[blindlaw] blind attorneys

Sat Nov 20 20:13:49 UTC 2010

I guess you can count me among the unemployed blind attorneys now, as I
learned last night that I passed the CA bar. Regardless of disability though
many in my class have found it difficult to find work.

On Fri, Nov 19, 2010 at 5:56 PM, James Weisberg <jimi-law at dc.rr.com> wrote:

> My experience is similar Noel.  My point:  numerically speaking the effort
> of the credentials are not worth the "chance" you will be one of the
> "lucky"
> one's to get a job offer.  Congrats on making it into the public sector as
> I
> believe that is the place for those such as us with vision problems and law
> degrees.  I am currently in the process of waiting for a job interview with
> the Fed myself!
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Nightingale, Noel
> Sent: Friday, November 19, 2010 1:28 PM
> To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] blind attorneys
>
> James:
>
> I have lost track of your original point.   I hope this response is on
> target.
>
> I was blind during law school, worked as a summer associate for a
> nationally-known firm, and received a job offer as a result of my work
> during that summer.  I was employed by that firm for over five years.  I
> now
> practice for the federal government.
>
> I know of others as well who were blind before law school who got jobs at
> private firms.
>
> I also know that tremendous discrimination occurs but my own experience
> tells me that it is entirely possible for a blind person to receive offers
> of employment to practice in the private sector.
>
> Noel Nightingale
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of James Weisberg
> Sent: Friday, November 19, 2010 8:48 AM
> To: 'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'
> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] blind attorneys
>
> I have to distinguish, I'm getting back to Dave's comments below again now,
> between employed blind lawyers who lost sight AFTER they had been employed
> and developed a rep before going blind as being competent from those who
> are
> blind and thus never given the opportunity to develop such a rep unless
> they
> can do it on their own as I have.  I just don't count blind lawyers in my
> calculation if they lost their sight after they were established because my
> point is NOT whether or not a blind person can do the work, I know as I
> have
> been doing it for over ten years now.  My point is the effort for the
> credentials compared with the likelihood of a job offer means go for
> something else . . . that's all.  So I too would love the numbers on blind
> lawyers never offered employment compared against employed blind lawyers
> who
> were blind prior to ever practicing!!  I'm betting close to "astronomical."
> *smile*
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of mfhurley at optonline.net
> Sent: Friday, November 19, 2010 7:29 AM
> To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] blind attorneys
>
> Prospects for blind lawyers were not good in a great ecomony.  I agree with
> Dennis' post wholeheartedly.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: David Andrews
> Date: Friday, November 19, 2010 5:26 am
> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] blind attorneys
> To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List
>
> > James:
> >
> > I would like to suggest that the unemployment rate for blind
> > persons
> > in most all, if not all fields of endeavor is low. While my
> > evidence
> > is anecdotal, I don't think that it is necessarily any worse for
> > blind lawyers. Over the years I have known a bunch of blind
> > lawyers,
> > who are working.
> >
> > From what I read, the prospect for all lawyers isn't that good
> > right
> > now, so it is hard to separate the blindness penalty from the
> > bad
> > economy penalty.
> >
> > Dave
> >
> > At 05:55 PM 11/18/2010, you wrote:
> > >Based upon my experience, Berkeley grad, top tier law grad,
> > ZERO job offers
> > >despite NEVER not getting an interview, combined with the
> > extremely low
> > >numbers of blind attorneys I can't think of what there might be
> > to discuss.
> > >My advice to anyone with vision issues considering law as a
> > career is to not
> > >waste their time or money they have a greater chance statistically,
> > >probably, of getting hit by lightening on the way to law class
> > than ever
> > >getting an offer of employment. Now if you come from money, forget
> > >everything I have said and just open your own firm! THAT IS
> > THE WAY IT IS!
> > >But there are always EXCEPTIONS. I personally wouldn't want to
> > invest the
> > >time and money law school requires on the hopes I'll be an exception.
> >
> >
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