Attorney

MICHELLE ANNE GOETZ

*** ******** ***** 720-***-****

Lansing, MI 48906 *********@*****.***

Education

• Juris Doctor, 2015, Thomas M. Cooley Law School, Lansing, Michigan

• Master of Science, 2010, Legal Administration, University of Denver Sturm College of Law, Denver, Colorado

• Bachelor of Arts, 2007, Sociology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado Legal Experience

• Elder Law of Michigan, Inc., Staff Attorney for Mid-America Pension Rights Project and Legal Hotline for Michigan Seniors, 3815 W. St. Joseph St. #200, Lansing, Michigan, 48917, May 2018- Oct. 2018 o Handle full caseload, basic ERISA procedures, legal research, draft legal letters and claims.

• Elder Law of Michigan, Inc., Project Coordinator, 3815 W. St. Joseph St. #200, Lansing, Michigan, 48917, Oct. 2017-Present

o Project Coordinator for Elder Law of Michigan, LegalHotlines.org, and 2018 Equal Justice Conference

(Legal Hotlines for Michigan Seniors).

o Assist with legal cases for the Legal Hotline under the supervision of licensed attorneys, authored blog posts, member of an internal communications team, writing grant proposals, managed virtual legal hotline program with a local library, and case management via Pika Software.

• PREVNT Grant Project Coordinator, Sixty Plus, Inc., Elderlaw Clinic, Western Michigan University Cooley Law School, 300 S. Capitol Ave., Lansing, Michigan 48933, Oct. 2016-Oct. 2017 o Ability to network, organize, draft progress reports to submit to the state, help draft booklets to be distributed to the regional elder population regarding consumer protection fraud, draft PowerPoint presentations, public speaking, and intern management. o Assist with reviewing projects, approvals, and releases, ensure ongoing communication between all parties with regard to project timeliness, coordinate meetings, deadline updates, and refine project processes to ensure consistency, effectiveness, and continued organization.

• Law Firm Administrator/Paralegal, Temperance Legal Group, PLLC, 503 Mall Ct., #131, Lansing, Michigan 48912, 2015-Jun. 2017

o Performing research and coordinating with attorneys, clients, and witnesses for filing and litigating clients’ cases, coordinate scheduling, creating and maintaining accounts of clients, performed legal research via ICLE, and used PACER to file Federal cases and research other related cases. o Various paralegal duties for Title IX cases.

o Helped maintain electronic client files in Clio.

• Research Assistant for Professor Kimberly O’Leary, Sixty Plus, Inc., Elderlaw Clinic, 300 S. Capitol Ave., Lansing, Michigan 48933, 2014

o Ability to perform legal research, draft legal documents, organize case files and maintain documents, help plan and implement an updated file retention policy, train new students and staff for new data management system, revise and draft new intern handbook for the Sixty Plus Clinic, and assist in the transition of the law firm’s legal document database system.

• Intern with Sixty Plus, Inc., Elderlaw Clinic, 300 S. Capitol Ave., Lansing, Michigan 48933, Aug. 2013-Apr. 2014 o Problem solving, client counseling, legal research and writing, time management, file organization, recognition and resolution of ethical issues, working with staff, faculty and peers in an efficient and collegial fashion; including conducting client interviews, negotiating with opposing counsel and conducting hearings as appropriate.

o The subject matter of representation frequently encountered includes divorce, probate administration, debt collection and defense, the preparation of Wills, trusts, powers of attorney, letters of instruction, organ donation documentation, guardianships and conservatorships, property issues, deeds for clients as appropriate, and any other civil matter excluding torts and internal revenue advisory opinions.

Students are allowed to practice law under the Michigan Court Rules by drafting documents, give legal advice and appear in court as necessary.

• Intern, Court Investigator, Ingham County Probate Court, 313 W. Kalamazoo, Lansing, Michigan 48933, Jan. 2012-Mar. 2013

o Review decedent estate applications, enter wills into the computer, attend various hearings, review and investigate guardianship reviews and/or petitions as court investigator, create docket entries, review conservatorship account petitions, attend hearings and complete reports as Guardian ad Litem, and assist in general judicial clerical duties upon request.

• Legal Assistant, Mastin Hoffman & Crews, PC, Greenwood Village, Colorado, 2010-2011 o Assist Legal Administrator with paralegal duties, general office duties, receptionist duties, greeting clients, document formatting, create spreadsheets, complete time entries, completing supply orders, file motions with Lexis Nexis, provide notary services, and other various assigned duties as needed.

• Deputy Clerk, United States Bankruptcy Court, 721 19th St., Denver, Colorado, 80202, 2009 o Temporary appointment to assist with conversion to Electronic Case Management. Organized and prepared case files for transfer to Federal Records Center, recycled pleadings and other records in accordance with administrative guidelines, completed other projects as assigned.

• Juvenile Corrections Specialist, Boulder County Juvenile Assessment Center, 1777 6th St., Boulder, Colorado, 80302, 2005-2006

o Hands-on juvenile worker, assisted in jail transportation, bond assessments, intakes/interviews, finger- printing, and courtroom security.

o Client-related position involved direct contact with juvenile defendants in various pretrial and post- adjudication programs of Community Corrections, on probation, in the work-release program at the Boulder County Jail or in the Juvenile Center.

• Staffer, National Institute for Trial Advocacy, Boulder, Colorado, 2004-2005 o Assisted with training program delivery geared to enable and encourage lawyers to become effective, ethical, and professional advocates.

• Judicial Clerk, Arapahoe County District Court, Centennial, Colorado, 2003 o Assisted with the conversion to Electronic Case Management. Ensured important court and trial documentation was properly preserved. Followed strict document retention and destruction protocols. Research and Writing Experience

• Authored article entitled “I Am Not Who I Seem To Be On The Outside,” which investigated “juvenile delinquency” in comparison to parenting and environments in Boulder, Colorado for the University of Colorado. 2006

• Assisted with authoring “Managing Someone Else’s Money in Michigan,” which covered financial exploitation for the elder population involving VA Fiduciaries, trustees, power of attorneys, and conservators. 2017 Computer Experience

• Developed social networking centralized communications point using existing web technology for the Master of Science in Legal Administration program, including current students and an alumni base of over 600.

• Helped design web page using GoDaddy.com, WordPress.com, and SurveyMonkey.com platform, completed legal hotline newsletter using MailChimp.

• Familiar with Office 365, Outlook, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Excel. Activities, Awards, Honors

• Certificate of Merit Award for Pre Trial Skills, Thomas M. Cooley Law School, 2015.

• Recipient of Outstanding Lawyering Skills award from the 60 Plus Legal Clinic, Thomas M. Cooley Law School, 2014.

• Attendee of monthly Ingham County Bar Association Meetings, 2014.

• Certificate of Merit Award for Property I, Thomas M. Cooley Law School, 2013.

• Honor Roll Recipient, 4 Terms; Dean’s List Recipient, 5 Terms, Thomas M. Cooley Law School, 2011- 2014.

• Competitor in Moot Court and Participant in Mock Trial Competitions for Thomas M. Cooley Law School, 2012.

• Participated in membership of the American Bar Association and the Association for Legal Administration, 2009- 2012.

• Assisted the College of Law Practice Management and the University Of Denver Sturm College Of Law in presenting the "Futures Conference", 2009.

• Lawyering in Spanish Participant for the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, two weeks in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Summer 2010.

• Member of Phi Alpha Delta, 2005.

• Member of Phi Theta Kappa, 2006-2007.

• Recipient of the Governor’s Opportunity Scholarship for 2003-2007.

• Selected to Study Abroad in Spain, Jan.-May 2007.

• Volunteer for Meals on Wheels, Special Olympics, Family Tree, Habitat for Humanity, and the Cities of Littleton and Lakewood Colorado Athletics Departments.

References

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