Commission Chair Michael Lawson is President & CEO of the Los Angeles Urban League and a former U.S. Ambassador in the Obama administration after three decades as a leading international attorney. Ambassador Lawson has also served on the Boards of Trustees of Morehouse College, Loyola Marymount University, and the Constitutional Rights Foundation.
Mr. Lawson retired as a partner after 31 years with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. During his tenure with the firm, he was appointed to the Los Angeles Airport Commission, and served as its President. In addition, Mr. Lawson has been a board member of several charitable organizations, Loyola Marymount University and Morehouse College. He served as a U.S. Ambassador in the Obama administration prior to joining the Los Angeles Urban League as its President and CEO in February, 2018. He is a graduate of Loyola Marymount University and Harvard Law School.