A frist for ne

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Dawg

..or a first for me. I came across a dyslexic lawyer today. Now, liberal as I am, (stop laughing at the back), I might have second thoughts about having him draw up a contract for me, or even check one.

Is this wrong? Should we indulge dyslexia in various professions? Dyslexic doctors? Airline pilots? In some cases obviously not, but where is the line drawn? Dyslexic Roofpreaders?

Just thinking out loud really...
 
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Many dyslexic's I've known have had exceedingly sharp minds.

Something worth having in lawyer, I would think.

I've known at least one like that. I think it is probably because they have to compensate.
In a lawyer I'd like an exceedingly sharp mind and ortholexia.
 
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..or a first for me. I came across a dyslexic lawyer today. Now, liberal as I am, (stop laughing at the back), I might have second thoughts about having him draw up a contract for me, or even check one.

Is this wrong? Should we indulge dyslexia in various professions? Dyslexic doctors? Airline pilots? In some cases obviously not, but where is the line drawn? Dyslexic Roofpreaders?

Blimey the Dawg complaining about dyslexia.:eek:

The master of mixed up letters and god doof.:p

Bleeding 'ell pot kettle and snycroprosy come to mind.:|

Earl
 
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A disyliac lawyer? I agree with the often sharp mind reference, but having a great strategy is useless if the contract you approve is useless due to reversed forms of words - how easy would it be to change the entire meaning of sentance by swapping a few words/letters around?

Thats said he is lawyer so we have to assume he found a way of coping through law school and can do the job just fine.

Think of it this way, if the pilot and co-pilot flying your plane were both blind... But the flight attendent promised you they had never crashed you wouldn't still be worried would you??

Of course not ;)
 
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I wouldn't have a problem with a dyslexic lawyer so long as he was smart enough to know that he needed to hire a proof reader. (Would you follow a blind guy without a dog?)
 
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I have worked with many blind lawyers so if they can do the job, then I am sure a dyslexic one can so long as his secretary isn't dyslexic!
 
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I have worked with many blind lawyers so if they can do the job, then I am sure a dyslexic one can so long as his secretary isn't dyslexic!

AHA!

So can a secretary do her/his/its job if they are dyslexic? :|

There surely comes a point when the copy editor can't employ a copy editor...

:|
 
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Actually...

Technically a blind guide dog could do its job if it had a full sighted owner.

I'm thinking too much on this now.
 
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AHA!

So can a secretary do her/his/its job if they are dyslexic? :|

There surely comes a point when the copy editor can't employ a copy editor...

:|

No as they have to type whereas the lawyer can get away with speaking into a dictaphone.

He does have to be able to read though (or in the case of the blind person have stuff read to him).
 
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No as they have to type whereas the lawyer can get away with speaking into a dictaphone.

He does have to be able to read though (or in the case of the blind person have stuff read to him).

True - but can I be fasecious without it being noticed and end up recieving a sensible reply?

Apparently so ;)
 
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Did you know that the writer A A Gill, (Sunday Times) is dyslexic? Quite badly so I believe.
(He also stutters. His real name is Kevin Robin Gill, but because of his stutter, when he got the job at the Sunday Times he told the editor his name was a...a...a....a Gill, and it just stuck. Weird huh?)

Still, back on thread. Would you want a blind, dyslexic vet to write a prescription for your dog? Tricky...
 
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Did you know that the writer A A Gill, (Sunday Times) is dyslexic? Quite badly so I believe.
(He also stutters. His real name is Kevin Robin Gill, but because of his stutter, when he got the job at the Sunday Times he told the editor his name was a...a...a....a Gill, and it just stuck. Weird huh?)

Still, back on thread. Would you want a blind, dyslexic vet to write a prescription for your dog? Tricky...

Ok lets be serious.

what if... A blind man has a guide dog that stops doing its job, and starts darting down side roads after other dogs. But the man now loves his dog. They have bonded.

Should he still take the dog for a walk? :)
 
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Ok lets be serious.

what if... A blind man has a guide dog that stops doing its job, and starts darting down side roads after other dogs. But the man now loves his dog. They have bonded.

Should he still take the dog for a walk? :)

If I was the blind man, I'd actively encourage my dog's newfound sense of fun, it would make going out worthwhile :D
 
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If I was the blind man, I'd actively encourage my dog's newfound sense of fun, it would make going out worthwhile :D


For all we know a blind man is reading this thread, worse still a blind dyslexic man could read it and take what we're saying the wrong way.

boom boom :)
 
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If I was the blind man, I'd actively encourage my dog's newfound sense of fun, it would make going out worthwhile :D


lolol this thread made me chuckle much :)

and ello comspec long time no see :D i hope you are well

Rain
xxxx
 
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A dyslexic lawyer?

Probably fine for advice and so on, but I wouldn't use one to write up a contract. Even if they did have a proofreader, I simply wouldn't trust their ability to correct words and sentences properly from a legal standpoint. I like my contracts watertight.

If I could choose, then I'd go for the non-dyslexic lawyer. I don't really have any particular reason to choose the dyslexic chap unless he's especially brilliant or cheap.
 
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I have worked with many blind lawyers so if they can do the job, then I am sure a dyslexic one can so long as his secretary isn't dyslexic!

Matt Murdock always seemed to do alright and he was blind :)

*geek*
 
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Ok going to upset a few people here but :-


Some of the posts here display a level of stupidity that really shocks me.


The World Federation of Neurology defined dyslexia as follows:
Specific developmental dyslexia is a disorder manifested by difficulty learning to read despite conventional instruction, adequate intelligence, and adequate sociocultural opportunity. It is dependent upon fundamental cognitive disabilities that are frequently of constitutional origin.

Dyslexia is a neurological condition.


It is nothing to do with intelligence and in fact there has been research to suggest that dyslexia sufferers have above average IQ.


I was diagnosed with dyslexia when I was five and, thanks to a lot of effort by my mother through the 70s and 80s, I finished my education with 14 O levels ( including English Language and English Lit ), 4 A levels ( including English Lit ) and a law/computing Bsc Hons degree.


I then did my law society finals at the first attempt ( a high % of degree level peopled used to fail these at their first attempt) . I trained for 2 years and qualified as a solicitor. I became a firm manager and partner, started my own firm from scratch which I sold after 3 years for a profit.


As I said I have dyslexia but I was taught and have utilised strategies to cope.


2 points :-


Are people seriously suggesting that if you pass your A levels , get a degree , pass your solicitor exams and train for 2 years that a solicitor with dyslexia cannot draft a contract ? Not to mention , electronic precedents, word processor spell check etc and yes legal secretary's and legal execs ?



And


In the UK , under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) dyslexia is classed as a disability.


So for the ignorant posts on here who think their spelling mistakes are funny ! Lets hear all your funny jokes about people in wheelchairs , or downs syndrome, etc :mad:
 
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'Ukfatboy', my point is this:

If you have Dyslexia and you find it very difficult to spell, would you be able to draft up a contract which has perfect grammar, perfect spelling and is completely watertight from a legal standpoint?

If not, do you have a proofreader who can correct sentence structure and spelling? Does this person have legal experience? Is there a risk that this person could misinterpret a misspelled word incorrectly? Is this person aware what kind of effect changes to sentences and wording could have?

I have no problem with using dyslexic people for a almost all services. However, if I'm going to set an extremely important contract drawn up, then it needs to be perfect for the sake of my own business.
 
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'Ukfatboy', my point is this:

If you have Dyslexia and you find it very difficult to spell, would you be able to draft up a contract which has perfect grammar, perfect spelling and is completely watertight from a legal standpoint?

If not, do you have a proofreader who can correct sentence structure and spelling? Does this person have legal experience? Is there a risk that this person could misinterpret a misspelled word incorrectly? Is this person aware what kind of effect changes to sentences and wording could have?

I have no problem with using dyslexic people for a almost all services. However, if I'm going to set an extremely important contract drawn up, then it needs to be perfect for the sake of my own business.

I don't think that would be a problem Scott.

How would they pass the stringent exams etc?

Moreover they do have Indemnity Insurances... etc

Watertight contracts?.. what are they?

:)
 
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Sorry still disagree.

Perfect grammar is not relevant to contract law or drafting , the sentence/clause should be constructed to give a precise legal meaning and in fact if you read enough contracts you realise that grammar is you enemy.

Spelling is a given but most solicitors use a wp and a dictaphone.

Legal training and professionalism should prevent transposed words or meanings. Otherwise everybody would do their own contracts
 
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What many people fail to realise is that dyslexia isn't really about spelling and is different for every person who it affects. Dyslexia comes in many forms - for some, it may be about reading, others about writing, others about interpreting the meaning, others about memory and many other areas. Even with this consideration, having dyslexia affecting memory is not a straightforward description either - my dyslexia affects my working memory (short term for things like remembering dates, numbers, etc.), but I have a very good long term memory.

I suppose by most definitions of dyslexia here, I shouldn't be able to write software, read instructions or do calculations. Surprisingly, my dyslexia has nothing to do with writing or reading ;).

My advice is to judge anyone you hire by what they are capable of - dyslexic or not, you can only judge the capability of someone on the work they've done in the past.
 
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Sorry still disagree.

Perfect grammar is not relevant to contract law or drafting , the sentence/clause should be constructed to give a precise legal meaning and in fact if you read enough contracts you realise that grammar is you enemy.

Spelling is a given but most solicitors use a wp and a dictaphone.

Legal training and professionalism should prevent transposed words or meanings. Otherwise everybody would do their own contracts

You are joking. Grammar is not a needless constraint thought up by academics to keep the hoi polloi in place, grammar is a set of rules, as wiki puts it:"In linguistics, grammar is the set of logical and structural rules that govern the composition of sentences, phrases, and words in any given natural language."
This means that what person A writes can be interpreted by person B in the way person A intended. Both parties use, understand and comply with the rules, and thus work within the same frame.
If, for whatever reason, one of the parties works outside of the rules misinterpretation becomes likely, and conflict ensues.


I don't doubt that people with disabilities cope, some well. But to deny that rules matter in a profession whose very existence is based on the writing and the interpretaion of words by accepted rules is strange.
 
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I agree Dawg, but it's more important to judge a person on their ability and not on the fact that they are dyslexic or whatever other disability they have. It makes no difference at the end of the day - if someone can do the job, they can do it, and if they can't, they can't. Being dyslexic doesn't mean you can't do the job (Dyslexia isn't about being able to read and write, contrary to popular belief) and not being dyslexic doesn't mean you can do the job either.
 
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I don't think that would be a problem Scott.

How would they pass the stringent exams etc?

Moreover they do have Indemnity Insurances... etc

Watertight contracts?.. what are they?

:)

How would I know? I'm just a chap looking for some legal contracts. If they so happen to explain to me the precise reasons as to why having dyslexia is not an issue at all, then that's fine. Until then, I'm going to worry that words in my contract are misspelled, misinterpreted or grammatically unsound.

Naturally that's a worry with all contracts, but you can't avoid the fact that it's a much more realistic issue if a lawyer has severe problems with spelling and writing.

Sorry still disagree.

Perfect grammar is not relevant to contract law or drafting , the sentence/clause should be constructed to give a precise legal meaning and in fact if you read enough contracts you realise that grammar is you enemy.

Spelling is a given but most solicitors use a wp and a dictaphone.

Legal training and professionalism should prevent transposed words or meanings. Otherwise everybody would do their own contracts

Surely it is very relevant? A missing comma, full stop or colon can give a sentence a completely different meaning. In a court of law, that's a very serious issue.

Put it this way: I want all my contracts to have perfect spelling and perfect grammar (just as I'd want all my sales copy and letters to have perfect spelling). If a lawyer cannot produce that for me, then I will go elsewhere. If the lawyer has dyslexia, then I certainly won't be more lenient, just put up with it and let him/her give me an imperfect contract at the expense of my own businesses professionalism or legal security.
 
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Put it this way: I want all my contracts to have perfect spelling and perfect grammar (just as I'd want all my sales copy and letters to have perfect spelling). If a lawyer cannot produce that for me, then I will go elsewhere. If the lawyer has dyslexia, then I certainly won't be more lenient, just put up with it and let him/her give me an imperfect contract at the expense of my own businesses professionalism or legal security.

And what's to say that the solicitor doesn't have very good writing skills? You are discriminating on the basis that the solicitor is dyslexic, but without any knowledge on how it affects him. From what you say, you would be more than happy to go to another solicitor and not ask them if they were good at spelling - although they could be very bad ;).

Dyslexia isn't about not being able to read or write - it affects people in different ways; the common issue is the difficulty to acquire certain skills, but once the person has that skill, they tend to be as good or better than the average. It may surprise you, but Einstein was also dyslexic - not someone you would accuse of not being able to read or write.

The solicitor in question may be dyslexic, but still have above average reading and writing skills. Plus, solicitors are regulated by the Law Society and whatever other bodies govern their practices, so it's pretty certain that he wouldn't be able to provide his services if he couldn't write good contracts.
 
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How would they pass the stringent exams etc?

They get special dispensation during exams because of their 'disability'. I doubt a litigious client with a grievance would be as liberal.
 
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And what's to say that the solicitor doesn't have very good writing skills? You are discriminating on the basis that the solicitor is dyslexic, but without any knowledge on how it affects him. From what you say, you would be more than happy to go to another solicitor and not ask them if they were good at spelling - although they could be very bad ;).

I'm talking about dyslexic people who are unable to write properly. It's one of the most common forms, and if I'm aware that my solicitor is dyslexic, then I need to make sure their writing skills are up to par when producing very detailed contracts, for the sake of my own business.

Other types of dyslexia are more or less irrelevant which I know of. If their dyslexia doesn't influence grammar/spelling, then that's great.

It would only be a concern of mine. Also, it depends on the situation. If I received a drafted contract with spelling and grammar mistakes then I wouldn't be best pleased. If I enquired about it and the solicitor said 'oh sorry, I'm dyslexic', then I wouldn't be any more lenient. I'm not remotely bothered about casual communication, but if I pay for something then I expect it to be done properly.

But as I said, if a solicitor is dyslexic and still writes contracts/documents perfectly, then that's not a problem for me.
 
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They get special dispensation during exams because of their 'disability'. I doubt a litigious client with a grievance would be as liberal.
Believe me, you don't get any special exceptions. You get a computer to type your exam answers and a bit of extra time in exams... That's about it.

I'm talking about dyslexic people who are unable to write properly. It's one of the most common forms, and if I'm aware that my solicitor is dyslexic, then I need to make sure their writing skills are up to par when producing very detailed contracts, for the sake of my own business.
And so you should be assured that whoever you use to hire can do the job to a satisfactory standard, but what makes you think that someone who is dyslexic isn't able to do the job to a satisfactory standard? The next man may not be dyslexic, but may not have good writing skills either - or could just be lazy and write in txt spk lk dis m8 ;). My point is not to look at this guy as a dyslexic, but look at him as a candidate for the work you have and review what he is capable and not what he is presumed to be capable of. Many more people than you think are dyslexic - most are not diagnosed; I didn't find out until I was 22, even though I had all the signs when I grew up.
 
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So Scott.... do you think that Dyslexic lawyers/consultants/handymen.. whosoever should advertise the fact that they are dyslexic?
 
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Believe me, you don't get any special exceptions. You get a computer to type your exam answers and a bit of extra time in exams... That's about it.

No it's not. The markers get told of the 'disability' all the way through school and uni and they make 'allowances'. No bad thing.
 
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So Scott.... do you think that Dyslexic lawyers/consultants/handymen.. whosoever should advertise the fact that they are dyslexic?
I don't and I assume many others don't either. If I thought it affected the work I do, I wouldn't do the work in the first place. The problem with telling a client or an employer that you are dyslexic is that they automatically assume you can't read or write well - despite me being able to touch type as I write this post ;). Maybe I'm just special :D.
 
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No it's not. The markers get told of the 'disability' all the way through school and uni and they make 'allowances'. No bad thing.
Strange, I seemed to get worse marks in exams after I found I was dyslexic. I doubt that examiners give special considerations for people who are dyslexic - part of my dyslexia is to do with working memory which relates to remembering specific dates and names. Nobody asked me anything about my dyslexia in uni and I was made to do an exam worth 2 modules, and you guessed it - the exam was geared to getting extra marks for quoting specific names and dates. If anything, I would say that the education system (from my experience) works against anyone who is dyslexic - so if a dyslexic gets their qualifications to become a solicitor or whatever, you know should know they are good.
 
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