Michelle Barnes

Michelle Barnes

5.0
Rating: 7.3

Licensed for 36 years

Criminal defense Lawyer at Cambridge, MD
Practice Areas: Criminal Defense, Family, Personal Injury ... +2 more

213 Sunburst Hwy., Cambridge, MD

About Michelle

Biography

Practice Areas

5

Practice Areas

Criminal Defense 30%

Over 25 years criminal experience with a significantly successful record. 12 years as a criminal defense attorney, twice Elected State's Attorney, 8 years as Division Chief in Maryland Attorney General

36 years | 4,000 cases

30%
Family 30%

Handling divorces, custody cases, modification requests. Trained as a Mediator, and with thousands of court hearing experience, Michelle can guide your case through negotiation or trial if necessary.

17 years | 100 cases

30%
Personal Injury 20%

Years as a trial litigator and cases that include personal injury, and negligence. Most recently had over a 1/2 million dollar award to a client from an auto accident.

17 years

20%
DUI and DWI 10%

12 years as a defense attorney handling DUI & DWI cases, twice elected State's Attorney overseeing and handling all traffic matters

25 years | 1,000 cases

10%
Litigation 10%

Personal Injury, small claims. With over 300 jury trials & thousands of court trials/hearings, Michelle brings unrivaled experience to guide your case to conclusion.

30 years

10%

Fees and Rates

We have not found any cost information for this lawyer


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Licenses

Licensed in District of Columbia for 8 years

State: District of Columbia

Acquired: 2017

Good Standing

No misconduct found

Licensed in Maryland for 36 years

State: Maryland

Acquired: 1989

Active

No misconduct found

Location

Michelle Barnes, Attorney at Law, llc

213 Sunburst Hwy., Cambridge, MD, 21613

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Michelle Barnes's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

5.0 /5.0

3 Client Reviews

5 star (3)
4 star (0)
3 star (0)
2 star (0)
1 star (0)

Posted by Robert | January 18, 2017 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Great Representation for Custody Hearings

Custody issues can be very stressful not only for the parent, but the children as well. I am a father who had a lot against me and when it seemed that no one else believed me or would fight for me or my children she was right there. She always responded to emails and phone calls no matter how small t...he situation may have seemed. She walked me through each process giving me the best advice on what I should or shouldn't do. When we had our meetings I could tell that she actually listened to every detail and really cared about what I had to say. As my custody hearing is coming to a close, I would like to thank her again for representing me and everything she has done for my family and would recommend her over and over again in the future.

Posted by Sara Schools | September 2, 2016 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Diligent and hardworking lawyer

Ms. Barnes took are of all my needs in the case. She was attentive, productive, and always responded quickly to any questions that I had. She is very knowledgeable and not intimidated by other lawyers unethical claims or tactics. She handled a family court case for me and I walked away with a huge sm...ile on my face. I can't thank her enough for getting my family through this court process. I highly recommend Ms. Barnes to any and all who need a lawyer who will work tirelessly to win the case. I have and will continue to pass her name and number to friends and family.

Posted by Tasha | August 25, 2016 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Amazing

Michelle Barnes is an amazing attorney and person all the way around. She went above and beyond to help with 2 of my cases in which I got custody of my children back. If I need legal counsel again she will be the one I contact.

See All Client Reviews

Michelle Barnes's Lawyer Endorsements

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Experience

Rating:  7.3 (Very Good)

Honors

2007

Certified Mediator, Maryland, Office of Administrator Hearings, Maryland

2003

Certificate for Prosecuting Homicide Cases, National College of District Attorneys

2003

Elected State's Attorney, Dorchester County

1992

National Democratic Presidential Delegate, Elected

1985

Alpha Phi Sigma member, National Criminal Justice Honor Society

Work Experience

2015 - Present

Principal, Michelle Barnes, Attorney at Law

2007 - 2015

Division Chief, Maryland Office of Attorney General

2002 - 2007

Elected State's Attorney, Dorchester County State's Attorney's Office

Associations

2015 - Present

Maryland State Bar Association

member

2015 - Present

Criminal Justice Section Maryland State Bar Association

member

2015 - Present

Maryland Criminal Defense Attorneys' Association

Member

2007 - 2015

Northeast Environmental Enforcement Association

Board Member

2007 - 2015

Maryland Attorney General Enviromental Coalition

Member

2006 - 2007

Dorchester County Child Fatality Review Team

Chairperson

2004 - 2007

Judiciary Professionalism Commission

Member

2003 - 2007

Maryland State's Attorneys' Association

State's Attorney

2003 - 2007

National District Attorneys Association

State's Attorney Member

2003 - 2007

Dorchester County Narcotics Task Force

Member

2003 - 2007

Rotary Club

Member, Committee Head

2003 - 2007

Dorchester County Teen Drug Court

Member

1997 - 2007

Dorchester County Criminal Justice Network

Member

1996 - 2000

YMCA

Board of Directors

1990 - 1993

Mid-Shore Counsel on Family Violence

Member, Officer

1990 - 2003

Quota Club

Member, Board

Sample of Legal Cases

State of Maryland v. Samantha Kay Straley.

Not Guilty and Dismissal

State v. William Robert Lednum

Guilty

State of Maryland v. Richard Lavonte Blanks, Sr.

Guilty

State v. Consolidated Pharmaceutical Group, Inc

Guilty

See More Legal Cases

Education

1988

University of Baltimore School of Law

JD - Juris Doctor

1984

University of Maryland, College Park

BA - Bachelor of Arts

Speaking Engagements

2013

Maryland Department of Enviroment Training

How To Evaluate Environmental Investigations for Criminal Prosecution

2012

Maryland State Police Training

Environmental Prosecution

2003

Cambridge-South Dorchester High School

Graduation Speaker

Publications

2007

Maryland Bar Journal, MACO What Does A Litigator Do with Mediation?

Languages

English

Activity

Avvo Rating

Our Rating is calculated using information the lawyer has included on their profile in addition to the information we collect from state bar associations and other organizations that license legal professionals. Attorneys who claim their profiles and provide Avvo with more information tend to have a higher rating than those who do not.

What determines Avvo Rating?
  • Experience & background Years licensed, work experience, education
  • Legal community recognition Peer endorsements, associations, awards
  • Legal thought leadership Publications, speaking engagements
  • Discipline Disciplinary information may not be comprehensive, or updated. We recommend that you always check a lawyer's disciplinary status with their respective state bar association before hiring them.
Avvo Rating Levels
10.0 - 9.0 Superb8.9 - 8.0 Excellent7.9 - 7.0 Very Good6.9 - 6.0 Good5.9 - 5.0 Average4.9 - 4.0 Concern3.9 - 3.0 Caution2.9 - 2.0 Strong Caution1.9 - 1.0 Extreme Caution