Michaela Kretzner is the Judith Lichtman Legacy Fund Fellow and Women’s Law & Public Policy Fellow at the National Partnership for Women & Families. She brings a background in public policy and a lifelong passion for gender justice.

Michaela graduated cum laude in 2024 from American University Washington College of Law, receiving her J.D. and a Certificate in Health Care Compliance. During law school, she focused on reproductive rights and health, including research on abortion access, maternal mortality, reproductive health privacy, and state constitutional law. She also served as a research assistant and publications editor for the Journal of Gender, Social Policy & the Law. After law school, Michaela spent two years as a law clerk in the Civil Division of the D.C. Superior Court.

Prior to law school, Michaela spent eight years with the California State Auditor, conducting performance audits of state and local government programs and developing recommendations to improve effectiveness, compliance, and operations. Her work included audits related to the Affordable Care Act, rape kit backlogs, and other issues. She also holds a Master of Public Policy and a B.A. from Mills College.