Michael Cohen

Michael Cohen is a Deputy Attorney General at the California Department of Justice, where he leads many of the Department’s elections and voting rights initiatives. Michael litigates high-profile election matters on behalf of the State of California in courts across the country, securing critical relief to keep elections free and fair. Outside of court, Michael works closely with state and local officials on election administration and security. Before joining the Department, Michael represented public agencies across California as an Associate at Renne Public Law Group, including in elections and redistricting matters.

As a Legal Fellow at the UCLA Voting Rights Project, Michael worked on redistricting, ballot access during the COVID-19 pandemic, and other emergent voting rights issues. Michael earned his bachelor’s degree from University of Colorado, an MA in Legal and Political Theory from University College London, and his JD from UCLA School of Law.

Michael lives in the mountains near Lake Tahoe with his wife and their rascally puppy. Outside of work, he enjoys climbing, running, biking, and spending as much time outdoors as possible.