Biography
Michelle is a native of Plaquemine, Louisiana, who is an associate attorney with Hunton Andrews Kurth, a product liability and mass torts firm in Houston, TX. Previously, he served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Dee D. Drell of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana – Alexandria Division.
He is a double Tulanian, having graduated from Tulane Law School with a Juris Doctor degree with honors and from the School of Professional Advancement with a Master of Liberal Arts degree with a 4.0 GPA. In law school, Michelle honed the skills for his current role by serving as an extern to the Honorable James L. Dennis of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, the Honorable Elizabeth A. Engolio of the 18th Judicial District Court of Louisiana, and for corporate counsel at the Port of New Orleans. He also interned with Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s Division of Intergovernmental Affairs, where he produced white papers on the regional impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy and submitted policy proposals to curb unemployment among the service and tourism industries.
His achievements within the Law School’s oral advocacy programs earned him and the teams he coached local and national recognitions. Michelle also received the 2022 Tulane University Crest Award named in honor of Dean Donald R. Moore for his servant leadership and exceptional character. Amid these accolades, he found time to contribute over 240 hours of pro bono work to various legal aid programs, including the Tulane University Legal Assistance Program, ACLU of Louisiana, and the Ella Project.
Michelle earned his bachelor’s degree with honors from Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. After graduation, he continued his family’s legacy of public service. Michelle taught secondary mathematics in Iberville and Orleans Parish public schools for seven years before beginning his legal career. As an educator, he helped students attain unprecedented levels of growth and achieved proficiency ratings from the Louisiana Department of Education exceeding 95% for five consecutive years. Michelle also assisted new and veteran teachers by developing effective instructional, intervention, and extension strategies for students of varying mathematical abilities and English language learners in his role as a mentor teacher.
Michelle is a voracious reader, an avid tennis fan, and an armchair architectural historian. He is happiest when spending time with family or traveling and immersing himself in the world’s many languages, foods, and cultures.