Michael J. Torra

Michael Torra has led our California team since 2015, after six years as a principal in our Washington, DC office. Michael draws on his years of experience in the political arena to help clients understand and navigate the political and policy-making process, develop and effectively articulate their public policy priorities, and anticipate the outlook for the issues they care about.

Michael has always been inspired by the desire to fight injustice. When a U.S. senator — motivated purely by his antipathy toward gay people — tried to block the nomination of the first openly gay U.S. ambassador, Michael made the decision to enter politics. He worked on congressional campaigns in four southwestern states and spent a decade on Capitol Hill working for various members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, including as chief of staff for Congresswoman Linda Sánchez.

At The Raben Group, Michael has advised foundations, nonprofit organizations, and corporations on their efforts to advance more inclusive policies. He has supported clients in their efforts to empower Latino and LGBTQ communities, improve health outcomes, reform the criminal justice system, transform immigration policies, and promote diversity and inclusion, among other issues. He has also helped clients identify opportunities for new partnerships and built coalitions of diverse stakeholders to advance the confirmation of high profile nominees to the Supreme Court and President Barack Obama’s cabinet. Michael’s current clients include The California Endowment, the California Community Foundation, and Charter Communications.

Michael is a graduate of Occidental College and received his master’s degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. An abstract and non-representational painter, Michael brings a creative and thoughtful approach to all his endeavors, whether in art or in policy work.