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

Tue Dec 30 04:47:34 UTC 2014

working in the legal field most judges and/orlawyers blind or sighted put in 
considerable time off the clock especially if they are trial lawyers. I have 
worked for several personal injury and criminal defense lawyers and they 
worked quite hard evenings or week ends to stay prepared.
Chuck

-----Original Message----- 
From: Lisa Irving via Nfbc-info
Sent: Monday, December 29, 2014 5:15 PM
To: 'Jim Barbour' ; 'NFB of California List'
Subject: Re: [Nfbc-info] Blind Judge Makes History,Joins Michigan's Supreme 
Court

Jim and all others,

Let's re frame this thought. How many of can raise our hands to  being a
workaholic? How many of as blind individuals has done work off the clock
because, yes, some tasks take some people; both blind and sighted, longer
than another co-worker. I can raise my hand on both accounts.

Lisa Irving
-----Original Message-----
From: Nfbc-info [mailto:nfbc-info-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Jim
Barbour via Nfbc-info
Sent: Monday, December 29, 2014 10:36 AM
To: Nancy Lynn; NFB of California List
Cc: nfbmo list
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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