Richard Bernstein on Turning Barriers Into Access on the Michigan Supreme Court

How one justice built a career around making big ideas work for real people. Richard Bernstein has spent his life proving that access is not abstract. It is practical. It is measurable. And when done right, it changes how people live.

Best known as the first blind justice on the Michigan Supreme Court, Bernstein’s career did not begin on the bench. It began with lived experience, steady discipline, and a long-term commitment to turning disability rights from principle into practice.

“I learned early that the world isn’t designed with everyone in mind,” Bernstein has said. “So the work becomes changing the design, not lowering expectations.”

That mindset has shaped every phase of his career.

Early life and education: Building the foundation

Richard Howard Bernstein was born on November 9, 1974. He has been legally blind since birth due to retinitis pigmentosa. From the start, daily life required planning, persistence, and problem-solving.

Those habits carried into school. Bernstein graduated summa cum laude from the University of Michigan and later earned his law degree from Northwestern University School of Law. He focused on rigorous preparation rather than shortcuts.

“Being blind taught me how to prepare,” he has said. “You don’t wing things. You think ahead.”

That approach would later define his legal strategy and judicial style.

Legal career and disability rights advocacy

Before joining the Michigan Supreme Court, Bernstein practiced law at The Sam Bernstein Law Firm. His focus was disability rights and public service. His work centered on making the Americans with Disabilities Act real in everyday spaces.

One of his most influential cases involved Michigan Stadium. Representing the Michigan Paralyzed Veterans of America, Bernstein worked with the U.S. Department of Justice and the University of Michigan to address accessibility barriers.

The resulting consent decree reshaped the stadium. It added hundreds of wheelchair-accessible seats, improved parking and restrooms, and upgraded routes and concessions. The changes rolled out over several seasons.

“This wasn’t about special treatment,” Bernstein said at the time. “It was about equal access. Fans with disabilities deserve the same experience as everyone else.”

The case became a national model. It showed how legal action could lead to cooperation, not conflict.

Election to the Michigan Supreme Court

In November 2014, Bernstein was elected to the Michigan Supreme Court. He began his term in January 2015. His election marked a historic first. He became the first blind justice in the Court’s history.

Rather than treating that milestone as symbolic, Bernstein treated it as functional.

“My job is the same as every other justice,” he has said. “Listen carefully. Apply the law fairly. Respect the people affected by the decisions.”

On the Court, he has been known for careful reasoning and attention to how rulings affect everyday life, particularly for people with disabilities.

Endurance athletics and personal discipline

Outside the courtroom, Bernstein is an endurance athlete. He has completed 27 marathons across the globe, including races in Detroit, New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and Jerusalem. He has also competed in Ironman events.

Training blind requires trust and structure. In Ironman swims, Bernstein relied on a guide without direct communication.

“You move forward one stroke at a time,” he has said. “You trust the system you’ve built.”

That discipline was tested in 2012. While fast-walking through Central Park, Bernstein was struck by a cyclist. The accident shattered the left side of his body. He spent three months in the hospital.

After recovery, he returned to training. In 2013, he ran another marathon.

“Setbacks happen,” he has said. “What matters is whether you keep moving.”

Leadership through resilience and service

In 2023, Bernstein briefly stepped away from the Court to seek treatment for situational depression. He later returned to his duties, emphasizing the importance of awareness and balance.

Throughout his career, his focus has remained steady. Access. Fairness. Execution.

“I don’t think in terms of limits,” Bernstein has said. “I think in terms of solutions.”

That mindset has shaped both his legal work and his personal life. He has consistently translated big ideas – like accessibility and equal justice – into outcomes people can see and use.

A career defined by practical impact

Richard Bernstein’s story is not about overcoming odds for their own sake. It is about building systems that work better. Court decisions that consider real people. Public spaces that include everyone.

From law practice to the state’s highest court, his career shows what happens when persistence meets preparation.

“Justice isn’t abstract,” Richard Bernstein has said. “It shows up in doors you can enter, seats you can use, and systems that treat you fairly.”

That focus on tangible impact is what defines his contribution – and why his work continues to matter.