Indiana attorney doesn't let blindness hold him back

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) - James H. Lockwood says there are plenty of challenges to being the only blind lawyer in St. Joseph County.

'œIt takes me longer to do things, sometimes,'ť he said. 'œMost lawyers can just open up their mail and read it at the mailbox, but I have to scan it.'ť

Lockwood has a program that will audibly read typewritten documents once they are scanned into his computer. That allows him to hear aloud letters, legal briefs and the other types of forms that attorneys have to read and understand.

Lockwood, who does not read braille, said 'œThe biggest challenge is often the stuff you don't think about,'ť like an introductory handshake or a ride to the courthouse or to a client's home.

I met Lockwood, his wife Sarah, and their newborn daughter at the Starbucks on Indiana 933 recently. I stood at the front of the table when I introduced myself, but then moved to sit. Lockwood stuck out his hand in the direction that he heard my voice come from seconds earlier.

'œThat kind of stuff, the every day stuff, is challenging,'ť he said.

Blindness prevents Lockwood from driving, and he depends on his father and occasionally his wife to take him to the courthouse or other appointments.

The 36-year-old attended school in the Penn-Harris-Madison district and overcame big and small challenges to earn a law degree from the University of Notre Dame and work several years for the Ohio Attorney General's office.

Lockwood said he learned how to overcome adversity from his father, also named James H. Lockwood, who suffers from muscular dystrophy.

'œHe's in a wheelchair and he was a mechanical engineer who drives a handicapped-accessible van ... He does what anyone else can do - other than run or walk.'ť

And it was his father's actions and words that gave Lockwood the strength to meet and overcome the challenges that come with being blind.

'œWell, I told him that you have to accept the life you are given, do the best you can and not let it defeat you,'ť the elder Lockwood said. 'œYou may not be able to walk or see, but don't let that get you down.'ť

Lockwood admits that wasn't always easy.

He was born in Houston in a neighborhood, ironically known as the South Bend subdivision, that is now the site of the Brio Superfund. Brio Refinery Inc. was located there until the company ceased operations in 1982.

'œA lot of kids were born with congenital illnesses or were stillborn,'ť Lockwood said. 'œI had cataract surgery not long after I was born.'ť

While the family can't be sure that living in the superfund site caused Lockwood's blindness, they believe living there had an impact.

Lockwood said that he's never been able to see out of his right eye, but had 20/50 vision in his left eye, which made it difficult for him to read the print found in textbooks or to see the chalkboard. In high school, at Penn, he had to listen to his assignments on audio programs.

Still, Lockwood said that he wanted to remain in the area rather than attend the Indiana School for the Blind in Indianapolis.

'œI didn't want to have to go to a different place because I had a condition, and I never believed that I can't do anything,'ť he said. 'œIn fact, when I can't do something, it makes me irritated and I try to find a way to do it.'ť

That includes going to college, and then moving hundreds of miles away from home to work in Columbus, Ohio, for the state attorney general's office.

Lockwood knows that some people might be amazed at what he's been able to accomplish.

'œBut I didn't have any choice, and I think there is a mindset in this country that you can do whatever you want to do,'ť he said. 'œDon't get me wrong. It's not easy to lose the ability to see or walk.

'œMy dad is in a wheelchair and some of the determination I have is observing him with his disability.'ť

Lockwood said he had one of those 'œno-choice'ť moments when he graduated from law school in 2011. The country was still struggling to regain footing from the great recession of 2008-09 and law school grads had a hard time finding jobs. He applied to some law firms and didn't have luck. Taking a job out of state seemed like a good opportunity. Lockwood said it was time for him to strike out on his own.

'œYou are alone when you are living at Notre Dame in a dorm, but then again you are not five hours away from home,'ť he said.

Lockwood worked in Ohio for several years. He met Sarah, who was a student at Ohio State University, there. The couple has been married for seven years and they moved back to this area five years ago.

Lockwood said the he had a desire to return home and to work as a litigator in his own practice. He's always wanted to be a lawyer because of his desire to help the underdog that is inspired by his situation.

'œI want to help the little guy and the person who is trying to overcome adversity,'ť he said. 'œIt's easy for the powerful and corporations to get what they want...'ť

Lockwood gets to be near his family, and there are no shortage of clients seeking his services. He said he doesn't think being blind has negatively affected his career.

'œMost of them are curious, but I've never had a client say 'I don't want a blind attorney,'ť he said. 'œIf I ever did have a client who said they didn't want a blind attorney, I would not get angry ... For every client I don't have there are others that I will get.'ť

--

Source: South Bend Tribune