‘Inspiring’ Attorney Michael Wasser Reaches 10th
Anniversary of Work for City, Despite Muscular Dystrophy
By Samuel Newhouse
Brooklyn Daily Eagle
CHURCH STREET — Attorney and Brooklyn native Michael Wasser doesn’t let anything stop him from showing up to work on time with a smile — even though he faces difficulties every day that few can really understand.
Wasser, assistant corporation counsel in the Tax and Bankruptcy Department of the New York City Law Department, has muscular dystrophy or MD. Due to the disorder, Wasser uses a wheelchair and his mobility is severely restricted.
Michael Cardozo, corporation counsel of the Law Department, said that after recently bumping into Wasser on the street one morning, Cardozo was struck again by the energy Wasser brings to work before even coming in the door.
“I wish that we had 100 Michael Wassers,” Cardozo said. “He has a sunny, positive outlook; works incredibly hard; and provides inspiration to us all.”
Wasser, who marks 10 years of work at the Law Department this week, is more humble about his daily routine. The challenges, he said, are “simple things, like getting a pair of pants on when you don’t have the ability to stand.”
Waking up around 5:30 in his home at the crossroads of Brighton Beach and Coney Island to prepare for the day and riding through morning traffic with his father is no problem for Wasser. He’s very frank about the real obstacles that his disorder creates.
“There’s a choice you can make. You can let your disability steal more from you than it already has, or not,” Wasser said. “Because of MD, at times my body can be my worst enemy … You can’t just let that get to you.”
In fact, working actively as a lawyer on behalf of the city, Wasser is widely known for his constant smile and for the fact that he never seems to be in a bad mood.
“If I ever am in a bad mood, it’s very short lived,” he quipped.
Actively Helping Others
Wasser is just as active outside the Law Department as he is in it. The outspoken attorney volunteers for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), talking to people recently diagnosed with MD and their family members about the disorder as well as helping with fundraising efforts.
Over Labor Day weekend, he joined stars like singer Tony Orlando and television anchor Russ Salzberg at the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon fundraiser, which was an unexpected success despite the economic crisis.
“We made $60 million,” Wasser said proudly. “Everybody was just ecstatic to raise that much.” The funds will support MDA’s research into medical cures and treatments for MD.
“Research has never been more promising in every form of medicine,” Wasser said. “Hope abounds anywhere … Is there something for it today? No, but it’s never been more promising than it is now.”
Wasser also advocates on behalf of the disabled in the courts. Wasser is currently litigating a case pro se against the state, arguing that New York does not give out as much in benefits to handicapped citizens as is required by the federal Rehabilitation Act.
“I work on it part-time on the weekends,” Wasser said. “The results can have far-reaching effects for many people with disabilities.”
It’s this energy that has made Wasser such a positive figure in the Law Department offices in Downtown Manhattan, known for his friendly nature and sense of humor. It’s also what led the MDA to honor him with its 2004 National Personal Achievement award.
“Michael Wasser [is] a role model in every aspect of his life,” said MDA President Robert Ross at the time of the award. “He shows each day that when a positive attitude is coupled with intelligence and determination, great results are produced.”
Heart of the City
Wasser is proud to have built his career in the Law Department, where his work keeps him close to the heart of life in the city he calls home.
“You can see parks being built, housing being created,” Wasser said. “Real estate tax [...] is an integral part of making the city work and letting the city do what it needs to do.”
Wasser said that law “was in the back of my mind” from a young age, but it seems like it was in his nature, too.
As a spunky 10-year-old, Wasser started collecting signatures for a petition when he realized that the stage in his school’s auditorium wasn’t wheelchair accessible. (A hydraulic lift was installed a few years later).
At Brooklyn College, Wasser graduated Phi Beta Kappa and then went on to Brooklyn Law School, where he started interning at the NYC Law Department. A few months after passing the bar, he was working there as a full-time employee.
Wasser handles casework with the aid of technology, whether using a headset and voice-activated software or filing briefs in federal court electronically. His office has modular furniture adjusted for height to accommodate the power wheelchair that he uses to get around, and a file cabinet was moved outside his office to open up more space.
These sorts of simple strategies are a “no-brainer” for making life easier, as Wasser put it.
Appearing in court can be difficult, but wheelchair access is vastly improved today from where it was years ago, Wasser said. Other attorneys are cordial and more than willing to help Wasser when necessary.
“I’ve had situations at closing when we’re in a bit of a heated argument,” he said. “But they’re still going to bring you a piece of paper you need.”
Support From
His Family
In everyday life, Wasser’s disability is not a part of his identity. He enjoys the same activities anyone enjoys, such as reading and socializing. He doesn’t currently have a girlfriend, although he said that he is “very much available.”
Wasser has what is known as Becker muscular dystrophy, which is characterized by progressive weakness and muscle wasting in the limb and trunk muscles. He’s had it since he was a child.
Since he can no longer easily lift his arms, he is classified as a quadriplegic, and also requires non-invasive breathing assistance at night. He’s lived with the disorder for as long as he can remember, but credits his family for supporting him as he grew up.
“I was always expected to have the regular expectations that anyone would have of themselves in school and in life, and of not letting my disability take over my life,” Wasser said. “When you’re faced with a situation like this, you have to grow up pretty quickly.”
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