How Does a Certified Disability Advocate Spend a Workday?
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Research
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With every case that a certified disability advocate handles, they have to know how similar cases turned out and how to use previous positive outcomes to help their clients. Previous successes serve as leverage in a current case. Before proceeding with any case, the advocate checks current cases underway for similarities. When there is a case match, the advocate has to decide whether a class action lawsuit is an option for their clients, and how to handle the case if it is.
Clients
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Disability advocates meet with prospective and current clients to discuss their issues and determine how to handle their problems. Their clients range from parents of school age children who are dealing with school issues to disabled adults who need help enforcing their rights. Their job is to protect and advance the rights of any individual with a disability.
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Meetings
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Advocates attend meetings with their clients and the opposing party to try to reach an agreement outside of court. Disability advocates also meet with other attorneys representing clients in class-action lawsuits. Meetings with attorneys who are working together on a case ensure that everyone is on the same page with the case and reveals any new information that may influence the case. Clients and advocates meet alone to determine the course of action for the issue, case progress and information gathering. Other legal meetings, such as depositions and statements, are necessary in legal proceedings.
Court
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Advocates are attorneys, and when there is no other option, they take legal action to ensure the protection of the rights of their clients. Court cases are unavoidable in some circumstances, and in those instances, disability advocates take their case to the judge. This means that the advocate has to draft the lawsuit and court documents. Some cases that advocates handle are class action lawsuits, which mean collaboration with other advocates and attorneys occurs.
Phone Calls
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Advocates spend a lot of time on the phone. Scheduling meetings, checking facts, conferring with other attorneys or communicating with clients, the phone is the fastest and most convenient way for disability advocates to do most of their job.
Travel
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Disability advocates travel to their office, their clients' residences, court and other attorneys' offices to get their job done. When cases go to Appellate or State or Federal Supreme Court, they travel to try the case there.
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