Michael is NLADA's Legal Director for Defender Legal Services and Strategic Policy Initiaitves. He supports the work of public defenders nationwide, as well as improvements to indigent defense systems, through research, policy advocacy, training and technical assistance, and development of resources and toolkits to assist defenders. Before joining NLADA, Michael was a legal consultant at the National Juvenile Defender Center (now The Gault Center). His experience also spans a broad range of other topic areas, including human rights, women’s rights, international law, racial and ethnic discrimination, LGBT+ rights, labor rights, and workers’ compensation and personal injury law. Michael received his BA from the University of Chicago and his JD from Georgetown University Law Center.