The Bench & Bar magazine is published to provide members of the KBA with information that will increase their knowledge of the law, improve the practice of law, and assist in improving the quality of legal services for the citizenry.
Issue link: https://kentuckybenchandbar.epubxp.com/i/132126
"They asked intelligent questions that showed they were thinking ahead and wanting to 'do it right,' not only in the immediate future but also long term," she said. "As I discussed how a negative credit rating could affect job prospects, housing options, and so on, I could tell they saw it as a reality that was actually applicable to them and not just an abstract idea." Raised in Jackson County, Taylor received her bachelor's degree in sociology from Eastern Kentucky University in 1994 and her juris doctorate from Ohio Northern University in 1999. Taylor was admitted to the Kentucky Bar in May 2000 and the United States Supreme Court in 2006. She said she practices general civil law with an emphasis on family matters and works mainly with low income clients across the state. Out of more than one million licensed attorneys in the United States, about 200 self-identify as deaf attorneys, Taylor said, with two residing in Kentucky. "I am the only one actively practicing in Kentucky courts," she said. "I have had some difficulties with my colleagues regarding communication barriers since phones are not an option for me. For the most part, most judges I appear before have gone out of their way to accommodate my needs. I simply could not practice without the assistance of my interpreters. AOC has provided me with excellent interpreters. But, I can self-advocate and have no qualms making my own needs known." Kentucky School for the Deaf students Brianna Jones and Jonathan Demaree discuss details of the CARE booklet during a recent presentation in Danville. Gary M. Weiss Mediation When it's a question of persuasion... Gary Weiss has a passion to come to the right result. One of few mediators Listed in Best Lawyers who maintains an in America; Personal Injury active practice Legal Malpractice so he knows the And now one of only eight present value of cases Kentucky lawyers named Principal Address Louisville for mediation/arbitration Tele: (502) 493-1394 E-mail: trialweiss1@yahoo.com Trialweiss@aol.com Important financial lessons aside, Taylor said her presentation was also important to her personally. "I thought it may be good for the students to see a fellow 'deafie' as an attorney and see that they can do and be anything they choose, just as their hearing counterparts, so long as they are willing to work hard toward their goals," Taylor said. "At the end of the day, my personal satisfaction comes, not from how many hours I billed or how much money I made, but in how I was able to help someone of limited means and how I was able to make a difference in a child's life." For more information on CARE, visit www.careinky.org or contact Todd Horstmeyer, executive director for the Kentucky Bar Foundation, at thorstmeyer@kybar.org. B&B; 57 Amy Carman serves as communications director for the Kentucky Bar Association. B&B; • 05.13