[Nfbc-info] Blind Judge Makes History, Joins Michigan's Supreme Court

Michael Hingson Mike at michaelhingson.com
Mon Dec 29 19:59:22 UTC 2014


One thing we all usually emphasize is that blind people have a number of
choices to perform a task.  By the way, so do sighted people.  I think it is
not our place to evaluate which method this judge uses, but rather we should
spend more time on asking why there are not more blind state and federal
supreme judges and justices.  Scott LaBarre what are you waiting for? 


Best,


Michael Hingson

-----Original Message-----
From: Nfbc-info [mailto:nfbc-info-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Rob
Kaiser via Nfbc-info
Sent: Monday, December 29, 2014 11:01 AM
To: Nancy Lynn; NFB of California List
Subject: Re: [Nfbc-info] Blind Judge Makes History, Joins Michigan's Supreme
Court

While I am also for this happening, I too wonder if Mr. Bernstein would be
better off using our great technology of today.



Rob Kaiser, President National Federation of the Blind of California Orange 
County Chapter cell#(760)792-0525 email;
rcubfank at sbcglobal.net
-----Original Message----- 
From: Nancy Lynn via Nfbc-info
Sent: Monday, December 29, 2014 10:52 AM
To: NFBC List
Subject: Re: [Nfbc-info] Blind Judge Makes History,Joins Michigan's Supreme 
Court

I guess he'll work the way David Patterson worked when he was New York's
governor. I agree that he'd better off with technology, and so would the
people who work for him.



from Nancy Lynn freespirit.stl at att.net
-----Original Message----- 
From: Miso Kwak via Nfbc-info
Sent: Monday, December 29, 2014 12:45 PM
To: nfbc-info at nfbnet.org
Subject: Re: [Nfbc-info] Blind Judge Makes History,Joins Michigan's Supreme
Court

I agree with Jim.
I am impressed and sad at the same time.
Does this article imply that Justice Bernstein did not learn Braille
and/or utilize assistive technology such as JAWS?
Miso Kwak

-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Barbour via Nfbc-info <nfbc-info at nfbnet.org>
To: Nancy Lynn <freespirit.stl at att.net>; NFB of California List
<nfbc-info at nfbnet.org>
Cc: nfbmo list <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Mon, Dec 29, 2014 10:37 am
Subject: Re: [Nfbc-info] Blind Judge Makes History, Joins Michigan's
Supreme Court

Wow, I wonder if he plans to work off the clock for all his cases,
memorizing each of them.

I think This seems like a very inefficient way for a judge to work. I'm
curious what others think?

Jim

On Mon, Dec 29, 2014 at 12:28:27PM -0600, Nancy Lynn via Nfbc-info
wrote:
> I got this from another list and thought it would interest you.
> Blind Judge Makes History, Joins Michigan's Supreme Court
>
> DETROIT (AP) --
>
>
>
> Richard Bernstein officially joins the Michigan Supreme Court in a
few days. But he's been working off the clock since November, preparing
>
> for 10 cases in an extraordinary way - memorizing the key points of
every brief read to him by an aide.
>
>
>
> Bernstein, 41, has been blind since birth. After winning the
election, an assistant at his family's Detroit-area law firm began
reading briefs to him for
>
> mid-January arguments, including a medical marijuana case and a labor
dispute covering thousands of state employees.
>
>
>
> "It would be much easier if I could read and write like everyone
else, but that's not how I was created," Bernstein said. "No question,
it requires a lot
>
> more work, but the flip side is it requires you to operate at the
highest level of preparedness. ... This is what I've done my entire
life. This goes all
>
> the way back to grade school for me."
>
>
>
> Michigan has never had a blind judge on its highest court, and few
other states have. In Missouri, Justice Richard Teitelman has been
legally blind since
>
> age 13. Judge David Tatel, who is blind, sits on a federal appeals
court in Washington, D.C.
>
>
>
> "Every new justice has to make a transition from whatever life he or
she had before," Chief Justice Robert Young Jr. said. "His will be
different than
>
> others, but he's extraordinarily successful and very driven. You
don't enter Ironman competitions without having a steel backbone."
>
>
>
> Indeed, Bernstein's remarkable background undoubtedly appealed to
voters. He has run more than 15 marathons, and in 2008 completed a
triathlon by riding
>
> a bike 112 miles, running 26.2 miles and swimming 2.4 miles with the
help of guides. In 2012, he made headlines in New York City after being
struck by
>
> a speeding bicyclist while running in Central Park, a collision that
put him in a hospital for weeks.
>
>
>
> Bernstein is widely known in southeastern Michigan because his
family's personal-injury law firm regularly advertises on TV. He spent
more than $1.8 million
>
> of his own money to campaign for the state Supreme Court. His slogan?
"Blind Justice."
>
>
>
> As one of only two Democrats on the seven-member court, Bernstein is
unlikely to crack the court's conservative sway. But he's still
expected to make a
>
> difference.
>
>
>
> "His own experience and background is different than anyone else's at
the conference table," said Justice Bridget McCormack, who was a law
professor before
>
> being elected in 2012. "Richard knows a whole lot about disability
law the rest of us don't. We don't get a lot of those cases. Who knows
how it will be
>
> useful?"
>
>
>
> Bernstein will be sworn into office on New Year's Day. Timothy
MacLean, his assistant for three years, has been reading briefs aloud
to prepare him for
>
> the court's first batch on oral arguments on Jan. 13.
>
>
>
> "We do use technology but technology can only take you so far,"
Bernstein said. "I internalize the cases word for word, pretty much
commit them primarily
>
> by memory. I'm asking the reader to pinpoint certain things, read
footnotes, look at the legislative record."
>
>
>
> Hearing arguments and writing opinions is only part of a Supreme
Court justice's job. They meet weekly to decide whether to accept or
reject appeals in
>
> more than 2,000 cases a year. Because he's blind, Bernstein will be
having many conversations with his law clerks instead of communicating
through email
>
> or long memos.
>
>
>
> "My chambers will be unique," he said. "Not many clerks will have as
much interaction with a justice as mine will."
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