MI Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein: "The Human Face of the Abraham Accords: Disability as a Common Struggle"
Tue, October 12, 2021 6:00 PM at Lincoln Room, Kellogg Event Center
Michigan Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein will discuss his experiences working for three months in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and three months in Israel in 2021 to forge relationships and develop a common understanding of the struggles faced by the disabled, and the strength and resilience that emerges from those struggles. Justice Bernstein, who is blind, was invited by the UAE, in the wake of the Abraham Accords, to help draft policy empowering the disabled. Bernstein will describe how leaders and community members of each country worked to promote cooperation in the areas of education, job placement programs, and athletic opportunities. Bringing Israeli assistive technologies and logistical capabilities in these areas to bear, Israeli organizations like the Shalva National Center and Access Israel, with Bernstein’s guidance, worked with organizations like the Ministry of Community Development of the UAE to develop new initiatives and projects, as well as develop relationships of mutual understanding through shared experiences. Richard Bernstein has been doing this kind of advocacy work with the United Nations for years.
Justice Richard Bernstein became the first elected blind justice to the Michigan Supreme Court in November 2014. Prior to being elected to Michigan’s highest court, Justice Bernstein was known as a tireless advocate for the rights of the disabled, heading the public service division for The Sam Bernstein Law Firm. Blind since birth, Justice Bernstein is a graduate of the University of Michigan and earned his JD from Northwestern University School of Law.
ln his spare time, Justice Bernstein is an avid runner, completing 24 marathons-including fourteen New York City marathons, a full lronman triathlon, and a half lronman.