“I’m inclined to cheer for the underdog, and helping people try to get a fair shake from their employers’ insurance companies jibes with that. The big guys have plenty of power and influence, and it’s an important matter of fairness to strike a blow for the little guy.”

- Michael F. Roessler

michael.roessler@farrin.com

919-287-9307

Injury Lawyers » Attorney Michael F. Roessler (Partner)

Named to “Best Lawyers”³ list for Workers’ Compensation by Best Lawyers, 2022 – 2024

State of North and South Carolina colored in gold

Licensed to practice law in North Carolina and South Carolina

North Carolina State Bar Board Certified Specialist – Workers’ Compensation Law

Attorney Michael F. Roessler (Partner)

Michael Roessler is a Partner of the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin. He joined the firm in 2015, handling workers’ compensation cases and is a North Carolina Board Certified Specialist in Workers’ Compensation law. Prior to joining the firm, he represented personal injury and workers’ compensation clients for more than five years. He has served as an adjunct professor of Political Science at Queens University of Charlotte, where he taught various pre-law classes.

Michael earned his J.D., with honors, from the University of North Carolina School of Law at Chapel Hill and a B.A. from Queens University of Charlotte, where he double majored in History and Political Science.

In law school, Michael received numerous awards and honors. He was selected to join both regional and national Holderness Moot Court teams and the Broun National Trial Team, where he and his team were national quarterfinalists.

Originally he set out to pursue a journalism career. He wrote multiple news articles and opinion columns for the Mooresville Tribune (NC) and the Independent Tribune (Concord-Kannapolis, NC). However, after befriending some local attorneys who were advocating for the more marginalized members of his community, he realized his passion lay with those members of society. Soon after, Michael enrolled in law school and became an attorney in an effort to help advocate for those individuals’ rights.

“My clients are everyday, ordinary people who are trying to work hard, support themselves and their families, and play by the rules. But something went wrong, and so they’ve come to us for empathy, guidance, and advocacy. Empathy requires us to understand our clients’ situation. Guidance requires us to explain the ‘lay of the land’ to them in light of their situation. And advocacy requires that we fight for them to help try to ensure their workplace injury disrupts their lives as little as possible.”

Michael often combines his passions for writing and law by contributing pieces to legal publications such as the North Carolina Law Review, the Charlotte Law Review, and the Southwestern Law Review. He served as an editor for the 86th volume of the North Carolina Law Review and co-authored a chapter on disbursing funds in the 2015 edition of Personal Injury Practice in North Carolina.

Michael is a member of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice and was named to Best Lawyers in America’s “Best Lawyers” list for Workers’ Compensation Law – Claimants in 2022 and 2023.⁴

Licensed In

North Carolina
South Carolina

Practice Area

Workers' Compensation

Honors/Awards/
Accomplishments

“Best Lawyers”³ for Workers’ Compensation Law – Claimants by Best Lawyers in America, 2022-2024
Broun National Trial Team
- Selected for membership, 2006
- Member of regional championship team in the 2007 Texas Young Lawyers Association trial skills competition
- Member of national quarterfinalist team in the 2007 Texas Young Lawyers Association trial skills competition
- Coach of regional team in the 2008 Texas Young Lawyers Association trial skills competition
Holderness Moot Court
- Selected as member of the National Team, 2006
- Member of regional team in the 2007 competition sponsored by the Association of the Bar of the City of New York and the American College of Trial Lawyers
North Carolina Law Review
- Volume 85 staff member
- Volume 86 articles editor

Memberships

North Carolina Advocates for Justice
North Carolina State Bar
Certified Workers’ Compensation Specialist, Board of Legal Specialization of the North Carolina State Bar
South Carolina State Bar

Publications & Speaking Engagements

“Why Aren’t You Working?: Medlin with Proof of Disability Under the North Carolina Workers’ Compensation Act,” Campbell Law Review (forthcoming 2016)
Disbursements chapter in Personal Injury Practice in North Carolina, (3rd edition), North Carolina Advocates for Justice, with co-author Gary Clemmons (2015)
“Public Education, Local Authority, and Democracy: The Implied Power of North Carolina Counties to Impose School Impact Fees,” 33 Campbell Law Review 239 (2011)
“Mistaking Doubts and Qualms for Constitutional Law: Against the Rejection of Legislative History as a Tool of Interpretation,” 39 Southwestern Law Review 103 (2009)
“Leandro: Reconsidering a Landmark, Rejecting the Power of Geography, and Returning to an Earlier Constitutional Age,” 1 Charlotte Law Review 149 (2009)
“Recent Development: We Are Not Amused: The Narrow Interpretation of Title II’s Place-of-Entertainment Provision in Denny v. Elizabeth Arden Salons, Inc.,” 85 North Carolina Law Review 1259 (2007)
Multiple news articles and opinion columns in the Mooresville (NC) Tribune and (Concord-Kannapolis, NC) Independent Tribune, 2000–2005

Law School

University of North Carolina School of Law
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
2008, J.D.

Dean’s List in Fall 2005, Spring 2006, Fall 2006, Spring 2007, Fall 2007, Spring 2008

College

Queens College (now Queens University of Charlotte)
Charlotte, North Carolina
1999, B.A. in History and Political Science (double major)

specialization

Workers’ Compensation
Board of Legal Specialization, North Carolina State Bar

Former Workers’ Compensation Client, Online Facebook Review

They worked with me on getting everything

They worked with me on getting everything set up as far as physical therapy, surgeon, and work conditioning. I am very thankful to Mr. Roessler and Bridget Vazques Bennett … I would recommend the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin to any of my friends here in North Carolina. ¹

Former Workers’ Compensation Client, Online Google Review

Great job on my case!

Great job on my case! Anytime I had a question or concern, I'd email Ms. Richardson or Mr. Roessler, and they'd respond within 24 hours. They took the stressful part, so I could focus on getting better! … Thanks so much! ¹

For legal reasons and client confidentiality, reviews have been slightly edited to remove identifying information and correct typos.