For John W. Reiser, service isn’t something he just happened upon. It’s how he was raised.
“My parents were involved in public service,” he said, and rattled off some of their community service endeavors including the parish council, president of the ski club, and the local charter commission. His mother was a county commissioner.
Growing up, serving and being involved in the community was just part of what people do.
“When you have the ability to help others, you do.”
Reiser is certainly continuing the family tradition. Currently serving as the senior assistant city attorney for the City of Ann Arbor, he has been a council member of the Cannabis Law and Criminal Law sections of the State Bar of Michigan, a board member for the Washtenaw chapter of the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan, and president of the Washtenaw County Bar Association.
His most recent accomplishment: becoming chair of the State Bar of Michigan Representative Assembly.
Reiser was officially sworn in on Sept. 19 after two decades of service to the RA, where his work has included chairing both the calendar and drafting committees. He also served on the Assembly Review Committee.
In his one-year term as chair, he has some big goals. He plans to continue outreach efforts he’s been a part of with Michigan’s tribal courts, address the shortage of attorneys in parts of Michigan, and increase RA membership.
Reiser was part of a group of RA members who visited the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi Tribal Court and met with Judge Melissa M. Pope, who subsequently swore Reiser into office.
In addition to visiting the court, Reiser and other Board of Commissioners and Representative Assembly members attended a powwow and gained insight into Judge Pope’s work on restorative justice.
While continuing to strengthen tribal relationships, he also said he wants to address the issue of legal deserts.
“You have the unavailability of attorneys in certain areas, you’ve got long distances from the court, you’ve got limited English-speaking ability, you’ve got poverty, the lack of internet or broadband, all of which make it harder for a lot of people to access justice, to access the court system, and to have their legal needs met,” he said.
Reiser’s legal career only makes up for a portion of his resume, however. Beyond getting involved in the legal profession, he finds himself involved, well, pretty much everywhere.
A resident of Scio Township just west of Ann Arbor, Reiser got to know the township supervisor when he visited the township offices to advocate for the construction of sidewalks to link several adjacent subdivisions. When a Scio Township trustee seat opened up in 2022, the board unanimously chose Reiser to fill it. He has recently been elected to retain his seat.
He became a board member of the Home of New Vision drug and alcohol treatment center in Ann Arbor, something that stemmed from his day job.
“As an assistant prosecuting attorney, I saw firsthand the impact that drugs and alcohol can have on somebody, through the commission of a crime or being the victim of someone who’s committed a crime,” he said. “So, I wanted to do what I can to volunteer for organizations that address that as a root cause.”
Reiser also is a member of the Ann Arbor branch of the NAACP, past chair of the Ypsilanti Township Planning Commission, a member of Prosecuting Attorneys’ Association of Michigan Traffic Safety Forum, former president of the Washtenaw County Assistant Prosecuting Attorneys’ Association, and board member of the Wheatland Music Organization. He also plays keyboard in an all-lawyer band, Soul Practitioners (get it?) who play for charity events, many of which have to do with functions pertaining to the law.
How does a guy who has a day job as a city attorney do all that?
Reiser isn’t exactly sure. When asked, he turned to his wife, Patricia, also an attorney and SBM member, and asked her.
“Hey Trish, how do I have so much time for so much stuff? Or don’t I?”
Her reply came quickly.
“You don’t,” she said, laughing.
After thinking it over a moment, Reiser said, “You just kind of make it work.”