Assistant DA wins statewide honor

NORTHAMPTON – Northwestern Assistant District Attorney Becky Michaels was one of 55 women honored in the Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Top Women of Law annual awards last week.
Michaels, 52, was the only prosecutor among the attorneys receiving awards in Boston Nov. 16 in recognition of what the publication described as “significant contributions to the legal profession while also serving as role models for women entering the law.” Award recipients were chosen by a panel made up of members of the legal community and representatives of the Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly.
ADA Michaels is director of community prosecution projects for the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office, which includes alternatives to incarceration, restorative justice initiatives and a conviction integrity unit to examine claims of innocence.
“ADA Michaels is a valued part of our team. Her work on community prosecutions and diversity initiatives has been impactful. It’s satisfying to see hard work and a commitment to excellence rewarded by one’s peers,” said Northwestern District Attorney David E. Sullivan, who joined Michaels in Boston for the awards ceremony.
Michaels graduated from Western New England University School of Law in Springfield in 2009 after which she clerked for two judges. She joined the Northwestern DA’s office in 2012, left for a stint at the Attorney General’s Office and returned to the NWDA in 2019. Prior to law school, she had a career in publishing and non-profit communications.
Other award winners included attorneys in private practice, law professors, those working for nonprofits, public defender offices and an assistant attorney general. Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly is a Boston-based publication in operation since 1972, reporting on decisions issued by state and federal courts in Massachusetts, trends in the legal profession and changes to court rules, and other news of interested to the legal community.
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