Special Parents Confidential 68 The Pushy Lawyer

The Pushy Lawyer. Meet Kelley Simoneaux, aka, The Pushy Lawyer. Some people go into disability advocacy and disability law because they feel compelled to help serve in a community that has many areas that need representation. Then there’s Kelley Simoneaux, who’s known as The Pushy Lawyer. Kelley suffered a spinal injury in a car accident at age 16. The accident left her a paraplegic and confined to a wheelchair. But she decided to dedicate her life since then to becoming a lawyer, specializing in product safety law, and spinal injury law. She has also been quite an advocate for disability rights and accessibility laws, due to her own experiences in law school and in her career as a lawyer. From Injury To Advocacy. Using her nickname, The Pushy Lawyer (inspired by her use of a wheelchair), Kelley has made a difference, and not just in the areas of law that she specializes in. She’s even made a difference in the way courtrooms are run, and designed. As she says at the very beginning of her career, a judge couldn’t understand why she did not rise when he entered the courtroom as all the other people had done. Just by being in court, she’s been able to raise awareness of those with disabilities and special needs virtually every day. Where’s The Access? When Kelley was starting out in her legal career, many courtrooms and government buildings didn’t have adequate access. This caused problems for persons in wheelchairs, or on crutches, or even using walkers.  Through her work, and primarily without having to file legal action, the court system in several states began to rethink and redo their designs to allow for greater accessibility. Not just for lawyers, either, but also for plaintiffs and defendants, and even jurors and the public. Being the Pushy Lawyer has helped her inspire improvements, and, as you’ll learn, more still needs to be done. LinksK Kelley Simoneaux Email  Twitter feed For The Pushy Lawyer Kelley Simomneaux on Instagram News Report on Kelley’s Uber situation Reminder Please help spread the word about Special Parents Confidential. Use the social media buttons located on this page to post our podcast to all of your favorite social media platforms. A great way to get in touch with us and comment about episodes you’ve listen to is on our Facebook Page. Please “like” the page and tell us what you think. You can even suggest topics for upcoming episodes and ask questions about previous shows. Special Parents Confidential is now available on Spotify! Just follow the link