Law was my chosen profession. After earning law degrees and multiple bar admissions in New Zealand and the United States, I discovered that such credentials are not an automatic entry into the work force. Many prospective employers can’t imagine a client having confidence in the ability of a 40-inch-tall lawyer. Thankfully, I had enough imagination for both of us.
My entry into a legal career preceded nondiscrimination disability laws. Hence employers freely expressed flimsy excuses and abhorrent advice:
- You won’t be able to appear in court because the legal robe will be too long!
- Judges won’t wait for you to run up and down the stairs to get instructions from a client in custody.
- Get a job in government service where you’ll work behind closed doors and won’t need to deal with the public.
Want to subscribe to receive blog updates sign up today!
Undeterred by discriminatory barriers, I looked for employers focused on skills not appearances. To be sure I wasn’t screened out before a job interview, I gave no hint of my height when calling or submitting a resume. It wasn’t a matter of hiding my size, rather a question of timing. It’s easier to dispel preconceived notions face-to-face.
Although not all employers are open to persuasion as shown in one interview. The attorney leaned back into his leather chair, put his feet on the desk, and his only questions were unrelated to the job or my experience. Clearly he was not considering me for the position. With nothing to lose, I challenged him for the questions he didn’t ask. This startled him into a bolt upright position followed by one open-ended query. My answer did not dint his prejudice, but at least he learned his bigotry was exposed.
Several months after I began working for an employer obligated by federal law to provide reasonable accommodations, a kindergarten height toilet mysteriously appeared in the bathroom. I was transported into the fantasy land of Goldilocks and the Three Bears: one for papa bear (wheelchair height), one for mama bear (regular height), and one for baby bear (my height). I had to ask, “What does the company think I’ve been doing all this time when I needed to use the bathroom?” The incident sparked an addition to the employee policy manual: Always ask the person with a disability before making an accommodation!
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. The range of law jobs I engaged in during my 40-year law career demonstrates a few of the many directions a law degree can take:
- Barrister and solicitor in a legal aid court practice.
- Legal writer and project editor of disability civil rights and other law books for Thomson Reuters.
- Staff writer on religious liberty issues for the Christian Law Association.
- Advocacy Specialist and Coordinator for the Coalition for Independent Living Options.
My first thought of becoming a law correspondent for a media outlet never happened, but my interest in writing featured for the majority of my career. So don’t be afraid to pursue your passion and don’t succumb to the bigots who ignore your talent. This post includes excerpts from books I and II in my dwarfism memoir trilogy: Dwarfs Don’t Live in Doll Houses and PASS ME YOUR SHOES: A Couple with Dwarfism Navigates Life’s Detours with Love and Faith, https://angelamuirvanetten.com/books/.
2 replies on “Lessons From My 40-Year Law Career”
Angela, you fill me with shame at how I have taken for granted all you have achieved in your life. As a family member I simply accepted all your achievements, I never doubted you would do well, because you were yourself, my clever achieving neice. You are given me such insights into your life and the life of all people of small stature. Your career is an example to us all but how you achieved it, what you came up against a d how you dealt with it, it is an eye opener. I should have realised and I just didnt. Forgive my ignorance if you can.
No need for shame Susan. Remember, you were the one who gave me the idea of going to law school when I wasn’t sure what direction to take in my studies. I am forever grateful for that.