Lawyer Wellness
Michigan justice encourages struggling lawyers to get help as he announces mental health treatment
Michigan Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein, left, and then-candidate Kyra Harris Bolden at a rally in October 2022 in Detroit. Bolden is a new justice on the Michigan Supreme Court. Photo by Carlos Osorio/The Associated Press.
Michigan Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein announced Tuesday that he will miss a special oral argument session April 26 because he is getting mental health treatment.
“I have chosen to participate in short-term mental health treatment outside the state of Michigan while working remotely on active cases,” said Bernstein, the first and only blind justice to serve on the state high court.
“I encourage everyone who struggles to seek the help they need,” Bernstein said in the statement.
The Detroit Free Press, the Associated Press and Law360 have coverage.
Bernstein was in the news in January, when he criticized a colleague’s hiring of a law clerk who had served time for robbing a store and shooting at a police officer. The law clerk resigned after Bernstein’s comments. Bernstein later apologized.
Hat tip to How Appealing.
