Strength Through Adversity: His future went from dim to bright at UW-Whitewater
ENVISION Magazine, 2006
David Cohen ’95 is a brilliant, ethical, forthright, successful trial attorney who was born with quadriplegic cerebral palsy.
In Cohen’s own words, “I utilize an electric wheelchair and all four limbs are affected.” Beyond this brief definition of his limitations, he’s all about the positives and crediting others for his success.
When Cohen was in high school, his future looked dim. He could live in a group home and work at a shelter for the disabled. This defining moment was followed by a “no way in hell” response, which pushed the 19-year-old out the door and on his way to UW-Whitewater in 1990.
“UW-Whitewater is in a small, friendly town,” said Cohen, a Barrington, Ill., native. “I would not have reached the pinnacle of success if I had not gone there. It was not just a university, but a family.”
The family he refers to includes Jackie Wenkman, then assistant director of Disabled Student Services; John Kozlowicz and John Oh, professors of political science and Richard Haney, professor of history.
Cohen credits Wenkman for lighting a fire under him and showing him the importance of academics and internships.
With Wenkman’s help, Cohen worked for veteran state Rep. Steve Nass, Assistant to the Chancellor for Affirmative Action Susan Moss, and Assistant Chancellor for Student Affairs Roger Ludeman. “I owe a lot to one person,” Cohen said. “Without Jackie, I’d be selling McDonalds hamburgers somewhere.”
Professors Kozlowicz and Oh also left a lasting impression on the political science major. “Koz was truly my mentor, my adviser and a warm and caring professor,” Cohen said. “By sitting in his classes, I realized that law was something I can do. A lot of people decided to become lawyers because of sitting in his classes.”
Oh’s influence was equally strong for different reasons. Cohen recalls studying his “gluteus maximus” off in Oh’s class to get an A, but more important for Cohen was Oh’s long-lasting influence. “In my career and in my life, I would think, ‘what would Professor Oh think of me?’ It got me through a lot of tough times.”
Pursuing a history minor, Cohen was captivated by Haney’s lectures and the atmosphere in his classroom. “Haney let me talk,” he said. “He let me voice my opinions. I’d like to think he was one of my favorites and I was one of his.”
Like many others, Haney knew that Cohen was a brilliant, forceful and mature individual “who was going to be a success at whatever he did.” But by having him in his class, Cohen lifted the level and performance of everyone in the room. “He’s one of the five to 10 best students I’ve ever had,” Haney said.
That came across clearly on his Law School Admission Test when Cohen scored in the 99th percentile nationwide and was one of the first students with a significant disability to take the LSAT with the help of a reader and scribe.
Because of his high LSAT score, law schools all over the country were competing for him. Cohen was accepted into nine law schools including Georgetown University, but he chose University of Illinois Law School because of its accessibility. He earned his Juris Doctorate in 2000.
For the last five years, Cohen has been a defense attorney with the Environmental Protection Agency in Chicago, answering grievances, battling with union representatives and preparing and representing the agency for fair labor practices.
“Today, I live in my own apartment,” Cohen said. “I live with my own attendant. I’m able to live my life and my parents are able to live theirs.”
Cohen’s next goal is to work as an advocate for the rights of the disabled in Washington, D.C., where he can be a motivating force in their lives.
“My No. 1 motivation from the day I was born is: I will have a life; I will be a part of the community; I will have friends; and I will have a career and achieve the American dream.
“My family instilled this in me. Just like everyone else, I can accomplish things.” – Cynthia Vergenz