Michelle LaVonne Robinson Obama (née Robinson; born January 17, 1964) is an American lawyer, university administrator, and author who served as First Lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017. She is married to Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States.

Michelle Obama grew up on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, and is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School. She worked at the law firm Sidley Austin in her early legal career, where she met Barack Obama. She later worked in non-profit organizations and served as Associate Dean of Student Services at the University of Chicago and Vice President for Community and External Affairs at the University of Chicago Medical Center. Michelle married Barack in 1992, and they have two daughters.

Michelle campaigned for her husband’s presidential bids throughout 2007 and 2008, delivering a presidential address at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. She spoke about him again at the 2012 Democratic National Convention. During the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, she delivered a speech endorsing Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, a former First Lady.

As First Lady, Michelle served as a role model for women and advocated for poverty awareness, education, nutrition, physical activity, and healthy eating. She supported American designers and was considered a style icon.