[blindlaw] Leaving federal employment

[Elizabeth Rene]

Hi Mike,

I just want to say how much I admire you for taking the leap out of a secure 
job to enhance your wife's opportunities.  Many sighted men wouldn't do 
that.  Your decision shows both guts and heart, and it seems to me that 
employers with these qualities should appreciate you whether you are blind 
or sighted.

These qualities have probably shone through in your federal practice, and I 
wonder whether you have scouted out potential references yet.  I'd bet there 
are plenty of colleagues, supervisors, judges, etc. etc. who would vouch for 
your professional attributes.

Maybe, too, there are other federal offices, though maybe not in your 
current agency, in the city and state you're moving to.  If so, you may have 
the advantage of already being a federal attorney.

What I'm trying to say is that, even with all the prejudice out there 
regarding blind employees, you may be a lot more desirable and marketable as 
an employee than you think.

But I don't minimize your anxiety, because I'm feeling a lot of the same 
thing, coming back into law practice after several years away pursuing other 
dreams.

It just seems to me, though, that you have proven your worth as a lawyer, 
even if you've faced tough workplace challenges, and even if you haven't 
found all the best answers as to how to meet them.

Just for your own comfort, maybe this might be a good time to shore up any 
blindness related workplace skills you wish you could have devoted time to 
during those hectic trial days, or maybe brush up on the law generally, 
especially if you have to take a bar exam.

I highly recommend BARBRI for the bar review.  Even if you don't sit for an 
exam, the omnibus review of the law you get, combined with their 
pretty-darn-good ADA accommodations, could do a lot to still those tummy 
butterflies.  I'd be happy to communicate off list about this, if you'd 
like.  My iPhone address is rene0373 at gmail.com.

Hang in there, and good luck.

Elizabeth