About Michael N.
Michael N. Sheetz built a legal foundation that began in the classroom. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science and Latin from Tufts University in 1981 and received his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 1986. Those years of study shaped an approach to law that values careful analysis and textual precision.
After law school, Sheetz entered practice and eventually became a partner at Cooley Godward Kronish LLP. He has spent the bulk of his career in firm settings, taking on matters that range across trial and appellate courts. Colleagues describe him as steady in court and deliberate in preparation. He has balanced courtroom appearances with the drafting and strategy work that underpins litigation.
Sheetz is admitted to practice in Massachusetts and in multiple federal forums. His admissions include the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, and the Supreme Court of the United States. Those credentials have allowed him to handle cases at district and appellate levels and to bring matters as far as the nation’s highest court when necessary.
Throughout his career he has handled disputes that required both trial-level advocacy and appellate briefing. He spends considerable time on motion practice, discovery strategy and preparing appellate records. He also assists clients with pretrial planning and the legal work that supports settlement discussions. He relies on years of courtroom experience to assess risk and to advise on procedural strategy.
Sheetz’s background in political science and classics informs his writing. He approaches briefs and motions with attention to structure and to the line-by-line clarity that judges and clerks often expect. He also draws on the institutional knowledge that comes from long practice in Massachusetts and the federal courts that sit in the region.
As of 2026, he continues as a partner at Cooley Godward Kronish LLP, practicing in matters that arise in Massachusetts and in the federal courts where he is admitted. His current practice focuses on litigation and appellate work in state and federal courts.
