Michelle Lea Mays

Michelle Lea Mays

4.8
Rating: 9.5

Licensed for 19 years

Criminal defense Lawyer at Austin, TX
Practice Areas: Criminal Defense, DUI & DWI, Violent Crime

812 San Antonio St Ste 100, Austin, TX

About Michelle

Biography

Practice Areas

Fees and Rates

Cost

Free Consultation

$0 first 60 minutes


Payment Methods

  • Cash
  • Check
  • Credit Card

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Licenses

Licensed in Texas for 19 years

State: Texas

Acquired: 2007

Eligible to Practice in Texas

No misconduct found

Location

Law Office of Michelle Mays

812 San Antonio St Ste 100, Austin, TX, 78701-2228

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Michelle Lea Mays's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

4.8 /5.0

24 Client Reviews

Filter Avvo Reviews (24) Refine reviews to match your needs. Use the filters to quickly surface reviews that align with your case or priorities.

Showing 6 - 10 of 12 reviews | Advocacy

Posted by A | November 29, 2016 | Hired Attorney

Michelle's the best in town

I hired Michelle after my first lawyer completely dropped the ball on my domestic violence case. So I was already weary and wary of lawyers; Michelle had been recommended by a good friend. 1) She is a good soul and during my phone consult, I immediately felt like she "got" me and my case, and pointed... out some obvious flaws with the way my first lawyer had handled the case (albeit very politely). So I could also tell how sharp she was. She is really straightforward and honest, but very caring and compassionate. 2) We hired her on a Thursday and by Friday of the following week the case was dismissed. I felt I had a strong case for dismissal the entire time (arrest was totally bogus) but my original lawyer had bungled their way through 6 months of setbacks, when Michelle got the job done in a week. I was truly shocked, having prepared for a long battle. 3) She was sympathetic regarding finances, and made it as easy as possible to pay her. 4) She kept me updated every step of the way, even following dismissal. I received almost daily email updates and when there was something important she'd call or text. 5) I can't praise her enough. She gave what had been a nightmare of a year for me, as pleasant an ending as possible. She's super savvy, extremely bright, trustworthy, honest, and gets the job done with grace and confidence. I would absolutely recommend her!

Posted by Daniel | November 04, 2016 | Hired Attorney

Great Defense Lawyer. A+ Great communication, Received great results! Highly recommended.

Michelle went above and beyond and delivered results. Case was dismissed. Really looked into details and did research most other lawyers may not have done! I am very happy and will recommend to anyone who might be in a bind.

Posted by Roy | January 15, 2016 | Hired Attorney

Only the sun has a more resplendent brilliance than Michelle Mays.

I met Michelle Mays thru a mutual friends recommendation. I thank him daily for it. It was during an utterly dark period in my life when I needed the best representation to combat false charges against me. I never expected to be spending 8 months defending my freedom. I was poised to lose everythin...g I value and love. The darkness was unbearable for me... Her service, expertise, demeanor, intelligence and communication was the only light I was able to rely upon. I do not give my trust or faith to many people, but she held my hand and guided me though the legal fiasco I was embroiled in. She was there for me with any questions I had. Every answer given was brilliant and honed from the sharpest intelligence I have ever seen an attorney display. Her concise timing was unparalleled. I pride myself on my ability to time manage, but Michelle made me look like an old Swatch beside the finest of Rolex's. She never once let me down. I could feel her genuineness with every email, text and talk she relayed to me. Her words were supple and comforting, easing any doubts I had or made up in my head. I never wish to be in the position I was ever again. If I am though, I know my battle would have the finest and most capable warrior of the law I have ever met. I am honored to praise her and her abilities.

Posted by anonymous | January 11, 2016 | Hired Attorney

Proven to

I contacted Michelle on a personal recommendation. During the consultation, my initial thoughts were that she exhibited a high degree of professionalism, was highly knowledgeable, was particularly well-spoken, and not to be overlooked, was friendly. I assumed these to be "givens" when speaking with a... licensed attorney trying to earn business, though, surprisingly this was not the case with all attorneys consulted. Additionally, she seemed honest and genuinely interested in assisting me through this difficult time. As additional points of consideration, a proven track record and the caseload of the attorney I chose to represent me were concerns of mine. Regarding the latter, I did not want to be just another file in their books. Michelle was open and honest about her caseload and did not ever come across as pushy or trying to sell me. All in all, it was an easy decision for me to choose her as my legal representative. The whole process took much longer than I had anticipated but at absolutely no fault of Michelle's. While there were a decent amount of delays on the prosecution side, Michelle was very attentive to my case through its entirety and maintained regular communication with the court and me, which made me feel like I was truly important to her despite the number of other clients I knew she had. I only imagine the rest of her clientele felt the same. Having been my first experience, I learned a good deal about the legal process involved with the nature of my case. There were certainly ups and downs but when the case finally came to a close, the final decision that Michelle helped the court arrive at was favorable. I absolutely could not have come out on the other side of all this as I did without Michelle's legal representation. I submit an exceptionally high recommendation for her service.

Posted by Greg | May 27, 2015

Someone I could really trust!

It's not often I've found myself in life needing an attorney, especially a criminal attorney so when I found myself in a place where I needed one I was honestly scared out of my wits. Fortunately, I had the honor of meeting Michelle about a year or so prior and gave her a call. From the very first... call Michelle made me feel both HUMAN, and that she really did care about me and the situation I was in. There were times during the process where I had some difficult and scary decisions to make that she gave me advice that, had I not followed would have most certainly played against me. She was super-knowledgeable about the laws surrounding my case, potential pitfalls and did the right things at the right time, which ultimately led to a complete dismissal of the assault charges filed against me. I am so grateful to have met Michelle and that I called on her at my time of need and would never hesitate calling on her again if (God forbid) I should find myself in need of her services again. Furthermore I HIGHLY recommend that anyone needing the legal services she offers give her a call, you won't regret your hiring this pro!

See All Client Reviews

Michelle Lea Mays's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Michelle
Erin Stephanie Shinn headshot
Erin Shinn

Criminal defense lawyer | Aug 27

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Michelle works hard for every client she represents and fights to get the best result. I saw her achieve four felony dismissals in one morning last week! She knows what she is doing and is a professional at all times. I fully endorse her services."

John Lounsbury Wise headshot
John Wise

Criminal defense lawyer | Apr 03

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"Michelle is an excellent lawyer. I have known her since working with her in law school at the University of Texas School of Law. She has achieved great results for her clients over the years through both negotiation as well as trial and is on the short list of criminal defense attorneys I would refer friends and family to in Austin."

Kenneth M. Gibson headshot
Kenneth Gibson

Criminal defense lawyer | Jun 10

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I endorse this lawyer. Michelle does a great job on her cases. She is very thorough in her representation, and I have the utmost respect for her."

James Robert John Spencer headshot
James Spencer

Criminal defense lawyer | Jun 02

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"A criminal defense lawyer needs two things: (1) a good knowledge of the law, and how to use it to their client's advantage and (2) a good personality, so that when they're dealing with prosecutors and judges they get excellent results. Michelle has both in spades, and I highly recommend her."

Gabriella C. Young headshot
Gabriella Young

Criminal defense lawyer | Jun 02

Relationship: Supervised lawyer

"Michelle and I worked together for roughly 4 years. She is smart, hardworking, and loyal. Eager to learn, Michelle took on any task asked of her. She is well liked by her peers and the judges throughout Austin. Michelle has wonderful presence in a court room and has a fierce cross-examination technique of witnesses. Her desire to fight for her clients made her easy and fun to work with throughout the years. I hold her opinion very highly and would turn to her for help anytime I needed it."

View All Endorsements
Erin Stephanie Shinn headshot
Erin Shinn

Criminal defense lawyer

John Lounsbury Wise headshot
John Wise

Criminal defense lawyer

James Robert John Spencer headshot
James Spencer

Criminal defense lawyer

Kenneth M. Gibson headshot
Kenneth Gibson

DUI and DWI lawyer

Gabriella C. Young headshot
Gabriella Young

Criminal defense lawyer

Experience

Rating:  9.5 (Superb)

Honors

2019

Top Attorney, Attorney.com

2017

10 Best, American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys

2016

Client's Choice, Avvo

Work Experience

2014 - Present

Staff Attorney, Capital Area Private Defender Service

2013 - Present

Attorney, Law Office of Michelle Mays

2006 - 2013

Attorney, Law Office of Ken Gibson

2005 - 2005

Clerk, United States District Court, Western District of Washington, The Honorable Barbara Jacobs Rothstein

2004 - 2004

Law Clerk, Alaska Public Defender Agency

Associations

2018 - Present

Travis County Project Engage

Supervising Attorney

2015 - Present

Texas Law Expunction Project

Supervising Attorney

2014 - Present

Capital Area Private Defender Service

Attorney

2007 - Present

Austin Criminal Defense Lawyers Association

Member

National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

Member

State Bar of Texas

Member

Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association

Member

Education

2006

University of Texas School of Law

Doctor of Jurisprudence/Juris Doctor (J.D.)

2006

University of Sydney Law School

Exchange Student

2002

University of Texas, Austin

Bachelor of Journalism

Speaking Engagements

2014

ALR Seminar

ALRs

Languages

English

Avvo Rating

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