The U.S. Supreme Court made history last Tuesday, April 19, when Chief Justice John Roberts sworn in 12 deaf and hard of hearing lawyers. The ceremony was not just a beautiful moment, but the whole occasion was filled with many firsts.
The 12 new members of the Supreme Court bar were sworn in with the chief justice using American Sign Language. "Your motion is granted," he gestured with his hands, per The Washington Post. The lawyers, who are members of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Bar Association (DHHBA) from around the country, proceeded to argue their cases.
U.S. Supreme Court's Many Firsts With The Deaf And Hard Of Hearing Lawyers
That Tuesday would go down in history as a win for diversity and acceptance as -- aside from swearing in a dozen of deaf members -- it was the first time a chief justice used sign language behind the bench. It was also the first time the lawyers made their oral arguments in front of the justices.
It's common practice to have lawyers argue their cases in the Supreme Court, but this doesn't happen often with the deaf and hard of hearing. An interpreter was helping the court translate their statements on the two cases presented.
Chief Justice John Roberts learns sign language to swear in lawyers - The Boston Globe https://t.co/tsCs5rCNkU
— US Supreme Court (@USSupremeCourt1) April 21, 2016
But as another first, the use of electronic device was allowed in the Supreme Court, when this was normally shunned. The lawyers needed the device for instant transcriptions for those who attended the proceedings, per Reuters.
Deaf And Hard Of Hearing Lawyers Paving The Way For Others
"It was very thoughtful for Justice Roberts to acknowledge the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Bar Association the way he did," said DHHBA president Anat Maytal, per Raw Story. Among those who were sworn in were Kansas lawyers, Charla Beall and Leonard Hall, a lawyer for the U.S. Customs and Border, Reema Radwan, and lawyers for various disability groups.
Teresa Curtin said that their situation has been challenging. She works for a big New York firm, Weitz & Luxenberg, and graduated from Princeton nearly 20 years ago.
But this historical moment is proving to be a defining one that could open doors for many aspiring law students with disabilities. "We don't think it's so much inspirational as it should be normal," Curtin said in the reports.
