Brian Michaels | Los Angeles Criminal Defense Lawyer

Senior attorney Brian Michaels is a 20-year veteran of the Southern California Criminal Courts. Attorney Michaels is a 4th generation Angeleno and spent his formative years in the Fairfax District of Los Angeles before moving with his family in Junior High School to the San Fernando Valley where he graduated from Birmingham High School.

After High School, Mr. Michaels attended the University of California at Santa Barbara where he majored in Political Science and International Relations with the intent of becoming involved in politics with Law School as his post graduate goal. As an Undergraduate Mr. Michaels began his legal career working as a Legal Assistant for the Legal Defense Center of Santa Barbara where he worked on legal issues affecting the local homeless population.

He took his first political job working as an Intern for State Senator Gary Hart and ran his campuses Government Internship Program while in Santa Barbara. He would later go on to work on Presidental Campaigns for Senators Bill Bradley and Bob Kerry.

Mr. Michaels began law school in the early 1990s. During Law School, and as a result of his academic achievement he was the #1 ranked student in his law school class for two years running. He was one of two students to be accepted onto his law school's Law Review based solely on academic achievement. He received multiple scholastic honors and scholarships based solely on academic performance graduating on the Dean's List.

While in Law School Attorney Michaels was selected from hundreds of applicants to work as Law Clerk for the Honorable Earl Johnson Jr. at the Second Appellate Court of Appeals. As a a Law Clerk Michaels researched and authored Memorandum opinion for the court, one of which was published and became precedent setting law in California.

After passing the California State Bar on his first attempt Michaels was hand picked by then Los Angeles City Attorney James Hahn to work first as a Criminal Prosecutor and later as a Civil Litigation Attorney for the Los Angeles Police Department at the height of the infamous Rampart Scandal.

During his tenure with the City Attorney's Office Michaels tried nearly 80 civil and criminal jury trials, more than most attorneys in the state will try in their career, with only two defeats. Mr. Michaels distinguished trial accomplishments lead to advancement and acclaim within his office and in the courts.

In 2002 Michaels retired from Government to pursue his dream of opening his own Law Firm. Early in his private career Michaels handled both Civil and Criminal Litigation. Over time, attorney Michaels has focused more of his attention on his Criminal Defense and DUI practice. Mr. Michaels practice has included some Family Law and Personal Injury matters but is first and foremost a criminal defense attorney.

Over the last 12 years Michaels has successfully defended hundreds of clients charged with offenses ranging from DUI cases to high grade Felonies including Homicide cases, Drug cases, Gang cases, and Sex Crimes. Attorney Michaels maintains a full time criminal practice and continues to accept criminal cases in other areas of the law in addition to consulting on the civil aspects of enforcement and licensing. Attorney Michaels is also building a new state of the art trial advocacy program for young lawyers in Los Angeles designed to teach the art of the winning jury trial.

Brian Michaels is a member of the California State Bar, Los Angeles, Ventura and Orange County State Bar, Americans For Safe Access, California DUI Lawyer's Association, California Association of Criminal Trial Lawyers, and NORML. Michaels is also a member of Mensa International and Lawyers in Mensa, an elite organization whose membership includes individuals in the top 2 percent of IQ in the world based solely on sophisticated IQ testing.

Recently Mr. Michaels was voted one of the top 100 Trial Lawyers in American and has a prestigious perfect 10.0 AVVO rating. He has been featured on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and various other local news organizations.