About Michael
Michael Bencal brings an uncommon professional path to his legal career. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Education from Salem State College before training as a pilot at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, where he received a commercial pilot license. He completed his legal education at Massachusetts School of Law and later built a practice that spans state and federal forums.
Bencal’s early career took place inside the Federal Aviation Administration. He worked as an air traffic controller beginning in 1982. Later he served as a civil rights officer for the FAA in 1999. Those roles required discipline, procedural rigor and an ability to handle high-pressure situations. The skills he developed there inform how he approaches client matters today.
He has been active in municipal government. In 2000, Bencal served as a city councilor for the City of Salem. He also joined the board of directors of MassBike in 2004, taking part in local transportation and public-policy discussions. Public service has been a through line in his career, both before and after he entered the legal profession.
After law school he became licensed to practice in Massachusetts and gained the authority to appear in the U.S. Immigration Court and before the First Circuit. He volunteered as a lawyer for Northeast Legal Aid in 2013, representing clients who might otherwise lack access to counsel. That volunteer work complemented his private practice and underscored an interest in issues that affect vulnerable populations.
Bencal’s certifications extend beyond the law. He holds a Federal Aviation Administration commercial pilot certificate, a commercial driver credential from the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, and an amateur radio operator license from the Federal Communications Commission. Those qualifications reflect a broad set of technical skills and an appetite for regulated, technical fields.
Colleagues describe him as methodical and exacting in his preparation. He draws on courtroom experience in immigration matters and on appellate practice within the First Circuit when litigating. His background in aviation and federal service gives him a different vantage point on administrative and regulatory disputes.
Today Bencal maintains a practice centered on immigration proceedings and civil litigation. He handles matters in Massachusetts courts, appears in U.S. Immigration Court, and takes cases that may reach the First Circuit, focusing his work on securing practical outcomes for his clients.
