[blindLaw] Client Interviews and Search Light

[Scott Marshall]

Julie:
I agree with Sanho. When I was a young lawyer practicing in a large firm in the 1970s , I soon discovered how much clients appreciated good communications: listening to their concerns, returning phone calls promptly, admitting when I did not know something, and always, always  following up as promised. My initial interactions with clients were usually over the telephone, and they did not know that I was blind until we actually met. I looked like a teenage kid at the time, so I had to dress for success, and thankfully, the firm's reputation helped, I think, smooth over any doubts about my competence. Like Sanho, if a "how would you handle" question     arose, I responded fully. I think most of the naysayers were other lawyers. 
Although my firm had no problem with my conducting client interviews, depositions, court appearances, and even appellate arguments which were normally not done at the associate level, they were petrified about my appearing before a jury. They felt that a blind lawyer before a jury would be perceived as taking an undue advantage in a relatively small legal community. This attitude drove me crazy as you can imagine, and I was never able to talk them out of it. Remember this was about 40 years ago. I learned a lot in private practice.
Subsequently, I moved to Washington DC and began my lobbying career in the nonprofit world. 

Best of luck to you.

Scott