Michael Wilt is a public policy professional with extensive experience in researching, writing, editing, and communicating on a wide range of public policy issues. His research and writing interests include criminal law and white collar crime; corporate financial regulation; law and economics generally; public choice theory; constitutional law including the First Amendment, federalism, and the separation of powers; and administrative law and the regulatory process. His work has been cited in the Penn Law Review and Texas Law Review and at the Sentencing Law & Policy Blog. Additionally, he has been a contributor at The Hill, U.S. News & World Report, and Inside Sources. He currently serves as Director of Criminal Justice Reform at the Charles Koch Foundation, building on his experience as a program officer for the foundation.

Previously, Michael was the Senior Research Writer and Associate Policy Editor at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Before that, Michael was Assistant Director for Research and Policy at the Law & Economics Center at George Mason University School of Law, where he was responsible for managing complex empirical research projects as well as a program educating Congressional staff on economics and policy making. Michael also worked as a staff attorney at two public interest legal nonprofits, Cause of Action and the Washington Legal Foundation. He moved to Washington, D.C. to begin his career following law school by working at the Cato Institute as a Legal Associate.

Born and raised in Ohio, Michael received his J.D. from The Ohio State University College of Law, an LL.M. in Law and Economics from George Mason University School of Law, and a B.A. in Philosophy and Political Science from Vanderbilt University.