An attorney should get happy after winning a court case only if his victory makes a difference in the legal literature of his country, said Ali Saberi.

He was born blind for which the so-called cousin marriage was to blame. To him, the world was pitch-black, yet he wouldn�t let gloom swallow him up and drive him to despair. Forty-one years on, he has made a name for himself as a seasoned lawyer.

Tebyan.net has published a report on Ali Saberi and how he ended up being a famous lawyer despite his handicap. What appears next is the translation of part of that report:

The highest-paid Iranian lawyer was born in Tehran in 1973. You may wonder how it is possible for a visually-impaired man to climb up the career ladder while a lot of people with perfect eyesight fail to land a job. But, he believes that he is no different from people around him and what he has done is not much of a feat.

On his success in the university entrance exam, Saberi said, �There were a few hardworking students among my relatives who helped me develop a liking for education. I took part in the entrance exam in 1990 and finished second in the nationwide ranking.�

His admission to university paved the way for his acquaintance with Mr. Shahbazi, himself a blind student. Their friendship later helped him get a job in Lavasan Judicial Complex.

In 1998, after Saberi got his Master�s degree, he took the bar exam and passed it with distinction. On his first court case which was a divorce case, he said, �Initially I thought upon setting on foot in the courtroom, stress would engulf me, but unlike what I had imagined, my two-year work experience at the judicial complex helped me represent my client well. Things went without a hitch.�

On other cases he�s handled, Saberi said, �In 2003 the Iranian Hemophilia Society talked with me about a case involving its 2,500 members infected with HIV and hepatitis after the use of tainted blood products provided to them by the Blood Transfusion Organization and the Health Ministry.

I accepted to represent them and with God�s grace, after 23 months, the court ordered the two organizations to pay compensation.�

According to tariffs set by Iran Bar Association, my fee was around $1.7 million, but I was not paid off. Of the money I got, I donated some $200,000 to the Iranian Hemophilia Society.�

It has been four years since the successful attorney married a colleague of his. Saberi has a professional motto which advises anyone who seeks to embark on a career in legal representation to take into account: An attorney should get happy after winning a court case only if his victory makes a difference in the legal literature of his country.

By IFP