[blindlaw] Bench Bar Conference

[Rob Tabor]

Good evening colleagues,

I couldn't agree more with Dave on this matter. As several candidates for
public presidential and congressional offices had to learn the hard way, 
It's the public perception of the candidate's message that counts, not the
intended message. While MR. McBride likely intends blind justice to be
applied as metaphor for the unbiased nonprejudicial approach to
jurisprudence, this otherwise innocuous message is unfortunately overpowered
by the fear of blindness and the stereotyped assumptions held by the general
public of the helpless incompetence of blind people. Dan, I would love to
see you become a judge in your county, circuit, or judicial district. But
think about this. Every losing candidate will do the inevitable postmortem
analysis in attempting to figure out what went wrong. The obvious point I am
leading to is that if you end up losing your bid for a judgeship  it will
beg the question as to whether your advertising tactics and strategy came
back to bite you. I've said my piece, so let a word to the wise be
sufficient unto itself.

Best regards,
Rob Tabor
-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of David
Andrews
Sent: Saturday, November 17, 2012 6:32 PM
To: Blind Law Mailing List
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Bench Bar Conference

Well, the sunglasses is a stereotype, and while all of us here equate
blindness with competence, not everyone in the public does.  I could be
wrong -- but what I am trying to say is that your message, a combination of
words and picture may be interpreted differently from what you mean. In
Communications we are taught it isn't what you are trying to say -- but what
people think you are saying.

Dave

At 05:10 PM 11/17/2012, you wrote:
>Dave:
>
>With all due respect, the only stereotype I would intend to lean on is that
>justice should be blind.  Should I decide to run, I will not only lean on
>it, I will demand it.
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of David
>Andrews
>Sent: Saturday, November 17, 2012 3:42 PM
>To: Blind Law Mailing List
>Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Bench Bar Conference
>
>At the risk of being argumentative, I would urge you to think about
whethe3r
>your sign/slogan is a good idea or not.  You can't or shouldn't hide your
>blindness, on the other hand do y0ou want to lean on some old stereotypes,
>that shouldn't be perpetuated, and in fact may come back to bite you in the
>.....
>
>Dave
>
>At 02:43 PM 11/16/2012, you wrote:
> >Elizabeth:
> >
> >Four County Criminal Court at Law Judges are retiring at the end of
> >next year in my county of residence.  I am seriously considering
> >running.  In fact, I have already formulated my campaign slogan.
> >
> >On the far left side of the yard signs and push cards will be a photo
> >of me with my sunglasses on and my cane visible.  To the right of my
> >photo it will read "Daniel McBride for Judge of County Criminal Court
> >One...Because Justice Should Be Blind".
> >
> >I cannot think of a reason in the world why you shouldn't run for one
> >of your judicial positions.  Further, I have no objection to  you using
> >my slogan if you like same.
> >
> >Dan
> >
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
> >Elizabeth Rene
> >Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2012 9:05 PM
> >To: blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> >Subject: [blindlaw] Bench Bar Conference
> >
> >Hi all,
> >
> >I'm writing to reflect upon a bench bar conference I attended on Monday
> >through my county bar association.
> >
> >Judges from every level of my state's court system, from muni court
> >presider to supreme court chief justice, spoke all day in panels to
> >engage lawyers in upcoming developments, bench bar relationships,
> >election patterns and their impact on judicial diversity, and future
trends
>in court staffing.
> >
> >One striking revelation consistently communicated from the bench was
> >that 40 to 50 percent of the judges now sitting will retire within the
> >next five years.
> >
> >This was disheartening to me because well-liked and well-respected
> >judges who have been icons of the court will soon be gone, I know I'll
> >miss their presence, and there'll be a kind of knowledge and experience
> >gap yawning in the near future that will take years to fill.
> >
> >But as the day progressed, I started to have a new feeling.  Gee, maybe
> >I could be one of those new judges!
> >
> >There'll be a labor shortage on the bench, which has to mean
> >opportunity for any qualified and committed person who wants to serve
> >as a judge.  And there'll be a little bit of time to prepare for it.
> >
> >My state can't be all that unique.  So, my fellow blind lawyers, you
> >might have such an opportunity in store, too.
> >
> >With the technology now available to us, the duties of a judge should
> >be easier than ever before to perform without sight.  With a growing
> >number of blind lawyers in practice, fellow members of the bar are
> >coming to recognize us as practitioners of skill and integrity.  WE can
do
>this.
> >
> >What do you think?
> >
> >Elizabeth


_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/rob.tabor%40sbcglobal.
net