He is a graduate of Wayne State University Law School and the University of Michigan where he received a B.A. in English. Prior to joining the Federal Defender Office, he served as a Staff Attorney with the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, where he represented adults and juveniles charged with serious felonies ranging from armed robberies, to kidnappings, to homicides. Following law school, Michael worked as an associate attorney for the Law Office of John A. Shea. While there, he represented clients in civil matters, and clients accused of various crimes including state misdemeanors and felonies, and federal offenses. Michael sits on the advisory board of the Detroit Justice Center.