Michelle A. Henry (born 1969) is an American prosecutor who has served as

Pennsylvania Attorney General The Pennsylvania Attorney General is the chief law enforcement officer of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It became an elected office in 1980. The current Attorney General is Democrat Josh Shapiro. On August 15, 2016, then-Attorney General Kath ...

since 2023. She was appointed to the role by Governor

Josh Shapiro Joshua David Shapiro (born June 20, 1973) is an American politician and attorney who has served as the Pennsylvania Attorney General since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he is the governor-elect of Pennsylvania. Raised in Montgomery ...

to replace him in the role. She previously served under Shapiro as first deputy attorney general, and was the first woman to serve in the role. Originally a member of the

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

, Henry formerly served as the district attorney of Bucks County in 2008. She became a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

in 2023 after becoming Attorney General. Henry has indicated she will not run for election to a full term in office in the 2024 Attorney General election.

Early life

Henry was born . She is from Greensburg, Pennsylvania and graduated from Greensburg Salem High School. She completed a bachelor's degree in communication arts with a focus in public speaking at Allegheny College in 1991. Henry earned a

Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...

degree from the Widener University Commonwealth Law School in 1994. She started her legal career as an intern in the Westmoreland County District Attorney's Office. She clerked for a Lancaster County judge for a year.

Career

Henry was a prosecutor in the Bucks County District Attorney's office for 21 years. She was a Republican. In 1998, she became head of the child abuse prosecution. In January 2008, she was appointed as the county's district attorney. Henry did not run for election in 2009, instead prosecuting cases as the county's second highest ranking attorney. In December 2016, she was selected by

-elect

as the first deputy attorney general. Beginning in January 2017, she is the first woman to serve in the role. In January 2023, Henry was selected by now-Governor Shapiro to serve out the final two years of his term as the attorney general. She has expressed that she does not view herself as a politician and does not intend to run for election at the end of the term. The

Pennsylvania State Senate The Pennsylvania State Senate is the upper house of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the Pennsylvania state legislature. The State Senate meets in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. Senators are elected for four year terms, staggered ev ...

voted to confirm Henry's appointment on March 8, 2023. She was named "Champion of the Year" by the Pennsylvania

Court Appointed Special Advocates Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) is a national association in the United States that supports and promotes court-appointed advocates for abused or neglected children. CASA are volunteers from the community who complete training that has ...

in April 2023. On October 11, 2023, Henry issued a statement condemning Hamas following Hamas's attack on Israel.

Personal life

In 2008, Henry resided in Doylestown Township, Pennsylvania. She lived in the suburbs of Philadelphia for 20 years and as of 2023, resides in

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the 9th largest city and 15th largest municipality in Pe ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Henry, Michelle 1960s births 21st-century American women lawyers 21st-century American lawyers Allegheny College alumni District attorneys in Bucks County, Pennsylvania Living people Pennsylvania attorneys general Pennsylvania Democrats Pennsylvania Republicans People from Doylestown, Pennsylvania People from Greensburg, Pennsylvania People from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Place of birth missing (living people) Widener University Commonwealth Law School alumni Year of birth missing (living people)

Early life

Career

Personal life

See also

References