People with disabilities need a position at the decision-making table.


English. As was her normal way of doing things, she didn’t expect any preferential treatment and didn’t indicate that she needed special accommodations. “Tey had a huge disability


residence program, but I didn’t know that,” Rubke says. “Something in the application suggested I had a disabil- ity, so they called and said they had this program for first-year students with disabilities that provided per- sonal care staff.” Not only does the program offer


personal assistants, but there is also a course that teaches students how to better manage their assistants. Although she had one through high school and appreciated the services, it was no longer a priority for her because she is fiercely independent. Rubke’s independent streak led her to


her greatest passion: sailing. Like most of the important events in her life, she came to sailing by accident. “I was in San Francisco, at a


marina,” she says, “and someone stepped out of a building and asked if I was looking for the group for disabled sailors. Tey said you could rig the sail with your chin so that you could sail independently. I thought it sounded like fun.” Rubke not only took up the sport,


she has excelled at it. Last year she placed first in the Liberty Servo division of the Access Class European Championships in Switzerland, which included 60 sailors in ten divisions. Many think that a sport like this could be especially hazardous for someone who can’t use their arms or legs, but Rubke can swim.


MCCA.COM “I have good strength so I can


move my legs around with my core to kick,” she says. “Te problem is that I’m tied to the boat so if the boat goes over I’m in trouble.” She says, however, her boat’s


weighted keel gives it more stability. Te danger doesn’t faze her because sailing gives her so much enjoyment. “It’s so much fun and every time


you go out the conditions are different, you never have the same experience twice,” she says. “It’s cool to work your way out of situa- tions, and despite my disability I can participate —I can compete.” Rubke’s independent nature has


cast her into leadership roles. Today, she is the president of the Bay Area Association of Disabled Sailors, and she’s been drawn to other community work like her advocacy in disability rights. She currently is co-chair of the disability rights committee for the Bar Association of San Francisco. “People assume that because I’m


disabled I’m an expert, but I’m not,” she says, “and they ask me to get involved. I do want to get others in the legal profession involved in dis- ability rights, so I’m happy to do it. I can’t take credit for recruiting any- one. Tat said, I did encourage three of my close friends with disabilities from UC Berkeley to attend law school. One passed away shortly after passing the California Bar before he was sworn in. Te other two are prac- ticing attorneys now.” Rubke admits that she’s probably


overbooked with her community ser- vice committees; currently she serves on about a dozen.


“I’m trying not to be on too many


committees, but I’m interested in all this stuff,” she explains. As a person with a disability


with a successful career, Rubke feels that she has a responsibility to be a representative voice. “People with disabilities need a


position at the decision-making table,” she says. “I feel a sense of responsibil- ity to give back to the community, so that others like me who have not been given the opportunities that I have, can have a voice in making decisions.” Her community service caught


the attention of San Francisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee, who appointed her to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) board of directors. “It’s one of the city’s most impor-


tant commissions,” Rubke says of the panel that oversees light rail, buses, and taxis in the city. “It appoints the executive director, approves the budget, and sets agency policy.” She also attributes her current


focus in her legal work to serendipity. “By accident, I began to concentrate


on intellectual property, though it does interest me in general,” she says. Rubke had been doing primarily civil


litigation, but stepped up two years ago when an associate dealing with trade- marks left the firm. Tis area of law gives her more distinction, she says, because there is a smaller pool of lawyers. She also likes it because there is the element of creativity. It’s an opportunity to work with people who are creating something new, she says, rather than dealing with the stresses of litigation. Nevertheless, she still does civil litigation. Te flexible deadlines of intellectual


property work also give her more free- dom to do her community work. And of course, this allows her time for sailing. Her not-so-secret goal is to start


competing in Paralympic sailing. “I don’t want to get bored,” she says.


Tom Calarco is a freelance writer based in Wildwood, Fla.


JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 DIVERSITY & THE BAR®


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