【北京美国中心活动】对话密歇根州最高法院盲人法官理查德·伯恩斯坦，7月9日，星期二，18:30

北京美国中心 | Beijing American Center 

与美国密歇根州最高法院第一位盲人法官Richard Bernstein面对面 
A Conversation with Justice Richard Bernstein, the first blind justice of the Michigan Supreme Court 

时间：7月9日，周二，18:30 
Time: Tuesday, July 9, 18:30 

地点：北京美国中心（美国驻华大使馆东门） 
Venue: Beijing American Center, East Gate of the U.S. Embassy Beijing 

语言：英文 
Language: English 

预约|RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/938031245707

北京美国中心非常荣幸欢迎密歇根州全州选民选出的第一位盲人最高法官Richard Bernstein，与感兴趣的公众进行面对面对谈，讲述他的职业和个人生活故事。作为一名从出生起就失明的人，伯恩斯坦法官不得不与法学院招生委员会进行斗争，以允许他参加 LSAT 考试并进入法学院学习，而他的大部分法律工作都是保护残疾人的权利，并且大部分的案件都是公益的。他称残疾人权益倡导是他毕生的工作。业余时间，伯恩斯坦还是一名长跑者，完成了 25 场马拉松比赛和一个铁人赛事。欢迎参加这个励志的讲座！ 
The Beijing American Center is honored to host Justice Richard Bernstein, the first blind justice elected by voters statewide in Michigan, for an in-person discussion in Shanghai on his professional and personal life story.  As a legally blind person from birth, Justice Bernstein had to fight the Law School Admission Council for equal opportunity to take the LSAT test and enter law school.  As a lawyer, much of his legal work focused on protecting the rights of people with disabilities, often taking on cases pro bono.  He considers advocacy for persons with disabilities his life's work.  In his spare time, Justice Bernstein is an avid runner, completing 25 marathons and one Iron Man challenge. Please join this inspirational event!  

嘉宾介绍: 

密歇根州最高法院盲人法官理查德·伯恩斯坦 

由全州选民选举产生，理查德·伯恩斯坦法官于 2014 年 11 月成为密歇根州最高法院的第一位盲人法官。伯恩斯坦致力于维护正义和公平，于 2015 年 1 月开始了他的八年任期。  

在被选举成为密歇根州最高法院律师之前，作为一名律师，伯恩斯坦法官就因其坚持不懈倡导残障权利而闻名，曾是位于密歇根州法明顿的The Sam Bernstein Law Firm律师公司的公共服务部门负责人。生为盲人，伯恩斯坦法官毕业于密歇根大学，并入选Phi Beta Kappa学会（美国大学优等生荣誉学会），并在伊利诺伊州芝加哥的西北大学法学院获得法学博士学位。 

伯恩斯坦法官坚信，倡导就是行动。他一直致力于利用自己的技能和培训为客户伸张正义。他的案件通常会为保护残疾人和非残疾人权利和安全建立全美标准。在他的私人执业案件中，他代表美国瘫痪退役军人协会与美国司法部合作对密歇根大学提起诉讼，要求在大学对于体育馆所做的调整无法满足残疾参观者进入和使用时，应该为其设立通道方便安全进入，该案例帮助建立了全国所有商业设施都采纳的有关无障碍设施的工作指导方针。他还向纽约市发起挑战，要求让中央公园及其所有公园对游客来说更安全，并让残疾人士和视力障碍者更容易进入。  

他还成功地与美国司法部合作，迫使底特律市修复其公交车上损坏的轮椅升降机，开创了公共交通无障碍的先例。伯恩斯坦法官还代表当地的残疾居民反对密歇根州奥克兰县道路委员会，因为“环形交叉路口”交通圈的建造没有为残疾人提供无障碍设施，影响了未来美国 1990 年残疾人法案 (ADA) 在美国各地道路建设的合规性。此外，在一项针对达美航空公司和底特律大都会机场的具有里程碑意义的和解中，伯恩斯坦大法官为残疾飞行人员争取到了无障碍待遇，为 1990 年《美国残疾人法案》如何涵盖航空公司和机场设定了标准。  

作为教育的支持者，伯恩斯坦大法官主张并赢得了全州特殊教育基金的保留，并向美国律师协会提起联邦诉讼，要求其根据法学院入学考试的要求结束对盲人学生的歧视性做法。  

Introduction of Speaker: 

Justice Richard Bernstein 

Justice Richard Bernstein became the first blind justice, elected by voters statewide, to the Michigan Supreme Court in November 2014. With a commitment to justice and fairness, Bernstein began his eight-year term in January 2015.  

Prior to being elected to Michigan’s highest court, Justice Bernstein was known as a tireless advocate for disability rights as an attorney, heading the public service division for The Sam Bernstein Law Firm in Farmington Hills, Michigan. Blind since birth, Justice Bernstein is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Michigan and earned his juris doctor from Northwestern University School of Law in Chicago, Illinois.  

Justice Bernstein believes advocacy is about action. He has been committed to using his skills and training to achieve justice for his clients. Justice Bernstein’s cases often set national standards protecting the rights and safety of people with and without disabilities. Among his cases in private practice, he represented the Paralyzed Veterans of America in partnership with the United States Department of Justice in an action against the University of Michigan to allow for safe access for individuals with disabilities when the university’s alterations to the stadium failed to accommodate and represent disabled visitors. The case helped establish guidelines that are used by all commercial facilities across the country. He also challenged the City of New York to make Central Park and all of its parks safer for visitors and accessible for people with disabilities and visual impairments.  

He also successfully partnered with the United States Department of Justice to force the City of Detroit to fix broken wheelchair lifts on its buses, establishing a precedent for accessibility in public transportation. Justice Bernstein also represented residents with disabilities against the Oakland County Road Commission in Michigan after “roundabout” traffic circles were built without accessibility for people with disabilities, impacting future Americans with Disability Act of 1990 (ADA) compliance for road construction throughout the United States. Further, in a landmark settlement against Delta Airlines and Detroit Metro Airport, Justice Bernstein gained accessibility for fliers with disabilities, setting the standard for how airlines and airports are to be covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. 

A proponent of education, Justice Bernstein argued for, and won, preservation of special education funding throughout the state and filed a federal suit against the American Bar Association to put an end to its discriminatory practices toward blind students via requirement of the Law School Admissions Test.

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