[blindlaw] blind attorneys
ckrugman at sbcglobal.net
ckrugman at sbcglobal.net
Sat Nov 27 21:41:39 UTC 2010
This is a very good assessment of the situation. While not having
completed law school I have had to create many of my opportunities and
successes both as a social worker and as a paralegal. In many instances this
involved taking risks that others would not have taken with employers that
were just starting out businesses or agencies and working for solo
practitioners currently. At times I have had to be paid on a contingency as
the attorney was on personal injury cases.
Chuck Krugman, M.S.W. Paralegal
1237 P Street
Fresno ca 93721
559-266-9237
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dennis Clark" <dennisgclark at sbcglobal.net>
To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, November 18, 2010 6:56 PM
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] blind attorneys
> Hello James,
>
> Clearly you are frustrated, I fully understand that, and for anyone else
> to tell you that you should not be is judging you without knowing about
> your personal experiences. There is no question that there is tremendous
> discrimination in the legal field, because the law firms understand the
> discrimination laws and are expert at circumventing them. Regardless,
> this is the world in which we must function and try to succeed, and I
> think there is opportunity in the discrimination we are all encountering.
> One characteristic that I have noticed with successful people, is that
> they more often than not have created their own opportunities, by building
> on their own talents and limitations.
>
> When I am feeling discouraged, I try to remind myself about the employment
> possibilities which faced black attorneys such as Thurgood Marshal in the
> 1940's. Employment with large firms was not possible for these black
> attorneys regardless of how talented or bright they might have been. None
> the less, Thurgood Marshal did succeed, mostly by filing civil rights
> cases for blacks and helping to build the NAACP Legal Defense Fund into a
> formidable institution. My opinion is that most of the success that
> blacks enjoy today is a direct result of the work done by the Legal
> Defense Fund. As blind attorneys, we have that opportunity as well simply
> by following Thurgood Marshal's roadmap, if we would simply pool our
> talents and just do it.
>
> My personal opinion is that discrimination in both education and all areas
> of employment has become much worse for blind people following the passage
> of the ADA. The good news here, is that if there is to be any improvement
> in our lives it will be as a result of blind lawyers fighting for the
> civil rights of blind people. We unlike non lawyers, can force our
> opponents to deal with us, because we have the power to drag them into
> court, and when we succeed they will be paying our legal expenses.
>
> Another characteristic of successful people is that they will not take no
> for an answer and they never quit no matter how difficult the road ahead
> nor no matter how many doors are slammed in their faces. This kind of
> inner strength is very difficult to muster and maintain, particularly when
> there is no support system in place to help us get reenergized.
> Unfortunately as blind people we do not support one another and as a
> result we do not have such a support system to turn to. Instead when one
> of our blind brethren admits that he or she is having a problem related to
> blindness, they will be attacked, not supported. I am not aware of any
> other minority groups which do this.
>
> the attack chorus always sings the same self serving song, and the lyrics
> goes that the person in need of assistance is to blame and has not spent
> enough of their life learning blindness skills, which in my opinion
> translates into the silly notion that the blind person hasn't become
> sighted enough. The aspect of this which is most amusing to me, if
> amusement can be found at all, is that upon inspection, those leading the
> attack and singing the loudest, have usually accomplished almost nothing
> other than spending their time trying to become sighted using technology.
> My thinking is that as blind people we can either choose to accept the
> limitations which are inherent to blindness and become successful anyway,
> or we can spend all our waking hours trying to become "independent" by
> developing blindness skills in an effort to make us as close to being
> sighted as is possible using technology.
>
> If there are other lawyers on this list who feel similarly to me, please
> contact me off list. I would like to do something about our situation, by
> learning from the successes of other minorities. All of us who are blind
> should be clear that the problem we face as lawyers is that there is too
> much legal work to do, not that there is too little work. We are
> privileged to be lawyers, so let's take on the challenge. Let's find
> strength and success in friendship, support, and optimistic collective
> action. We are lawyers, we have power, so lets use it to help one another
> and all who are blind. Let's talk and see what we can do together.
>
> All the best,
> Dennis
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "James Weisberg" <jimi-law at dc.rr.com>
> To: "'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'" <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Thursday, November 18, 2010 4:15 PM
> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] blind attorneys
>
>
>> How's "Supervising Attorney" for a Berkeley clinic, Pro Bono work in
>> Southern Florida before the immigration court at Krome detention center,
>> Superior Court in Cali a few months back, also pro bono (all successful
>> outcomes unfortunately people do not go to blind attorneys with money if
>> they can go to sighted ones!) That's not my prejudice just my
>> experience.
>> I've litigated for over ten years, state, federal, administrative BS
>> hearings and have been VERY successful . . . but I live on 1300/month in
>> disability. Open and office on that and on top of that demand a deserved
>> retainer! Not realistic. How's it sound now? Like I'm not putting
>> forth
>> the effort???
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> Behalf Of John Ramsey
>> Sent: Thursday, November 18, 2010 4:00 PM
>> To: 'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'
>> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] blind attorneys
>>
>> I guess many of us on the list are exceptions and I certainly do not come
>> from money. Are you saying that you are a top tier Berkeley Grad? If so,
>> maybe you aren't putting forth the effort to practice law.
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> Behalf Of James Weisberg
>> Sent: Thursday, November 18, 2010 6:55 PM
>> To: 'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'
>> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] blind attorneys
>>
>> Based upon my experience, Berkeley grad, top tier law grad, ZERO job
>> offers
>> despite NEVER not getting an interview, combined with the extremely low
>> numbers of blind attorneys I can't think of what there might be to
>> discuss.
>> My advice to anyone with vision issues considering law as a career is to
>> not
>> waste their time or money they have a greater chance statistically,
>> probably, of getting hit by lightening on the way to law class than ever
>> getting an offer of employment. Now if you come from money, forget
>> everything I have said and just open your own firm! THAT IS THE WAY IT
>> IS!
>> But there are always EXCEPTIONS. I personally wouldn't want to invest
>> the
>> time and money law school requires on the hopes I'll be an exception.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> Behalf Of Karla Gilbride
>> Sent: Thursday, November 18, 2010 12:48 PM
>> To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List
>> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] blind attorneys
>>
>> James,
>>
>> I don't mean to minimize the barriers, but the prospects for blind
>> attorneys
>> are certainly not as bad as you suggest. I can think of at least ten off
>> the
>> top of my head, including myself (I've been totally blind since birth),
>> and
>> I'm sure I could come up with others given more time. Perhaps we should
>> chat
>> further off-list about your specific concerns.
>>
>> Best,
>> Karla Gilbride
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org]
>> On Behalf Of James Weisberg
>> Sent: Thursday, November 18, 2010 12:16 PM
>> To: 'NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List'
>> Subject: Re: [blindlaw] blind attorneys
>>
>> Curious:
>>
>> 1. Are there any blind, statutorily or otherwise, and EMPLOYED at all????
>> I'm referring here to those with vision issue prior to employment. I
>> would
>> suggest the numbers of such individuals should lead all those with vision
>> issues to forgo law school entirely. FACT!
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org]
>> On Behalf Of dlmlaw at sbcglobal.net
>> Sent: Thursday, November 18, 2010 7:10 AM
>> To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List
>> Subject: [blindlaw] blind attorneys
>>
>> Are there any attorneys out there who are:
>> 1 blind or statutorily blind;
>> 2 unemployed or underemployed as defined by substantial gainful
>> activity;
>> and
>> 3 receiving disability as a result.
>>
>> If so, I would appreciate hearing from you. Thanks.
>>
>> Dan
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>> om
>>
>>
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>
>
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