Feature

First woman with autism passes Florida bar, becomes lawyer

For the first time, Florida has a lawyer open about her autism.

Haley Moss recently became a media sensation for passing the Florida bar exam to successfully become an attorney at 24 years old.

Various media reports said that at only three years old, Moss was able to complete 100-piece jigsaw puzzles and read by herself, although she was behind in speaking.

“After her parents realized that she was remarkably gifted in different non-verbal talents, yet found difficulty in expressing herself with words, her parents took her for a check-up and were told she had autism. A year after her diagnosis, she started speaking and was transferred to mainstream classrooms,” various US media reported.

Moss wrote her first book when she was 15 and it was titled “Middle School – The Stuff Nobody Tells You About It: A Teenage Girl With ASD Shares Her First Experiences.” In the last ten years, she also contributed writing to a book of essays, completed another book, lead speaking engagements and created art pieces.

Moss is a shining example of people with determination not letting their limitations set them back from being productive members of society, advocates said.

“I’ve always been raised to give back and help others in need and help the community,” she was quoted as saying. “It takes a village to raise a child, and it takes an even bigger village to raise a child with a disability … I realized by sharing my story, I could be a part of someone else’s village.”

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Moss continuously advocates for others with autism.

After graduating from the University of Florida, Moss took up Law in the University of Miami. “I wanted to go to law school because I wanted to make a difference for other people,” she said. “Lawyers help their community. What better way [to make a difference] than to become a lawyer.” She graduated in May of 2018 and successfully got a job even before passing the bar.

Moss is currently practicing law that is mainly focused on international matters and healthcare. (Photos: Twitter, heavy.com and youtube.com)

Staff Report

The Filipino Times is the chronicler of stories for, of and by Filipinos all over the world, reaching more than 236 countries in readership. Any interesting story to share? Email us at [email protected]

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