[blindlaw] blind attorneys

Sun Nov 21 00:59:15 UTC 2010

Hi Dennis,
I am in Sacramento, UC Davis Class of 2010. The vast majority of my
experience, like many of my friends, is in criminal prosecution. With
budgets being what they are now, we've been lucky to find volunteer
positions.

Best,
Aser

On Sat, Nov 20, 2010 at 1:24 PM, Dennis Clark <dennisgclark at sbcglobal.net>wrote:

> Hello Aser,
> Congratulations!  I assume you are still on cloud nine today.  Where in
> California are you located?  I look forward to hearing from you.
> All the best,
> Dennis
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Aser Tolentino" <agtolentino at gmail.com
> >
> To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Saturday, November 20, 2010 12:13 PM
>
> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] blind attorneys
>
>
>  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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