State Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein says he worked harder than other attorneys to do his job effectively. The Justice, who was born blind, says he also had to work hard to convince people he could do the job.
Bernstein is the featured speaker for the annual Law Day Luncheon in Kalamazoo. It is sponsored by the Kalamazoo County Bar Association and the Kalamazoo County Trial Lawyers Association. Bernstein was elected to the MichiganSupreme Court in November to an eight year term on the state's highest court.
The state has launched an effort to help people with disabilities find jobs in the state. Bernstein has traveled around the state with Lieutenant Governor Brian Calley to reach out to businesses and encourage them to consider hiring disabled people. Bernstein says that's part of progress for people with disabilities in the state. He says there is still more work to do on behalf of disabled people.
Asked about the flood of outside money into Michigan's judicial races, Bernstein says the real money comes from PACs and outside groups trying to influence the elections. He says that his campaign was outspent by a wide margin last year. Bernstein says he was able to raise a large amount of money for his campaign, but he says most of the independent groups opposed him or were backing other candidates for the Michigan Supreme Court.
Bernstein says he was able to overcome that by connecting with voters. He says money will likely continue to flow into state Supreme Court races. Bernstein says the most important thing is that voters know who is paying for advertising and other efforts to influence the outcome of elections.
In the extended version of the interview Bernstein discusses going inside a prison to learn more about sentencing guidelines and visiting Mexico to help that country change its judicial system.
