/s US Gov Seeks Top Lawyers to Oversee DC Voting /s

[Ned Hamford]

I can see rules against discrimination for life impediments that arn't impediments to specific jobs, but I think there is really something perverse about trying to seek out the 'targeted disabilities.'

From a Justice Department job announcement for “up to 10 experienced attorneys for the position of Trial Attorney in the Voting Section in Washington, D.C.”:
The Civil Rights Division encourages qualified applicants with targeted disabilities to apply. Targeted disabilities are deafness, blindness, missing extremities, partial or complete paralysis, convulsive disorder, mental retardation, mental illness, severe distortion of limbs and/or spine. Applicants who meet the qualification requirements and are able to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation are encouraged to identify targeted disabilities in response to the questions in the Avue application system seeking that information.

I’m pretty sure I know what happened here: Boilerplate that was designed for a wide range of federal jobs — including the ones (probably a relatively small percentage of all federal jobs) for which one can be qualified even though one is mentally retarded — is just being copied here; and the limitation to “qualified applicants” who “are able to perform the essential functions of the position” ensures that no mentally retarded lawyers will indeed be hired. Still, the result looks pretty striking in a call for applications from experienced attorneys.

[RoadKingLarry]

My fist thought was that I don't think there are very many lawyers that are mentally retarded or mentally ill, then I thought about how many Congressman and Senators are lawyers.....

[Ned Hamford]

One of my fav comments made concerning this was 'How do you address a mentally ill lawyer while in the courtroom in California?'

Your Honor
 

[MicroBalrog]

I'm failing to see a problem.

Not all forms of mental retardation and mental illness disqualify you from being an attorney - in fact, we have an attorney among us on this forum who AFAIK underwent some treatment for it. Mental illness doesn't automatically mean you're clawing at the walls.

[Ned Hamford]

I'm failing to see a problem.

I simply see a close connection between this and affirmative action.  I think 'able to do the job' is enough of a qualification and find it odd that factors which may have prompted previous discrimination are now listed as bonus, be it black or blind.  I think not discriminating is enough of an action and advertising of non-discriminatory hiring policies to often be disingenuous and always perverse.  I know a fair number of folks who would fall across the spectrum of targeted disabilities and I find them to cross the usual curve of reliability and competence.  I'd hire the autistic fellow I know in a heartbeat if I had a task suited him as he is one of the most dependable and earnest people I've ever met.  Negative examples also hit that the opposite extreme.