Page 20 - 2021 Men of Excellence Awards

The Social Action Award

Michael Brown was born and raised in the City of Riviera
Beach, FL. While in the fourth grade, Michael participated in
his first mock trial. It was this event that sparked his desire
to pursue a career in law. During his middle and high school
years, Michael also became interested in music and began
playing the trumpet for the Roosevelt Middle School
Marching Band and the Palm Beach Lakes High School Ram
Regiment Band. Michael also became a member of the Palm
Beach Lakes Pre-Law Magnet Program, where he
participated in their Mock Trial Program and received
mentorship by some of the same attorneys that he now
practices alongside.

Michael attended Florida Atlantic University, majoring in
Criminal Justice and following in his mother, Wilma Brown’s
footsteps, by participating in the FAU Student Government
Association as a University Senator. Upon graduation,

Michael attended law school at the Florida Coastal School of
Law in Jacksonville, Florida. Michael Brown

He also joined the Mock Trial Team, while also interning at the Jacksonville Public Defender’s Office. It
was there that Michael began handling actual criminal cases for the first time. After two years of
interning, Michael was given his own misdemeanor caseload. Soon after, he joined the Palm Beach County
Public Defender’s Office and begin his career as a criminal defense attorney.

While at the Palm Beach County Public Defender’s Office, Michael began in the Misdemeanor Division.

After only a year and a half of service, he was promoted to the Felony Division. Michael recently received
the Police Brutality Award for successfully obtaining a not guilty verdict in a felony case involving police
brutality and was assigned to a taskforce designed to help felons restore their voting rights. Michael has
taken over 20 trials to verdict in his short 3.5-year career.

Michael is a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated where he currently serves as the
Vice-President of the Delta Delta Lambda Chapter. Under Michael’s leadership, he successfully
spearheaded a community-wide Amendment 4 event and made it the centerpiece of his fraternity’s
district conference. Not only did the event raise awareness about the importance of voter rights
restoration for former felons, but it also served as a model for the rest of the Chapters in the state to
replicate in their respective communities. Michael has worked on other social justice initiatives related to
Florida’s newly passed anti-protest bill and increasing voter turnout in minority communities.

MEN OF EXCELLENCE