Huskies
Michael Fox
Washington,DC
Summary
Constitutional lawyer and scholar with exceptional written and oral communication skills coupled with a strong commitment to defending the constitutional order and holding government officials accountable when they violate our rights.
Overview
6
6
years of professional experience
Work History
Legal Fellow
Cato Institute Project on Criminal Justice
10.2024 - Current
- Compose short form commentary on topics including overcriminalization, self-defeating policing, immunity/accountability, Founding-era juries, the practical elimination of the citizen jury trial, and immigration enforcement.
- Conduct legal research, draft, and edit amicus briefs for filing in the U.S. Supreme Court and federal circuit courts in support of challenges to unconstitutional governmental action.
- Engage extensively with national and local media including recorded interviews, transcribed interviews, and live appearances.
- Testified before the House Judiciary Crime Subcommittee on overcriminalization and the rise of regulatory crimes leading to three presidential pardons.
- Collaborate with bipartisan stakeholders on Capitol Hill and cross ideological organizations to advance the cause of liberty and resist government oppression.
- Give talks and presentations to a wide range of audiences on a variety of criminal justice and constitutional law related topics.
Legislative Aide
US Senate Homeland Security Subcommittee on Government Operations & Border Management
07.2023 - 09.2024
- Legislative portfolio consisted primarily of regulatory affairs and Title V (federal workforce policy) in addition to government use/oversight of AI and technology, FEMA, USPS, Census Bureau, cybersecurity, federal assets/property, and acquisition/procurement.
- Prepared and staffed the chair for meetings with stakeholders, constituent groups, and high level executive branch nominees/officials; markups and hearings before the full committee and two subcommittees.
- Drafted bill and amendment summaries, negotiated amendments, made vote recommendations, wrote questions and remarks.
- Reviewed and responded to requests to co-sponsor legislation and sign on to oversight letters.
- Managed the nomination's process for all nominees within committee's jurisdiction including background vetting, conducting staff level interviews, drafting questions, and making vote recommendations.
- Advanced the flow of legislation in my issue areas by leading staff level negotiations to secure bipartisan cosponsors, drafting legislation, and navigating committee and floor processes.
- Edited constituent letters and press releases within my portfolio to advance public messaging on the senator's work.
Deputy Public Defender
Colorado State Public Defender, Pueblo Regional Office
10.2019 - 08.2020
- Provided comprehensive legal representation to indigent individuals accused of crimes at all stages of the criminal proceeding.
- Collaborated with, and at times supervised, the defense team, consisting of attorneys, clients, investigators, interns, and administrative support.
- Managed an active caseload of well over 150 cases with a heavy trial and pretrial litigation docket; totaling over 500 clients.
- Conducted detailed case investigations to include conducting witness interviews, legal research, and drafting discovery motions.
- Worked aggressively to keep clients out of custody by challenging pretrial detention practices and restrictive probation conditions.
- Distilled complex legal issues down to themes and pointed, concise phrases.
- Drafted detailed sentencing memos to illustrate that my client is more than the charges before the court.
- Negotiated with Deputy District Attorneys to secure favorable client outcomes.
Education
JD - Trial & Appellate Advocacy
Suffolk University Law School
Boston, MABS - Political Science
Northeastern University
Boston, MAInterests
Bar Admissions
Colorado; US Supreme Court
Publications
Mike Fox, What Good Is a Right Without a Remedy, CATO AT LIBERTY (Nov. 21, 2025), https://www.cato.org/blog/what-good-right-without-remedy.
Mike Fox, The Fifth Circuit v. The Framers, CATO AT LIBERTY (Nov. 19, 2025), https://www.cato.org/blog/fifth-circuit-v-framers-justice-lone-star-state.
Mike Fox, How Setting the Grand Teton Speed Record Nearly Landed a Dog Dad in the Doghouse, CATO AT LIBERTY (Nov. 11, 2025), https://www.cato.org/blog/how-setting-grand-teton-speed-record-nearly-landed-dog-dad-doghouse.
Mike Fox, Now is Not the Time for Federal Judges to Be Removing Skeptical Jurors from Jury Selection, SLATE (Oct. 23, 2025), https://www.cato.org/commentary/now-not-time-federal-judges-be-removing-ice-skeptics-jury-selection.
Mike Fox, What's Really at Stake in the Kilmar Abrego Garcia Case?, REASON (Oct. 9, 2025), https://www.cato.org/commentary/whats-really-stake-kilmar-abrego-garcia-case.
Mike Fox, Rejecting Injustice: The Jury's Role in a Politicized Justice System, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER (Oct. 2, 2025), https://www.cato.org/commentary/rejecting-injustice-jurys-role-politicized-justice-system.
Mike Fox, The Home Team Advantage: How DC Jurors Can Become a Bulwark Against Government Oppression, CATO AT LIBERTY (Oct. 2, 2025), https://www.cato.org/blog/home-team-advantage-how-dc-jurors-can-become-bulwark-against-government-oppression.
Mike Fox, Freedom for Me but Not for Three, CATO AT LIBERTY (Sept. 9, 2025), https://www.cato.org/blog/freedom-me-not-thee.
Mike Fox, The Trial of William Penn: The Verdict That Freed the Jury, CATO AT LIBERTY (Sept. 5, 2025), https://www.cato.org/blog/trial-william-penn-verdict-freed-jury.
Mike Fox, Beyond the Mugshot: When Those Who Enforce the Law Refuse to Follow It, CATO AT LIBERTY (Sept. 3, 2025), https://www.cato.org/blog/beyond-mugshot-when-those-who-enforce-law-refuse-follow-it.
Mike Fox, When a Constitutional Right Is a Petty Exception, CATO AT LIBERTY (Sept. 2, 2025), https://www.cato.org/blog/when-constitutional-right-petty-exception.
Mike Fox, Why the D.C. Sandwich Throwing Case Just Gave Me Hope, MSNBC.COM (Aug. 28, 2025), https://www.cato.org/commentary/why-dc-sandwich-throwing-case-just-gave-me-hope
Mike Fox, The Price of Freedom: The True Cost of Pretrial Detention, CATO AT LIBERTY (Aug. 25, 2025), https://www.cato.org/blog/price-freedom-true-cost-pretrial-detention.
Mike Fox, The Path to a Safer DC: A Focus on Certainty, Not Showmanship, CATO AT LIBERTY (Aug. 13, 2025), https://www.cato.org/blog/path-safer-dc-focus-certainty-not-showmanship.
Mike Fox, The Price of Pragmatism: How the Court's Retreat from the Constitution Fueled Mass Incarceration, CATO AT LIBERTY (Aug. 11, 2025), https://www.cato.org/blog/price-pragmatism-how-courts-retreat-constitution-fueled-mass-incarceration.
Mike Fox, Zenger at 290: The Jury's Duty to Say No to Government Oppression, CATO AT LIBERTY (Aug. 4, 2025), https://www.cato.org/blog/zenger-290-jurys-duty-say-no-government-oppression.
Mike Fox, The Price of Justice: When Liberty Becomes a Bribe, COUNTERPUNCH (Aug. 1, 2025), https://www.cato.org/commentary/price-justice-when-liberty-becomes-bribe.
Mike Fox, ICE Detentions Are an Affront to the Fourth Amendment—and We're All Paying the Price, MSNBC.COM (July 18, 2025), https://www.cato.org/commentary/ice-detentions-are-affront-fourth-amendment-were-all-paying-price.
Mike Fox, Beyond the Finish Line: The Grand Teton Trail & the Grand Disconnect, CATO AT LIBERTY (June 17, 2025), https://www.cato.org/blog/beyond-finish-line-grand-teton-trail-grand-disconnect.
Mike Fox, When the President Bit: From the Shark House to the White House, CATO AT LIBERTY (June 6, 2025), https://www.cato.org/blog/when-president-bit-shark-house-whitehouse.
Mike Fox, When Doing Good Becomes a Crime, WASHINGTON EXAMINER (May 24, 2025), https://www.cato.org/commentary/when-doing-good-becomes-crime.
Mike Fox, Keeping Cops Accountable: Supreme Court Issues Decision in Barnes v. Felix, THE FEDERALIST SOCIETY (May 21, 2025), https://fedsoc.org/commentary/fedsoc-blog/keeping-cops-accountable-supreme-court-issues-decision-in-barnes-v-felix.
Mike Fox, From Dog Leashes to Potty Breaks: Are We All Unwitting Criminals?, CATO AT LIBERTY (May 14, 2025), https://www.cato.org/blog/dog-leashes-potty-breaks-are-we-all-unwitting-criminals.
Mike Fox, Let's Empower Jurors to Halt an Injustice, CHICAGO TRIB. (May 14, 2025), https://www.cato.org/commentary/lets-empower-jurors-halt-injustice.
Mike Fox, A Violent Cop's Plea Deal Could Undermine Justice in Los Angeles, ORANGE CNTY. TRIB. (May 12, 2025), https://www.cato.org/commentary/violent-cops-plea-deal-could-undermine-justice-los-angeles.
Mike Fox, Orwellian Justice: The Trial Penalty Under Fire, CATO AT LIBERTY (April 28, 2025), https://www.cato.org/blog/orwellian-justice-trial-penalty-under-fire.
Mike Fox, From Lexington to the Jury Box: 250 Years of Defending Liberty, CATO AT LIBERTY (April 21, 2025), https://www.cato.org/blog/lexington-jury-box-250-years-defending-liberty.
Thomas A. Berry et al., The Right to Control Your Property is Fundamental, CATO AT LIBERTY (April 11, 2025), https://www.cato.org/blog/right-control-property-fundamental.
Mike Fox, The Wrong Door: Federal Agents Raid the Wrong Home and Evade Accountability, CATO AT LIBERTY (March 20, 2025), https://www.cato.org/blog/wrong-door-federal-agents-raid-wrong-home-evade-accountability.
Mike Fox, The Vindictive Prosecution of a Champion Runner, DC JOURNAL (March 17, 2025), https://www.cato.org/commentary/vindictive-prosecution-champion-runner.
Mike Fox, The Untouchables: How Prosecutorial Immunity Breeds Injustice, CATO AT LIBERTY (March 11, 2025), https://www.cato.org/blog/untouchables-how-prosecutorial-immunity-breeds-injustice.
Jeffrey A. Singer et al., Your Body, Their Rules, SANDUSKYREG. (Feb. 22, 2025), https://www.cato.org/commentary/body-their-rules.
Mike Fox, Update: DOJ Jumps the Shark, CATO AT LIBERTY (Feb. 14, 2025), https://www.cato.org/blog/update-doj-jumps-shark.
Mike Fox, A Glimmer of Hope in a Sea of Judicial Despair, CATO AT LIBERTY (Feb. 11, 2025), https://www.cato.org/blog/glimmer-hope-sea-despair.
Mike Fox, How DOJ Helps Federal Prosecutors Escape Accountability & Evade Public Scrutiny, CATO AT LIBERTY (Jan. 29, 2025), https://www.cato.org/blog/how-doj-helps-federal-prosecutors-escape-accountability-evade-public-scrutiny.
Mike Fox, Juries as a Bulwark Against Oppression, CATO AT LIBERTY (Jan. 13, 2025), https://www.cato.org/blog/juries-bulwark-against-oppression.
Mike Fox, How DOJ Turned Flares of Joy into a Cry for Help, CATO AT LIBERTY (Jan. 8, 2025), https://www.cato.org/blog/how-doj-turned-flares-joy-cry-help.
Mike Fox, How DOJ Turned Flares of Joy into a Cry for Help, CATO AT LIBERTY (Jan. 8, 2025), https://www.cato.org/blog/how-doj-turned-flares-joy-cry-help.
Mike Fox, Bipartisan Bill Seeks to Safeguard Americans from the Injustices of Civil Forfeiture, CATO AT LIBERTY (Dec. 12, 2024), https://www.cato.org/blog/bipartisan-bill-seeks-safeguard-americans-injustice-civil-forfeiture.
Speaking Engagements
Policing the Police, Cato Institute Intern Class Lecture (March 2025).
Policing White Supremacy: The Enemy Within, Cato Institute Book Forum (March 2025).
Introduction to Criminal Criminal Justice, SUNY Brockport Washington Internship Program Lecture (April 2025).
Policing the Police, Cato Institute Intern Class Lecture (June 2025).
How Overcriminalization, Police Immunity, & Due Process Challenges Undermine Individual Liberty, Students for Liberty Summit Lecture (June 2025).
Introduction to Criminal Criminal Justice, SUNY Brockport Washington Internship Program Lecture (July 2025).
The People's Veto: Criminal Juries from the Founding to Now, University of Denver Law School Federalist Society Student Chapter Debate (Sept. 2025).
The People's Veto: Recalibrating the Scales of Justice, University of Colorado Law School Federalist Society Student Chapter Lecture (Sept. 2025).
Looking Ahead: October Term 2025, Cato Institute's 24th Annual Constitution Day Panel (Sept. 2025).
Policing the Police, Cato Institute Intern Class Lecture (Oct. 2025).
Introduction to Criminal Justice, United Methodist College Washington Consortium Lecture (Oct. 2025).
Originalism & the Court's Doctrinal Detours, Wayne State University Law School Federalist Society Student Chapter Discussion (Nov. 2025).
Incentivized Informants & the War on Drugs, Drug Policy Alliance Reform Conference Panel (Nov. 2025).
Areas of Interest & Expertise
Unconstitutional Overcriminalization
Immunity & Accountability
Policing Tactics
Citizen Jury Trials
Coercive Plea Bargaining
Enumerated Powers
Legal Filings
Cato Inst. Amicus Br., Barnes v. Felix (Fifth Circuit), https://www.cato.org/legal-briefs/barnes-v-felix-1.
Cato Inst. Amicus Br., United States v. Berry (Fourth Circuit), https://www.cato.org/legal-briefs/united-states-v-berry.
Cato Inst. Amicus Br., United States v. Pierre (Eleventh Circuit), https://www.cato.org/legal-briefs/united-states-v-pierre-0.
Cato Inst. Amicus Br., Dowd v. United States (United States Supreme Court cert petition), https://www.cato.org/legal-briefs/dowd-v-united-states.
Cato Inst. Amicus Br., Hohn v. United States (United States Supreme Court cert petition), https://www.cato.org/legal-briefs/hohn-v-united-states.
Cato Inst. Amicus Br., Paz v. Hayden (Fifth Circuit), https://www.cato.org/legal-briefs/paz-v-hayden.
Cato Inst. Amicus Br., United States v. John Moore, Jr. & Tanner Mansell (Eleventh Circuit), https://www.cato.org/legal-briefs/united-states-v-john-moore-jr-tanner-mansell.
Cato Inst. Amicus Br., Barnes v. Felix (Supreme Court merits), https://www.cato.org/legal-briefs/barnes-v-felix-0.
Timeline
Legal Fellow
Cato Institute Project on Criminal Justice
10.2024 - Current
Legislative Aide
US Senate Homeland Security Subcommittee on Government Operations & Border Management
07.2023 - 09.2024
Deputy Public Defender
Colorado State Public Defender, Pueblo Regional Office
10.2019 - 08.2020
JD - Trial & Appellate Advocacy
Suffolk University Law School
BS - Political Science
Northeastern University