[blindlaw] Bench Bar Conference

Gerard Sadlier gerard.sadlier at gmail.com
Sun Nov 18 13:32:16 UTC 2012


For what it's worth, I think Dan's slogan is a good one.

Rightly or wrongly, people are going to take his blindness into
account when deciding to vote for him or not and he is far better to
take the bull by the horns and address it on day one. Hopefully he can
put it to bed.

Every race has a loser and if he loses, then presumably he will be
confortable with what he said during his campaign for it not to bother
him.

I can't leave this topic without commenting on how alien the idea of
electing a judge is to someone from our legal tradition.

G

On 11/18/12, Rob Tabor <rob.tabor at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> 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
>
>
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