[blindlaw] News story on my law school completion

[Dittman, Robert]

Hi all,

Hope you enjoy this.  I am just doing my bit.

The following is from the San Antonio Expres News... Surviving law school would be a proud achievement for anybody. But for Robert Dittman, who classmates nicknamed “Blind Justice,” it's not just his latest degree. It's a necessary step toward a dream he may still have to fight for: Landing a job as a military attorney. The sky-diving, competitive-wrestling, Eagle-Scouting, U.S. Coast Guard volunteer lost most of his sight as a result of being born premature and the remainder after a wrestling blow to the head as a teen. Dittman, 35 has a simple philosophy for handling tough scenarios: “When the world tells you, 'No,' turn the world on its head.” On Dec. 8, he became one of two dozen St. Mary's University law students receiving their doctoral hoods, signifying degree completion. His seeing-eye dog Snickers, a docile chocolate Labrador retriever, earned a bone from the dean for his efforts as well. “Snickers went through law school, too, so it was just fair,” said Reynaldo Valencia, the law school's associate dean for administration and finance. “He had to do those long hours with Rob here.” Dittman and Snickers are already buckling down to study for the bar exam in February. Law school staff can recall just one other blind student graduating from the program, and that was more than a decade ago, Valencia said. Dittman credits the school with going well beyond what's required by the Americans with Disabilities Act to help him succeed. It spent thousands of dollars on a Braille printer and other technology, assigned a staff member to ensure he had materials in a format he could access and let him use a room in the library to study and for Snickers to relax off-duty, Valencia said. “We are a Catholic Marianist university, and if there is something we should do for a student with particular needs, we do it,” he said, adding that the energetic Dittman responded in kind. While in law school, Dittman studied international issues in Innsbruck, Austria. He acted as a student attorney at the school's Center for Legal and Social Justice in San Antonio — working with clients on divorces, consumer protection cases and foreclosures. And he worked as a legal “extern” for the U.S. Coast Guard, assisting with courts-martial proceedings and other cases. The military was his inspiration for studying law. “I've always wanted to serve,” Dittman said. “They've always told me, 'No.'” So he tried to think of a skill he could acquire that the military would always need. “It's so funny. So many people want out of the military, and I've been working for 17 years to get in,” said Dittman, who has worked for years with the volunteer U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and other military organizations. “I believe in the values of officership.” His parents served in the Air Force and Army, and he was born on Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls. Dittman said the military should consider giving him a medical waiver because the armed forces have allowed service members visually impaired while on duty to continue to serve and because he's been doing the job as a volunteer already. His efforts have elicited recommendations from the likes of law professors and Coast Guard officers. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn's office has also helped inquire with the Department of Defense on his behalf. “We admire very much his desire to serve his country,” said Cornyn's spokeswoman Jessica Sandlin in an email. Despite these appeals, Dittman received a response letter from the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense saying his medical condition would “limit the duties and missions of a uniformed officer” and urging him to consider civilian employment with the Defense Department instead. “While many of these people have otherwise outstanding qualifications, they are unable to serve,” department spokesman Nate Christensen said in an email. “Individuals who are physically disqualified for military duty can and do become civilian members of the team. The work they perform for the department and our country is valuable and rewarding but without the rigors of military duty.” Christensen said about 35 percent of those who want to join the military are disqualified because of a physical condition. But Dittman has not given up. He said the military should not allow soldiers who were visually impaired during combat to serve on active duty “without completely and utterly looking into my blindness as well,” he said, drawing a correlation to other groups that have been barred from service in the past — minorities, women and gays. “I'm not going away.” Dittman said. “Even if I lose, I'll know I've done the full measure.”"