Judge's Mental Health Leave Sets Example for Legal Biz

In the legal profession, admitting one's own cognitive or mental weakness is a huge taboo. That made it all the more remarkable when Richard Bernstein, a sitting Michigan Supreme Court Justice, announced earlier this year that he was temporarily stepping down to seek treatment for depression.

Bernstein was already an extraordinary jurist. He was born fully blind, but overcame his disability to not only graduate from law school but go on to be elected a judge. But stepping away from the bench and publicly admitting he needed treatment might have been the most difficult obstacle he has had to overcome in his career.

Bloomberg Law reporter Alex Ebert spoke to Bernstein about his decision and about what this could mean for his future. Ebert joins our weekly news podcast, On The Merits, to talk about Bernstein and about why the legal profession lags behind the rest of society in accepting mental health struggles.

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