[Blindtlk] Lawyer with visual impairment expects the unexpected.

[David Andrews]

>Lawyer Spotlight, May 2008: Charles S. Brown, Esq.
>
>Lawyer with visual impairment expects the unexpected.
>
>Irish playwright Oscar Wilde said, "To expect the unexpected shows a
>thoroughly modern intellect." If such is the case, Charles S. Brown, Esq. is
>certainly contemporary in his thinking. In both his professional legal
>career and his current work with helping the blind deal with discrimination,
>Charlie knows that nothing is set in stone-especially in this day and age.
>
>Charlie Brown was born blind, but due to corrective surgery as an infant,
>regained a limited amount of sight. Charlie has made sure to discuss
>accommodations for his disability up front with employers, which include
>computer screen enlargement software, closed circuit TV reading systems, and
>Braille.
>
>Charlie graduated from Northwestern University School of Law. In recalling
>his instruction during law school, Charlie notes that his legal education
>prepared him to deal effectively with the unexpected: "All lawyers need to
>deal with arguments that surprise them. They need to understand new facts
>and new circumstances as they unfold and then be sure to deal with them
>calmly and effectively." Such a trait should be had by all lawyers, Brown
>says: "A lawyer should always be as well prepared as he or she can be, in
>addition to possessing patience when dealing with unexpected situations."
>
>Surprises can also come in the form of employment opportunities. Charlie
>worked as special counsel for the U.S. Department of Labor and then as the
>Designated Agency Ethics Official for the National Science Foundation. After
>many years of service for the National Federation of the Blind, Charlie
>became the first vice-president of the National Association of Blind
>Lawyers. Currently, he serves as director of the Volunteer Lawyers for the
>Blind, a pro bono project of the American Action Fund for Blind Children and
>Adults. When asked whether he expected to be doing litigation on behalf of
>the blind after years of public service as an ethics officer, Brown replied,
>"Not at all. It was quite a surprise, but I cherish the opportunity I now
>have to help my fellow blind folks achieve fair treatment."
>
>Dealing with the unexpected also applies to lawyers who deal with disability
>law and disability rights. "When advocating for those with disabilities, one
>has to watch public attitudes--they can change quickly," Brown observes, "An
>advocate needs to take such a shift in attitudes into consideration when
>attempting to educate the public about the rights of those with
>disabilities." In practicing disability law, the lawyer must also be
>prepared for unforeseen results. "Sometimes, in representing those with
>disabilities, a lawyer will seek a legal solution that may not always be
>there in the end. Litigation takes its toll on the winners, too; the time
>and resources necessary to succeed in a case for your client can never be
>predicted," says Brown, "That is why lawyers need to be mature when handling
>a case and realizing the unexpected is out there."

David Andrews and white cane Harry.