[blindlaw] blind attorneys

Wed Nov 24 15:05:10 UTC 2010

Actually...my great-great grandfather "read" for the bar - in fact, he
only had a high school diploma, but became an attorney by internship and
very educated by his love of reading.  Going through modern law school,
was always jealous that it had at least once been by practice and
testing alone!

-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org]
On Behalf Of Jorge Paez
Sent: Tuesday, 23 November, 2010 6:52 PM
To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] blind attorneys

Out rages!
Employ someone who hasn't passed the BAR?
Unless of course its some sort of internship.

On Nov 23, 2010, at 8:48 PM, Steve P. Deeley wrote:

> That is because Canada is a socialist nation.
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ross Doerr"
<rumpole at roadrunner.com>
> To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, November 23, 2010 2:40 PM
> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] blind attorneys
> 
> 
>> Good point Blain.
>> IF that were "required" in the U.S. the same result may append itself
to
>> U.S. graduates.
>> I like it.
>> 
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Blaine Deutscher"
<b.m.deutscher at sasktel.net>
>> To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Tuesday, November 23, 2010 1:28 PM
>> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] blind attorneys
>> 
>> 
>>> This is why Canadian Law students have somewhat of an advantage over
>>> American students.  before you take the Bar you are required to do
one
>>> year
>>> of what they call artickling.  This is where you go and work in a
Law
>>> firm.
>>> A lot of Law students that attend  a Law school in Canada find that
that
>>> one
>>> year helps then gain employment and if you're really good or they
like you
>>> then you might get reemploied after you pass the bar.  Some firms
might
>>> pay
>>> for you to take the bar if they feel that you will be a real assit
to the
>>> firm.
>>> 
>>> Blaine
>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: <awilusa at yahoo.com>
>>> To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Wednesday, November 24, 2010 11:06 AM
>>> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] blind attorneys
>>> 
>>> 
>>>       my name is Girmai Kahsai. I graduated from law school and
acquired
>>> my bar license in 2009. I have been applying for a job for more than
a
>>> year.
>>> I have had interviews and I believe I was not selected for
employment in
>>> some cases due to discrimination tacit or otherwise whenever the
>>> interviewers discovered that I am blind. federal and state agencies
>>> require
>>> experience which is a hurdle for new attorney. due to other
obligations, I
>>> am seeking gainful employment in other areaas which may help me to
move to
>>> attorney position in the long run.  I have been a lawyer for
fourteen
>>> years
>>> in another country and I have no doubt that law is the best
profession
>>> that
>>> would not require sight. nonetheless due to innumberable challenges
such
>>> as
>>> the current economic crisis, bias etc. employment is evading me. but
I
>>> would
>>> like to stress that with proper planning and preparation newly
graduated
>>> blind attorneys have the chance of employment. the prospective blind
>>> lawyer
>>> should work as intern duringg summers in federal or state agencies,
>>> participate in nmoot court competitions, law school journal etc.
these
>>> experiences would give the blind lawyer an edge in the search for
>>> employment. employers consider these experiences during the hiring
>>> process.
>>> the formation of a nonprofit organization for the provision of legal
aid
>>> should be explored as an alternative option by a blind attorney. the
legal
>>> profession is extremely broad and can be applied flexibly depending
on the
>>> creativity of the blind attorney individual. I  would like to
encourage
>>> blind individuals with stamina and skills to strive to study law.
>>> 
>>> -----Original Message----- From: James Weisberg
>>> Sent: Friday, November 19, 2010 7:56 PM
>>> To: 'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'
>>> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] blind attorneys
>>> 
>>> 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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onli
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>>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
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>> 
>> 
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