Michelle’s Story

I am a joyful resilient seeker who strives to inspire and seize life at every opportunity as an executive leadership coach, strategic consultant, and certified mediator and arbitrator. 

Joyful

I find great joy in learning, inspiring, connecting and traveling. The deep-rooted, inspired happiness that joy evokes is an intentional choice that starts by nurturing the emotion in all we do. I strive for joy each day in my professional work and personal life. For me this starts with the choices that I make. In each choice, I always try my very best to choose the option that evokes joy over all things. This is an intentional practice that I work to make a priority each day.

Resilient

I have faced my share of adversity in my career and life. It is these learning opportunities where I invoke Me leadership by taking more time to regroup, rethink, reevaluate, reimagine, revamp, restructure and reinvent. Me work starts with being still and reconnecting with your life journey, aligning values and cultivating resilience. Resilience is a practice that we nurture in times of triumph for periods of tragedy or struggle. My volunteer and career work turned toward leadership and mentoring, after experiencing and witnessing the challenges many of us face as we navigate our professional lives. I use my life work and experiences as an opportunity to nurture and practice resilience, and assist clients in fostering resilience that leads to joy.

Seeker

Throughout my career, I have worked in various legal settings ranging from small to large law firm, nonprofit, public interest, in house corporate, government and solo practice assisting clients with diverse backgrounds. I am excited to now play a supportive role for these sectors. A previous founder and owner of M West Legal, LLC, a general practice law firm, director of continuing legal education and legal mentoring departments, and a past president and leadership vice president of a women's bar association, I am a life-long learner, advocate, entrepreneur and champion of professional and personal development. In search of a more wholistic and collaborative approach to discord, disputes and growth, I gained certification in mediation, arbitration and executive leadership coaching. My goal is to help individuals, teams, groups and litigants transform their work and life experiences.

I look forward to the opportunity of partnering with you to elevate your development and growth.

In Joy,

Admissions & Certifications

  • Licensed to practice in United States Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Appeals (Eleventh Circuit), U.S, District Court (Northern District of Georgia), Georgia Supreme Court, Georgia Court of Appeals. 

  • Executive Leadership Coach – Georgetown University

  • Licensed Arbitrator & Mediator – General Civil, Domestic, Probate, Workplace, Juvenile Delinquency, Juvenile Deprivation (Dependency), Domestic Violence

  • Executive Presence

  • Guardian ad Litem

  • Responding to U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement

  • Immigration Consequences of Crimes/Relief from Removal

  • VAWA, U, & T Visas: Grounds of Inadmissibility

Associations & Memberships

National:

  • American Bar Association (ABA) Standing Committee on Professionalism (2023 – 2025, 2019 – 2021)

  • Georgetown University Maine Coaching Retreat Planning Committee (2023)

  • ABA Standing Committee on Public Protection in the Delivery of Legal Services (2021 – 2023)

  • Association of Continuing Legal Education (ACLEA)

    • Nominating and Programming Committees (2023)

    • State & Provincial Bar Special Interest Co-Chair (2020 – 2022)

  • National Association of Bar Executives – Diversity and Professional Development Committees (2021 – 2022)

  • ABA Hispanic Rights and Responsibility Commissioner (2016– 2019)

  • Forever Family National Board of Directors (2014 - 2017) 

State:

  • The Supreme Court of Georgia - Chief Justice’s Commission on Professionalism (2013 – 2022)

  • State Bar of Georgia Professionalism Committee (2013 – 2022)

  • Commission on Continuing Lawyer Competency (2013 – 2022)

  • Georgia Association for Women Lawyers (GAWL)

    • President (2017 - 2018)

    • President Elect (2016 - 2017)

    • Vice President of Leadership Committee (2014 - 2016)

    • Co-Chair of Leadership Committee (2013 - 2014)

    • Chair of Programs Committee (2011 - 2013)

    • Gwinnett Chapter – President (2010 - 2011)

    • Gwinnett Chapter – Vice President (2009 - 2010)

  • Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys (GABWA) (2009 - 2022)

    • Legally Speaking Committee (2009 – 2011)

  • American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) – Georgia Donations Committee (2010)

  • State Bar of Georgia (2003)

Local:

  • City of Lilburn 2024 Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee (2023)

  • Gwinnett Entrepreneur Center

    • Business Basics (2023)

    • Start In Gwinnett (2023)

    • Grow In Gwinnett (2023)

  • Atlanta Bar Association (2022)

  • Gwinnett County Bar Association (2019)

  • Gwinnett County Zoning Board of Appeals (2017 – 2019)

  • City of Lilburn Planning Commission Board Vice-Chair (2014 - 2016) and Member (2017)

  • City of Lilburn Alcohol Review Board Chair and Member (2012 - 2017)

  • Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful Citizens Advisory Board (2013 - 2016)

  • Gwinnett Neighborhood Leadership Institute Session Co-Chair on Growth and Infrastructure (2013 - 2014)

  • Partnership Gwinnett Diversity Leadership Council Education Committee (2012 - 2014)

  • Lilburn 101 (2010)

  • Gwinnett Legal Aid Wills Pro Bono Clinic (2009)

  • Domestic Violence Legal Clinic (2006 – 2008)

  • People’s Center Board (2003 – 2006)

  • Street Law Volunteer & Youth Mentor (2002)

Awards & Honors

  • Randolph Thrower Lifetime Achievement Award – State Bar of Georgia Committee to Promote Inclusion in the Profession Commitment to Equality (2023)

  • Kathleen Kessler Award – Georgia Association for Women Lawyers (2023)

  • Leadership Committee Award – Georgia Association for Women Lawyers (2016)

  • Visionary Award – Georgia Association for Women Lawyers (2015)

  • Leadership Gwinnett (2012 – 2013)

  • Gwinnett Neighborhood Leadership Institute (2011 – 2012)

  • Leadership Academy – Georgia Association for Women Lawyers (2011)

  • Volunteer Award – Georgia Association for Women Lawyers (2011)

  • Judicial and Public Office Academy - Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys (2011)

  • Leadership Academy – State Bar of Georgia Young Lawyers Division (2009)

Articles & Media  

  • Three Times a Minority: GABWA and Gate City’s International CLE in Brazil – Georgia Association for Black Women Attorneys Reporter 2011, Volume 29, Issue 3 

  • Assisting Immigrant Survivors of Crimes – Georgia Association of Women Lawyers February 2011 Newsletter 

  • Marketing a New Practice  – Solo & Small Firm Institute July 2015