Michelle Robinson Obama (January 17, 1964 - Present) Following law school, Obaman was an associate at the Chicago branch of the law firm Sidley Austin. She held public sector positions in the Chicago city government as an Assistant to the Mayor and Assistant Commissioner of Planning and Development. In 1993 she became Executive Director for the Chicago office of Public Allies, a non-profit organization encouraging young people to work on social issues in nonprofit groups and government agencies. In 2002,she became the executive director for community affairs and in May, 2005, became Vice President for Community and External Affairs at the University of Chicago Hospitals. On January 20, 2009, when her husband was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States, Michelle Obama became the First Lady.