Michael Solomon Barr[1] (born October 6, 1965)[1] is an American legal scholar who has been serving as governor of the Federal Reserve since 2022.

[10] He was a co-recipient of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Human Rights Award and recipient of the Charles G. Albom Prize for appellate advocacy during his time at Yale Law School.

[23] He played a central role in developing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and policies to expand access to capital for small businesses.

Because the Dodd-Frank Act faced significant opposition from regulators, moderates and the financial sector, Barr was described as "Wall Street's nemesis" by Bloomberg Businessweek.

[30] In January 2021, The Wall Street Journal reported that Biden was expected to pick Barr as Comptroller of the Currency.

[37] His books also suggest public policy recommendations for making the financial system more stable and fairer for low-income people.

[41] On April 15, 2022, Barr was announced by President Joe Biden as his nominee for the Federal Reserve, to take the position of vice chair for supervision, following the failed nomination of Sarah Bloom Raskin.

[45] While at the Department of the Treasury, Barr publicly opposed tougher derivatives regulations,[46] resulting in criticism from the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.

[27][47] Barr opposed what he saw as efforts to overturn financial regulations put in place by the Dodd–Frank Act during American trade talks with the European Union.

Barr has defended the legacy of former Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, arguing that he helped "save this Nation, and the global economy, from another Great Depression.

[50] Barr has served as an advisor to multiple public policy organizations and initiatives, including the Brookings Institution, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Advisory Committee on Economic Inclusion, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Washington Center for Equitable Growth.

[51] In addition to his academic work, Barr serves as a non-resident senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank.