A native of State College, Pennsylvania, Michael served as an articles editor for the North Carolina Law Review while in law school and was also a member of the moot court and trial team, making it to the quarter-finals of the nationwide 2007 Texas Young Lawyers Association trial competition held in Houston, Texas. He also performed pro bono work for the North Carolina Civil Liberties Union, the National Lawyers Guild, the North Carolina NAACP, and the UNC Center for Civil Rights.
In the spring of 2007, the North Carolina Law Review published a piece by Michael critical of a federal appellate court’s narrow interpretation of a provision of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In the spring of 2009, Charlotte Law Review will publish an article by Michael addressing the right of students to receive a sound, basic education under the Constitution of North Carolina.
Prior to attending Carolina Law, Michael worked for three years as a reporter for the Mooresville Tribune and for two years as a reporter for the (Concord-Kannapolis) Independent Tribune. While working for the Mooresville paper, Michael earned several awards from the North Carolina Press Association for articles addressing the need for reform in local government.
Michael did his undergraduate work at Queens College (now Queens University of Charlotte), earning degrees in history and political science.
Michael is married to Amanda Labrie, a high school English teacher at Charlotte Latin School.