State Attorney General Joins Discrimination Lawsuit Against American Bar Association

By JERRY WOLFFE
Of The Oakland Press

Published: Thursday, November 3, 2011

State Attorney General Bill Schuette has filed a brief Thursday on behalf of Angelo Binno, a blind man who has sued the American Bar Association for discrimination.

Binno of West Bloomfield and his attorney, Richard Bernstein, who also is blind, contends in the U.S. District Court suit that requiring a person who is blind to take the Law School Admission Test places him or her at a competitive disadvantage to get into law school because it requires them to draw diagrams or pictures on one-third of the exam. Comprehending diagrams or drawing pictures is not within the realm of ability of someone who is blind and there is no “reasonable accommodation” under the Americans with Disabilities Act that can overcome this situation.

The LSAT is the primary criteria law schools use to admit law students. The American Bar Association holds power over law schools requiring them to place strong emphasis on LSAT scores because it accredits law schools.

“The state of Michigan is now taking the position that blind people should not be required to draw pictures and diagrams in order to receive a legal education,” Bernstein said.

Binno, 29, speaks Chaldean, English and Arabic and worked for Homeland Security in the Immigration department. He graduated from high school in three years.

Bernstein and Binno said he Binno was denied admission to law school because he did poorly on the LSAT, a test administered by the Law School Admission Council.

Bernstein said that blind applicants to law schools should not be required to take the LSAT and be judged on other criteria, such as academic performance.

The ABA has the power to accredit law schools given to it by the U.S. Department of Education. The ABA will withdraw accreditation from any law school that does not require applicants to take the LSAT, Bernstein said.

The next step in the case will be oral arguments scheduled for 2 p.m. Nov. 22 before U.S. District Court Judge Denise Paige Hood of the Eastern District of Michigan.