[blindlaw] blind attorneys

WB mruniverse08 at gmail.com
Sun Nov 28 23:32:47 UTC 2010 

Dennis,

I really like the approach you took in your response.  not having been blind
a total of three years yet, I have repeatedly heard the mantra of "just
learn more blind skills."  You're so right about many of the blind working
against one another or trying to make us all fit into one little
cookie-cutter mold.  I have never experienced that before.  Luckily, my type
A personality won't let me lie dormant.

What do you think about utilizing organizations that already work toward
civil rights advancement for people with disabilities?  I work for one here
in Houston and they don't really know much about blind issues because the
blind here don't complain or make issues aware.

Will

-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of ckrugman at sbcglobal.net
Sent: Saturday, November 27, 2010 3:42 PM
To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] blind attorneys

    This is a very good assessment of the situation. While not having 
completed law school I have had to create many of my opportunities and 
successes both as a social worker and as a paralegal. In many instances this

involved taking risks that others would not have taken with employers that 
were just starting out businesses or agencies and working for solo 
practitioners currently. At times I have had to be paid on a contingency as 
the attorney was on personal injury cases.
Chuck Krugman, M.S.W. Paralegal
1237 P Street
Fresno ca 93721
559-266-9237
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dennis Clark" <dennisgclark at sbcglobal.net>
To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, November 18, 2010 6:56 PM
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] blind attorneys


> Hello James,
>
> Clearly you are frustrated, I fully understand that, and for anyone else 
> to tell you that you should not be is judging you without knowing about 
> your personal experiences.  There is no question that there is tremendous 
> discrimination in the legal field, because the law firms understand the 
> discrimination laws and are expert at circumventing them.  Regardless, 
> this is the world in which we must function and try to succeed, and I 
> think there is opportunity in the discrimination we are all encountering. 
> One characteristic that I have noticed with successful people, is that 
> they more often than not have created their own opportunities, by building

> on their own talents and limitations.
>
> When I am feeling discouraged, I try to remind myself about the employment

> possibilities which faced black attorneys such as Thurgood Marshal in the 
> 1940's.  Employment with large firms was not possible for these black 
> attorneys regardless of how talented or bright they might have been.  None

> the less, Thurgood Marshal did succeed, mostly by filing civil rights 
> cases for blacks and helping to build the NAACP Legal Defense Fund into a 
> formidable institution.  My opinion is that most of the success that 
> blacks enjoy today is a direct result of the work done by the Legal 
> Defense Fund. As blind attorneys, we have that opportunity as well simply 
> by following Thurgood Marshal's roadmap, if we would simply pool our 
> talents and just do it.
>
> My personal opinion is that discrimination in both education and all areas

> of employment has become much worse for blind people following the passage

> of the ADA.  The good news here, is that if there is to be any improvement

> in our lives it will be as a result of blind lawyers fighting for the 
> civil rights of blind people.  We unlike non lawyers, can force our 
> opponents to deal with us, because we have the power to drag them into 
> court, and when we succeed they will be paying our legal expenses.
>
> Another characteristic of successful people is that they will not take no 
> for an answer and they never quit no matter how difficult the road ahead 
> nor no matter how many doors are slammed in their faces.  This kind of 
> inner strength is very difficult to muster and maintain, particularly when

> there is no support system in place to help us get reenergized. 
> Unfortunately as blind people we do not support one another and as a 
> result we do not have such a support system to turn to.  Instead when one 
> of our blind brethren admits that he or she is having a problem related to

> blindness, they will be attacked, not supported.  I am not aware of any 
> other minority groups which do this.
>
> the attack chorus always sings the same self serving song, and the lyrics 
> goes that the person in need of assistance is to blame and has not spent 
> enough of their life learning blindness skills, which in my opinion 
> translates into the silly notion that the blind person hasn't become 
> sighted enough.  The aspect of this which is most amusing to me, if 
> amusement can be found at all, is that upon inspection, those leading the 
> attack and singing the loudest, have usually accomplished almost nothing 
> other than spending their time trying to become sighted using technology. 
> My thinking is that as blind people we can either choose to accept the 
> limitations which are inherent to blindness and become successful anyway, 
> or we can spend all our waking hours trying to become "independent" by 
> developing blindness skills in an effort to make us as close to being 
> sighted as is possible using technology.
>
> If there are other lawyers on this list who feel similarly to me, please 
> contact me off list.  I would like to do something about our situation, by

> learning from the successes of other minorities.  All of us who are blind 
> should be clear that the problem we face as lawyers is that there is too 
> much legal work to do, not that there is too little work.  We are 
> privileged to be lawyers, so let's take on the challenge.  Let's find 
> strength and success in friendship, support, and optimistic collective 
> action.  We are lawyers, we have power, so lets use it to help one another

> and all who are blind.  Let's talk and see what we can do together.
>
> All the best,
> Dennis
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "James Weisberg" <jimi-law at dc.rr.com>
> To: "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Thursday, November 18, 2010 4:15 PM
> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] blind attorneys
>
>
>> How's "Supervising Attorney" for a Berkeley clinic, Pro Bono work in
>> Southern Florida before the immigration court at Krome detention center,
>> Superior Court in Cali a few months back, also pro bono (all successful
>> outcomes unfortunately people do not go to blind attorneys with money if
>> they can go to sighted ones!)  That's not my prejudice just my 
>> experience.
>> I've litigated for over ten years, state, federal, administrative BS
>> hearings and have been VERY successful . . . but I live on 1300/month in
>> disability.  Open and office on that and on top of that demand a deserved
>> retainer!  Not realistic.  How's it sound now?  Like I'm not putting 
>> forth
>> the effort???
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> Behalf Of John Ramsey
>> Sent: Thursday, November 18, 2010 4:00 PM
>> To: 'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'
>> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] blind attorneys
>>
>> I guess many of us on the list are exceptions and I certainly do not come
>> from money. Are you saying that you are a top tier Berkeley Grad?  If so,
>> maybe you aren't putting forth the effort to practice law.
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> Behalf Of James Weisberg
>> Sent: Thursday, November 18, 2010 6:55 PM
>> To: 'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'
>> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] blind attorneys
>>
>> 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.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> Behalf Of Karla Gilbride
>> Sent: Thursday, November 18, 2010 12:48 PM
>> To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List
>> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] blind attorneys
>>
>> James,
>>
>> I don't mean to minimize the barriers, but the prospects for blind 
>> attorneys
>> are certainly not as bad as you suggest. I can think of at least ten off 
>> the
>> top of my head, including myself (I've been totally blind since birth), 
>> and
>> I'm sure I could come up with others given more time. Perhaps we should 
>> chat
>> further off-list about your specific concerns.
>>
>> Best,
>> Karla Gilbride
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org]
>> On Behalf Of James Weisberg
>> Sent: Thursday, November 18, 2010 12:16 PM
>> To: 'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'
>> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] blind attorneys
>>
>> Curious:
>>
>> 1. Are there any blind, statutorily or otherwise, and EMPLOYED at all????
>> I'm referring here to those with vision issue prior to employment.  I 
>> would
>> suggest the numbers of such individuals should lead all those with vision
>> issues to forgo law school entirely.  FACT!
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org]
>> On Behalf Of dlmlaw at sbcglobal.net
>> Sent: Thursday, November 18, 2010 7:10 AM
>> To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List
>> Subject: [blindlaw] blind attorneys
>>
>> Are there any attorneys out there who are:
>> 1  blind or statutorily blind;
>> 2  unemployed or underemployed as defined by substantial gainful 
>> activity;
>> and
>> 3  receiving disability as a result.
>>
>> If so, I would appreciate hearing from you.  Thanks.
>>
>> Dan
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>
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