About Michael
Michael Horowitz studied philosophy at DePaul University and earned his B.A. in 2001. He went on to law school at the University of Michigan, receiving his J.D. in 2006. Those academic years framed a transition from the humanities to the law, and prepared him for work in both trial and appellate settings.
After law school Horowitz began his legal career in private practice. In 2007 he joined Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP as a litigation lawyer. He spent that time in a large-firm environment handling litigation matters, gaining exposure to case preparation and courtroom procedure. The following year he moved to the judicial side and clerked at the Alaska Court of Appeals, an experience that deepened his understanding of appellate processes and legal writing.
Horowitz returned to practice on the defense side in 2010 when he became an assistant public defender with the Alaska Public Defender Agency. That role placed him in trial court regularly and involved direct client representation in criminal matters. He handled arraignments, motions, plea negotiations and trials. The public defender position stretched his trial skills and put him in frequent contact with judges, prosecutors and social service providers.
In 2016 he opened his own firm, the Law Office of Michael Horowitz. Since then he has managed a private practice that draws on his earlier litigation and appellate experience. He is admitted to practice in Alaska, Michigan and New York. He also maintains memberships in professional organizations that include the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Alaska Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the American Bar Association, the Grand Traverse Leelanau Antrim Bar Association and the Criminal Defense Lawyers of Michigan.
Clients and colleagues describe Horowitz as a lawyer who balances courtroom advocacy with careful legal research. His background spans big-firm litigation, appellate work and public defense. That variety informs how he handles cases and how he prepares for hearings. He continues to represent individuals in criminal cases, bringing the perspectives he gained at a national law firm, on the appellate bench and as a public defender to his private practice. He currently focuses his practice on criminal defense.
