[blindlaw] Introduction from a new member

[rbacchus228 at gmail.com]

Welcome to the list. Roanna Bacchus.

Sent from my iPad

> On Jun 7, 2018, at 3:00 PM, Graham Hardy via BlindLaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi everyone,
> 
> I am a new member to this list. I was called to the bar in British Columbia in 2015. For the past several months I've been with a firm that does insurance defence and subrogated insurance claims including motor vehicle accidents, plaintiff-side personal injury, workers' compensation, family, and employment. I am totally blind since birth. I hope to share some knowledge with this list about succeeding in a law practice.
> 
> I have a couple of questions to start. I have an extremely supportive set of lawyers and assistants at my firm, who as far as I can tell all want me to succeed, and, for instance, I'm explicitly encouraged to take my paralegal with me to court and to examinations for discovery (which I believe are called depositions in America). My biggest concern is documents. I've found I need to be excessively prepared with a knowledge of my files, and if I plan ahead of time I can make notes in my files of the various sources of information I can put to witnesses and exactly where it is in the file. I've already run a trial and it worked fine for the most part, although in one instance I miscommunicated with my paralegal, who didn't have a copy of the document I actually wanted but had only one that looked very similar. But do you have experience or tips for how to be the most effective?
> 
> Second, I'm becoming aware that there are blind people who either want to become lawyers or are on their way to it, and obviously sighted lawyers who have trouble understanding the potential of blind lawyers. I recognise I'm lucky to be where I am and want to find opportunities to be visible and to give back to the community. Being in court obviously achieves that visibility. When I go to chambers (or motions practice) for an interlocutory order, the courtroom is full of other lawyers who see my advocacy. I've also recently been elected for a three-year term on the Provincial Council of the Canadian Bar Association, which will hopefully be a good leadership position. Is there anything else you can suggest for leadership that might contribute to the legal profession for a junior lawyer?
> 
> Graham Hardy | Lawyer  604-608-2043 | ghardy at harrisbrun.com<mailto:ghardy at harrisbrun.com>
> [Harris & Brun - Barristers & Solicitors]<http://www.harrisbrun.com/>
> 
> HARRIS & BRUN LAW CORPORATION - Barristers & Solicitors
> 500 - 555 West Georgia  Vancouver  BC  V6B 1Z6
> Phone: 604-683-2466   Fax: 604-683-4541   www.harrisbrun.com<http://www.harrisbrun.com/>
> [http://www.harrisbrun.com/wordpress/email_signature/divide.gif]
> 
> This transmission is directed in confidence solely to the person named above, and may not otherwise be distributed, copied or disclosed. The contents of this transmission may also be subject to solicitor-client privilege and all rights to that privilege are expressly claimed and not waived. If you have received this transmission in error, please notify us immediately by telephone (collect if necessary) at (604) 683-2466, and destroy the original transmission without making a copy.
> Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail.
> 
> _______________________________________________
> 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/rbacchus228%40gmail.com