International Attorney Michelle Mitchell ’06 to Give Keynote Remarks at Cap and Gown Convocation
Trinity graduate Michelle Mitchell ’06 will give the keynote remarks at Cap and Gown Convocation and receive Trinity’s Washington Woman of Genius Award for her outstanding leadership in international law and pro bono legal services on Saturday, September 22, in the Trinity Center for Women and Girls in Sports at 5:00 pm. Mitchell is an associate at the Washington, D.C., office of the international law firm, Hughes, Hubbard and Reed. In her blog, President Pat McGuire wrote, “Michelle Mitchell is well on her way to being one of Washington’s ‘most powerful women.’ … Michelle is one of Trinity’s great exemplars of leadership, talent and tenacity, a great role model for all of today’s students and young alumnae.”
Mitchell graduated summa cum laude from Trinity in 2006 with a major in political science. She was elected to the academic honor society Phi Beta Kappa in her junior year and to Pi Sigma Alpha, the political science honor society. She earned a certificate in intelligence studies, was in Trinity’s Honors program and participated in a study abroad program in China. While she was a student, she was president of the Student Government Association, interned in the office Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi ’62 and worked at the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
In her senior year, she was selected to receive the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship for Graduate and Professional Studies. The highly selective scholarship awards up to $50,000 per year to each recipient for graduate studies, for a total amount of up to $300,000 for each scholarship, which is among the largest scholarships offered in the United States. That year the foundation awarded just 76 scholarships after a nationwide competition among 1,290 nominees.
Mitchell earned her law degree in 2009 from the Georgetown University Law Center, where she served on the Barristers’ Council: Trial Advocacy Division. While she was a law student, she participated in a law program at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, focusing on constitutional litigation, comparative competition law and international human rights law. She was a judicial intern for two summers for the U.S. District Court Judge Rosemary Collyer ’68 and was a fellow at the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means, Subcommittee on Trade. She also provided legislative counsel through the Georgetown Law Center Federal Legislation and Administrative Law Clinic. She was admitted to the Maryland bar in 2009 and the District of Columbia bar in 2010.
As an associate at Hughes, Hubbard and Reed, she specializes in international trade and customs; export controls; sanctions and embargoes; anti-corruption and internal investigations; international intellectual property rights and entertainment; and trade remedies. Read her complete attorney profile.
Her pro bono legal services currently includes working on behalf of a prominent Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization to draft a comprehensive report and develop a multifaceted legislative, regulatory and litigation strategy to restore a local polluted and degraded river, particularly focusing on the economic benefits of green building and green infrastructure investments. She is also representing an Indian classical dance artist and choreographer in protection of the rights to creative works and works of the performing arts, and is drafting corporate documents and supported the launch of a New York nonprofit organization supporting a national initiative to provide an electronic platform for Americans to thank the men and women of the armed forces for their service to the country.
In a profile of Mitchell in the TRINITY magazine, she said, “Life is filled with defining moments – for me these moments have arisen when I’ve stepped outside of my comfort zone and allowed myself to experience something extraordinary. Traveling, experiencing different cultures and adapting to new ways of life gives you a broader, deeper understanding of the way the world works. The more I see and learn – the more I realize that there is so much more!” As a message for young women today, Mitchell shared, “Have no limits. Don’t let anything or anyone curb your enthusiasm and optimism. Self-confidence is key.” Read the full article.