[blindlaw] Reduced Billable Hour Requirement as an ADA accommodation

Thu Sep 20 22:53:48 UTC 2018

As a blind paralegal I would find insulting that I would have a low4er billable hour requirement than my sighted colleagues. If there are unforeseen issues that arise in completing a task that I am assigned so be it and I might have to be required to work some evenings or week ends to get the job done. It is not a firm or client's responsibility to accommodate me with a lesser requirement that others would not have.
Chuck Krugman, MSW Paralegal
1237 P Street
Fresno ca 93721
559-266-9237

-----Original Message-----
From: BlindLaw <blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Maurer, Marc via BlindLaw
Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2018 5:30 AM
To: Blind Law Mailing List <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Maurer, Marc <mmaurer at nfb.org>
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Reduced Billable Hour Requirement as an ADA accommodation

Colleagues:

I don't believe in the premise. There are times when a piece of technology is more cumbersome to use as a blind lawyer than it would be to use as a sighted lawyer. However, lawyers get paid for time and talent. Ultimately the talent of blind lawyers must be equivalent to that of sighted lawyers, and my observation is that this is true. All lawyers have limitations. Some of them are limitations of temperament, some of mood, some of background and training, some of interest, some of intelligence, and no doubt many others. To single out one limitation and make it more important than all the others is a mistake in assessment. I am not as good as certain of my colleagues in some areas of the law. However, I am much better than many of my colleagues in other areas. What do I have to sell? Intelligence, aggressiveness, a dogged persistence, a faith in my clients, and a measure of experience. I have no compunction whatever in charging people for these. If you want them, you get to pay for them. Some people get them for free, but they have to convince me that it's worth it to me. Sometimes I'm slow, but I'm good when I work. I am not selling accessibility. I am selling talent and commitment. I remember giving advice to a job applicant who put on a resume that the applicant had the best computer and was therefore worth hiring. I wondered out loud why the employer didn't just buy the computer and skip hiring the employee. People hire me because I have the brains and the talent to use them. This is what blind lawyers should sell.

Marc Maurer
Director of Legal Policy
200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230 410-659-9314, extension 2268 | mmaurer at nfb.org

[National Federation of the Blind]<https://nfb.org/>

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The National Federation of the Blind is a community of members and friends who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation’s blind. Every day we work together to help blind people live the lives they want.

-----Original Message-----
From: BlindLaw <blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Michal Nowicki via BlindLaw
Sent: Wednesday, September 19, 2018 2:38 PM
To: Blind Law Mailing List <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Michal Nowicki <mnowicki4 at icloud.com>
Subject: [blindlaw] Reduced Billable Hour Requirement as an ADA accommodation

Hi Everyone,

During last week’s conference call on job interview tips for blind attorneys, I brought up the subject of meeting billable hour requirements as a blind attorney. I now have a follow-up question on that topic. Given the fact that we often need more time to complete some tasks than our sighted colleagues due to access barriers, assistive technology limitations, etc., and that it would be unethical to bill clients for this extra time, does requesting a reasonable reduction in the annual billable hour requirement (e.g., from 2,000 to 1,800 hours) qualify as a reasonable accommodation under the ADA and/or similar disability rights laws? Is there any on-point authority? Any guidance on this issue would be greatly appreciated, as I want to do transactional work, most of which is still done on a billable hour basis.

Best,

Michal

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

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