– Photo by John Meiu
On Friday, March 20, the Jewish Law Students Association (JLSA) at Western Michigan University Cooley Law School’s Auburn Hills campus presented Michigan Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein (second from left) who spoke on overcoming obstacles, without excuses, in order to achieve personal goals. Among those welcoming Bernstein to the lunch program were (left to right) WMU-Cooley Associate Dean Joan Vestrand, WMU-Cooley Assistant Dean Lisa Halushka, and JLSA President Robbie Unatin.
Justice Bernstein speaks at WMU-Cooley
Michigan Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein spoke at the Auburn Hills campus of WMU-Cooley Law School’s on March 20. During the event, hosted by the school’s Jewish Law Students Association, Bernstein described his journey to the bench and overcoming obstacles without excuses. He recently made history when he was sworn in as the Michigan Supreme Court’s first blind justice.
Inspiring a full house of WMU-Cooley students, faculty, and staff, Bernstein shared with the audience how his own struggles and accomplishments have made him a stronger and more empathetic human being and how he’s used his experiences to help others who are disadvantaged.
Responding to the question of whether there are enough opportunities for additional lawyers, Bernstein said, “Most certainly we need more lawyers. Most definitely we need more lawyers.
We need kind lawyers. We need caring lawyers. We need empathetic lawyers. You will come to know as law students that an easy life doesn’t always correspond to a good one. Often it is those who know hardship and challenge and difficulty and pain that come to understand and appreciate their purpose, their reason. Why they were created. As lawyers there is no greater skill set than having the ability to tune in, relate to, and connect to the challenges and hardships that are faced by your fellow men and women.”
“It was an unbelievable event and I think everyone really enjoyed themselves,” said Robert Unatin, president of the Jewish Law Student’s Association.
After graduating from the Northwestern University School of Law, Bernstein started his career in the law offices of Sam Bernstein. Along with his legal career, Bernstein teaches a political science course in social activism at the University of Michigan and served an eight-year term on the Board of Governors at Wayne State University in Michigan, elected by voters statewide, serving as chair from 2009-2010.
Before being elected justice, Bernstein had recently represented the Paralyzed Veterans of America in partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice in an action against a state university.
The university failed to accommodate disabled visitors in alterations to its stadium. Bernstein won the case, which helped to establish guidelines for access by disabled individuals that are used by all commercial facilities across the country.
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