Attorney Ed Barocas Lives with a Sense of Justice and a Sense of Humor

For Ed Barocas, the key to success is finding what you are passionate about and then pursuing it with full force. The 59-year-old retired civil rights attorney and singer/songwriter has spent his life fighting for justice, helping others, and spreading joy and humor through musical comedy.

This year, he published a memoir, “Chasing Justice and Butterflies,” that details his experiences pursuing his passions.

Adapting and advocating

Diagnosed with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) as a child, Ed is currently a full-time power wheelchair and ventilator user. He knew early on that he wanted to become a civil rights lawyer, aligning his passions for debating, thinking creatively, and fighting for causes that matter.

Ed Barocas and his dog

“I was drawn to civil rights work and constitutional law because these were areas that I could have a lasting impact and do good for more than just myself,” he says.

He attended Rutgers University and George Washington University Law School. While at law school, he began using a walking stick when walking long distances became painful. His schools accommodated him with permission to drive and park on campus.

As a young attorney in New Jersey, Ed was reluctant to transition to a power wheelchair, but he recalls the liberation he felt when he finally embraced it in his early 30s.

“The first weekend I had my wheelchair, I drove the entire length of Central Park in New York City,” he says. “I ended up at the Met and went through the whole museum. I saw all the paintings that I loved and hadn’t been able to see for years. The next day, I went up to the mountains where my old summer camp was and rode around the woods and the lake, experiencing nature again. I had thought that using a wheelchair meant I was giving up, but I realized it gave me so much more freedom.”

It was also at that time that he accepted a position with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Jersey. He hadn’t required accommodations at his previous law firms and was impressed by the ACLU Executive Director’s and Office Manager’s initiative. “They thought to ask me things I would not have thought of, like the type of keyboard that would be best for me, if we needed to change any doors, what I needed in the bathroom, and parking issues,” he says. After a few years, the ACLU office moved to a gutted warehouse, and Ed helped design an entirely accessible space.

Ed’s Executive Director at ACLU became a close friend and mentor, staunchly advocating for accessibility both in the office and when they went out to lunch in the community. Accessing New Jersey’s historical courthouses sometimes proved a greater challenge. Ed recalls waiting in the cold at the “accessible” back entrance of a courthouse for nearly half an hour before accessing the building and being chastised by the judge for being late. Ed explained what had happened, the judge apologized, and when Ed returned to the same courthouse a few months later, there was a new, accessible side entrance.

“Often, when they try to make something accessible that is not, they end up with something makeshift or choose the least expensive way instead of considering the point of view from a person with a disability,” Ed says. “That is why advocacy is so important.”

That passion for advocacy fueled Ed’s career as an attorney, supervising hundreds of important constitutional rights cases. He appeared on CNN, “60 Minutes,” and numerous television news shows, and he was named New Jersey Attorney of the Year in 2019.

Simultaneously, his sense of humor and love of music fueled his other career as a musical comedian.

Singing for fun

An avid songwriter, Ed joined a comedy troupe while at Rutgers and began playing his own parodies and original songs at open mic nights. His songs gained popularity, and he put out an ad for a guitarist to record with, catching the attention of Dave Gellis, the former lead guitarist for Meatloaf and Blood, Sweat, and Tears. They recorded several songs together, including Ed’s parody of Eminem’s song “Slim Shady.” Eminem’s manager heard the song and connected with Ed to produce a music video.

“I’ve learned that if you do what you love and are passionate about, your life is most enjoyable and you are more likely to succeed,” he says. “If you have a passion and it’s something you are good at, don’t let anything stop you.”

Rebecca Hume is a Senior Specialist and Writer for Quest Media.