Michael A. Costello

Michael A. Costello (born May 5, 1965, in Lynn, Massachusetts) is a former State Representative for the Massachusetts House of Representatives, who represented the first district of Essex County, Massachusetts from 2003 to 2014.

Costello graduated cum laude from Salem State College (now Salem State University) in 1989 with a Bachelor of Science. As an undergraduate, Costello organized and led a student program for three years that built housing for some of the poorest Americans living in Appalachia.^{[citation needed ]} He also worked as an intern in the United States Congress one summer.

He earned a Juris Doctor with academic honors from Suffolk University Law School in 1996.

After graduating from Salem State, Costello worked as a lay volunteer for the Catholic Diocese of St. Thomas. Later, he served as the program director for the Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Association of Boston. While attending Suffolk University Law School, he worked for New Hampshire's Office of the Public Defender.

After earning his Juris Doctor degree in 1996, Costello worked for Essex County District Attorney Kevin M. Burke as an Assistant District Attorney. He prosecuted hundreds of cases involving drug possession and distribution, domestic violence, assault, battery, robbery, and gang activity.

Costello was elected to the Newburyport City Council as a councilor-at-large in 1997. A year later, he became field director for Congressman John F. Tierney's (D-Salem) campaign. Following Tierney's successful election, Costello worked as the chief of staff for State Senator Joan Menard (D-Somerset), former chair of the Massachusetts Democratic Party.

Costello was elected to the House of Representatives in November 2002. He served six terms representing the cities of Newburyport, Amesbury, and Salisbury in the First Essex District.

During his first term, Costello served on the Joint Committees on Banks, Banking, and Insurance. He discussed insurance issues and the Bank of America merger with Fleet Bank on the Pat Whitley Radio Show and on New England Cable News with Chet Curtis. He served as the Chairman of the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security and is a member of the Democratic leadership team in the House.

Costello was one of the sponsors of identity theft legislation signed into law by Governor Deval Patrick. He formerly served on the Governor's Anti-Crime Council and the Governor's CORI Reform Commission. He was also named the National Chair of the American Bar Association's Re-entry and Collateral Consequences Committee. He was also named vice president of the Property-Casualty Insurance Committee by the National Conference of Insurance Legislators.^[1] In 2007, the Massachusetts Bar Association named Costello its Legislator of the Year.

Costello announced his retirement, effective September 15, 2014, to join a law firm.^[2]

Costello is a partner at Smith, Costello, and Crawford in Salem, MA.^[3]

• Costello's page from Massachusetts House of Representatives' website
• Costello's page at Smith, Costello, and Crawford

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