that I would not have 
been able to read. Apparently, now police reports for felony cases are typed 
but not all misdemeanor reports are typed locally.
Chuck
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Susan Kelly" <Susan.Kelly at pima.gov>
To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>; "NFBnet Blind Law 
Mailing List" <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, March 23, 2010 9:32 PM
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] advice

That's what I have been trying - fortunately, I currently practice in the 
juvenile section of our office (public defense office), so there is not the 
jury issue to deal with.  The greater issue is the speed at which we have to 
set up, and vacate, the defense table during morning court - the cane is the 
least of the issues, since I am still able to read with the use of a 
portable video magnifier.  In general, though, it has given me the 
opportunity (desired or not) to get people acquainted with both the varying 
degrees of blindness mentioned and the technology available to permit us to 
continue to do the things we have always done.

________________________________

From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org on behalf of ckrugman at sbcglobal.net
Sent: Tue 3/23/2010 6:28 PM
To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] advice

It is much easier to carry the cane and explain that there are degrees of
blindness which is something that many sighted people don't think about.
Chuck
----- Original Message -----
From: "Katy Carroll" <kc2992a at student.american.edu>
To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, March 23, 2010 1:41 PM
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] advice

Hi all,

I really appreciate all of your responses to my question. I am one of those
people who uses a cane only sometimes, because I don't have to. Therefore, I
have come into situation when I have had my cane with me and people have
commented that I don't act like I am blind, so why do I need to carry a
cane; and also situations in which I didn't have my cane and was unable to
explain that there was something I couldn't see and why.

Scott, I appreciate your foresight about what life will be like working in a
courtroom. I echo the question about how you approach a new judge.

Best,
Kate

On Mon, Mar 22, 2010 at 11:47 PM, RJ Sandefur <joltingjacksandefur at gmail.com
> wrote:

> Scott, How do you deal with a new Judge? Do you walk into the courtroom,
> and explaine to the judge you're blind, and need this or that? How do you
> do
> it? This sighted judge has never delbt with a blind lawyer before.
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Scott C. LaBarre" <
> slabarre at labarrelaw.com>
>
> To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Monday, March 22, 2010 1:54 PM
> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] advice
>
>
> Katy, I am totally blind and have been so pretty much since the time I
> lost
> my sight.  Therefore, I cannot directly relate with you other than to say
> my
> wife is in a similar situation.  Sometimes, she carries her cane and
> sometimes not.  I have noticed that she usually does take her cane when we
> are going somewhere new and plan on meeting new people.  She finds it
> easier
> to explain that she is blind and has some residual vision than to deal
> with
> people thinking she is fully sighted and wondering why she isn't making
> the
> best eye contact or can't see the signs or can't read name tags or
> whatever.
> I think she also takes it because she wants to be able to use it in
> unfamiliar locations, especially at night and more especially to deal with
> stairs and other things she doesn't see too well.
>
> Ultimately, I guess it depends on which issue you'd rather have.  I think
> it
> also depends on why it is you choose not to carry a cane.  These are
> questions with which I cannot help you much.
>
> However, I can tell you that as an attorney, you are very likely going to
> be
> in situations that are pressure packed and move along quite quickly.  In a
> courtroom, do you want a Judge or jury wondering why you aren't exactly
> acting like the other lawyers in the room?  Would it be easier or harder
> to
> explain that you are legally blind  and that is  why you aren't able to
> read
> things or see objects or whatever?  Or would it be easier to  carry a cane
> alerting the judge and counsel that you are blind allowing you to explain
> later that you can see some.
>
> Now, I know you sent off your post not wondering whether you should carry
> a
> cane or not but rather asking the question of how  you should explain
> yourself.  I guess my first advice is to  speak with others who are
> similarly situated.  We have such blind lawyers on this list.  Charlie
> Brown, our First Vice President, has quite a bit of residual  vision yet
> has
> always carried a cane.  I am sure there are others who don't.
>
> I wish you luck with this dilemma and I hope we can be helpful.
> Thanks,
> Scott C. LaBarre, Esq.
>
> LaBarre Law Offices P.C.
> 1660 South Albion Street, Ste. 918
> Denver, Colorado 80222
> 303 504-5979 (voice)
> 303 757-3640 (fax)
> slabarre at labarrelaw.com (e-mail)
> www.labarrelaw.com (website)
>
> CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This message may contain confidential and
> privileged
> information. If you are not the designated recipient, you may not read,
> copy, distribute or retain this message. If you received this message in
> error, please notify the sender at 303) 504-5979 or
> slabarre at labarrelaw.com,
> and destroy and delete it from your system. This message and any
> attachments
> are covered by the Electronic
> Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. §§ 2510-2521.
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Katy Carroll" <
> kc2992a at student.american.edu>
> To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Sunday, March 21, 2010 2:37 PM
> Subject: [blindlaw] advice
>
>
>  Hi List!
>>
>> I have run numerous times into the same dilemma and I am convinced this
>> dilemma will become more and more of a problem as I move on in my career,
>> unless I do something about it, which is why i am posing this problem to
>> you:
>>
>> Recently I went to a meeting of a professional organization here in DC.
>> Not
>> surprisingly, each of the attendees were given name tags with one's name
>> and
>> either place of work or study to wear during the event, to help initiate
>> networking. I am partially blind, and don't feel the need to carry a cane
>> with me. However, I can't see other people;s name tags, and can't comment
>> or
>> respond to what is written on them. I would like to be able to ask people
>> who they are and where they work without seeming like I can't read. Has
>> anyone perfected a introduction by which they can do this?
>>
>> I would appreciate any thoughts.
>>
>> --
>> Kathryn CARROLL
>> American University
>> 631 521 3018
>> _______________________________________________
>> 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/slabarre%40labarrelaw.com
>>
>>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> 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/joltingjacksandefur%40gmail.com
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> 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/kc2992a%40student.american.edu
>

--
Kathryn CARROLL
American University
631 521 3018
_______________________________________________
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/susan.kelly%40pima.gov

_______________________________________________
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 