WASHINGTON — While her inaugural wear, choice of a decorator and disapproval of unauthorized Sasha and Malia dolls make headlines, first lady Michelle Obama has quietly assembled a staff that's steeped in women's and workplace issues to support her role as a policy advocate.

The Harvard-trained lawyer, community organizer and hospital executive offered a glimpse of what's to come when her husband, President Barack Obama, on Thursday signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act, which gives women more legal standing to sue for pay discrimination. The first lady was in the audience, not at the president's side — but she spoke at the private reception afterward.

She told representatives of about 150 advocacy groups that the legislation is a "cornerstone of a broader commitment to address the needs of working women who are looking to us, to not only ensure that they're treated fairly, but also to ensure that there are policies in place that help women and men balance their work and family obligations without putting their jobs or their economic security at risk.''

Obama's aides like to say that she'll be a mother first and an advocate second. The economic crisis and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan could put workplace policy on the slow track anyhow. Because she's the nation's first black first lady and grew up working-class, however, activists say that Michelle Obama can be a trusted voice for minorities while reshaping how whites see women of color and how society regards its obligations to working parents.

Feminist leaders expect that she'll be more hands-on about policy than Laura Bush was, but won't follow Hillary Clinton's attempt as first lady to lead a White House initiative on health care.

The first lady's chief of staff, Jackie Norris, said in an interview that Michelle Obama is a daily presence in her East Wing offices and is beginning to build relationships with federal employees and District of Columbia residents.

Her staff holds daily morning meetings and is establishing a weekly session for assessment and long-term planning.

"A lot of where we are is brainstorming and thinking through the policy trajectories we may go in," Norris said. "Over time, you'll see our policy path."

In putting together her staff of 20, Obama sought a mix of campaign, policy, White House and Capitol Hill credentials, Norris said. "At the end of the day what we wanted is a large group of people that would come in with a diversity of experiences and look at an issue from 20 different ways."

Policy director Jocelyn Frye was the general counsel and director of the workplace fairness program at the National Partnership for Women and Families. Frye was involved in developing the Ledbetter legislation.

"My hope is that Jocelyn can help Mrs. Obama be a voice that reframes these issues as real bread and butter economic security issues, real basic things," said Debra Ness, the National Partnership's president.

Deputy chief of staff David Medina was the political director for former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards' presidential campaign and worked for the AFL-CIO and the U.S. Global Leadership Campaign. USGLC executive director Liz Schrayer called Medina "a very strategic thinker" with strong labor and minority connections.

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