Michael Mattson (CMIST ‘20)
By Jackie Ruhnke
Michael Mattson graduated with a bachelor's degree in International Relations and Politics from the Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy & Technology (CMIST) in 2020. He recently graduated from the and began this fall as an assistant district attorney at the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.
Michael answered questions about his experiences as an undergraduate at Carnegie Mellon as well as how he transitioned to law school and now his first full-time job.
A Lifetime of Law
Growing up with both his parents working for law firms, Michael has been around the profession his whole life. His passion for public service, as well as examining how different systems interact with one another, truly drew him to become a lawyer himself. He prioritized meeting with Joseph Devine, associate dean for undergraduate studies at Dietrich College and pre-law advisor, early on in his time at Carnegie Mellon, keeping him on track to prepare for and solidify his decision to attend law school. Taking classes such as Decision Processes in American Political Institutions with Geoffrey McGovern, senior lecturer at CMIST, and Future of Warfare with assistant teaching professor Colin Clarke, helped expose Michael to different areas of law.
Micheal also had the opportunity as a junior to participate in the Washington Semester Program. During the day, he interned for Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and at night, he took classes on public policy, American politics, governance, institutions and law. His biggest takeaway was being able to work with and be mentored by a variety of people, all very dedicated to public service. Micheal also enjoyed the opportunity to attend events with guest speakers and Carnegie Mellon alumni.
Challenging Yet Rewarding
While in law school, Michael was faced with intense focus on credentials and rankings among other students. Carnegie Mellon prepared him for a competitive academic atmosphere, but he found that consciously choosing not to compare himself to others allowed him to better focus on his own goals connected to the law and public service. Michael was a member of the Brendan Moore Trial Advocacy Team, and he interned at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.
Now working full-time at the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, Michael describes his experience thus far as challenging yet also very exciting and rewarding. Michael's internship at the Manhattan DA's office solidified his decision to return full-time. He was impressed by the passion of the staff, the valuable contributions he could make immediately, and the supportive, collaborative environment. He is excited to continue to learn and grow his career.
Time Managment and Mental Health are Key
For Carnegie Mellon students considering law, Michael advises them not to feel pressure to accept every piece of advice they receive about law school and careers in law. Not every piece of advice works for every person. With that in mind, one of the biggest lessons from his experiences is how helpful it is to narrow down your ideas about your career goals early on. This will allow you to not stretch yourself too thin with law school extracurriculars and recruiting opportunities while prioritizing time management and mental health.
Michael has a very bright future ahead of him, and the Carnegie Mellon Pre-Law Program wishes him the best of luck.