Michael J. Anderson brings nearly 20 years of experience in federal education and administrative law. Before joining Sligo Law Group, he served as an attorney in the Office of General Counsel at the U.S. Department of Education where he advised on a number of major formula and discretionary grant programs under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), including Title I, Part A; programs for serving children in foster care, children experiencing homelessness, and children involved in the juvenile justice and social welfare systems; and the Expanding Opportunity Through Quality Charter Schools program. He has also advised on programs requiring the provision of services in private schools, including ESEA programs requiring equitable services for private school students and teachers and COVID-19 relief programs. His experience includes resolving administrative appeals, drafting agency decisions, and shaping legal interpretations for federal education enforcement. Michael has also provided legal advice on the participation of faith-based organizations in federally funded education programs and issues involving the religion clauses of the First Amendment.

Earlier in his career at the Department of Education, Michael advised on federal sector employment matters, which included representing the federal government in employment litigation before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Merit Systems Protection Board, and coordinating with the Department of Justice on employment litigation in federal court cases. He began his legal career clerking for the senior judges of the D.C. Court of Appeals. Before entering law, Michael spent nearly a decade as a public school classroom teacher.