Michele Shaw

Founder

Michele has been practicing criminal law for more than 30 years. After graduating from Gonzaga School of Law, she began her career as a deputy prosecutor with the King County Prosecutor’s Office. During her time there, Michele handled over 100 criminal trials and earned the position of supervisor of the Special Assault unit of the Juvenile Division of the King County Prosecutor’s Office.

During this time, Michele grew to understand the many circumstances that contribute to a person being accused of a crime. She also started to appreciate the important role a defense attorney plays in the pursuit of justice. That is why she has decided to build her practice around helping client’s find the right path for their defense during a very traumatic and often turbulent period in their lives.

The experience Michele had working as a DPA in many divisions of the King County Prosecutor’s Office has been extremely valuable. She has experience analyzing cases from both sides and anticipating the arguments a prosecutor will make, especially in sexual assault, trafficking, and domestic violence cases, and those involving the mental health of the defendant. In fact, she is often able to persuade a prosecutor to decline to file a criminal charge, based on both her defense investigation and presentation of her client’s version of what may have happened.

  • J.D., Gonzaga University School of Law (1989)
  • American Bar Association
  • American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law
  • Federal District Court, Western District
  • Federal District Court, Eastern District
  • King County Bar Association
  • National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
  • Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
  • Washington Defender Association
  • Washington Women Lawyers Association
  • American Civil Liberties Union
  • Christ Our Hope Catholic Church
  • National Alliance on Mental Illness
  • Pike Place Market Foundation
  • Rotary Club of Seattle
  • Teamchild