Blind Michigan student petitions U.S. Supreme Court to give the sightless an equal chance at becoming lawyers

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Dec. 20, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Nyman Turkish PC, a national disability and litigation law firm, has asked the United States Supreme Court to hear the case of Angelo Binno, a blind Michigan man who sued the American Bar Association (ABA) over five years ago for disability discrimination.

"This case is about far more than just one student," said Jason Turkish, managing partner of Nyman Turkish, who took on Binno's appeal to the nation's highest court pro bono. "This case is fundamentally about whether we're going to treat people with disabilities equally in this country or not. Angelo isn't seeking damages. He's not asking to be graded on a curve. He's simply asking for a level playing field and a chance to be judged on his merits. The Law School Admission Test (LSAT), as currently configured, simply doesn't allow him that chance."

Despite graduating from Wayne State University, speaking three languages and previously holding a high-level security clearance with the Department of Homeland Security, Binno was unable to gain admission to law school because he is unable to complete the "logic games" portion of the LSAT.

The "logic games" section requires test-takers to perceive spatial relationships and draw diagrams and pictures. Binno, 34, was rejected by every law school he applied to after taking the LSAT because he couldn't draw diagrams and thus scored too low.  

The ABA has long since recognized the discriminatory nature of the LSAT yet it threatens law schools it regulates with loss of accreditation should those schools make the simple accommodation of waiving this inherently discriminatory exam. Until the mid-1990s, the ABA allowed law schools to waive the LSAT requirement for those who are "physically incapable" of taking the test. That exception was repealed by the ABA, and now all law school applicants must take the LSAT, regardless of disability. Binno contends that asking him to draw diagrams and perceive spatial relationships illegally tests him on his inability to see rather than on his aptitude for the study of law.

Contact: TJ Bucholz, 517.657.3944

SOURCE Nyman Turkish PC