Michele A. Roberts’ practice focuses on complex civil and white collar criminal litigation before state courts, federal courts and in administrative proceedings. Her white collar practice has included representation of defendants charged with racketeering, tax fraud, wire fraud, insurance fraud, bank fraud and violation of securities regulations. Her civil practice has involved representation of both plaintiffs and defendants in the areas of commercial development, products liability, Title VII and premises liability.
Before entering private practice, Ms. Roberts served for eight years in the office of the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, where she was trial counsel in more than 40 jury trials and ultimately was named chief of the office’s trial division.
Ms. Roberts received her B.A. in 1977 from Wesleyan University and her J.D. in 1980 from the University of California at Berkeley’s Boalt Hall School of Law. She is a member of the District of Columbia Bar, the American Bar Association and the National Bar Association; a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers; and a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
Ms. Roberts is a frequent lecturer and presenter to both the bench and bar on a variety of topics related to litigation and trial practice. She is a member of the adjunct faculty at Harvard Law School and previously served on the adjunct faculty at the George Washington University School of Law, as a lecturer in the Public Defender Service Training Program and as an instructor with the National Institute of Trial Advocacy. She serves on the District of Columbia Advisory Commission on Sentencing.
In 2002 Washingtonian magazine ranked Ms. Roberts first on its list of Washington’s top 75 lawyers, calling her “the finest pure trial lawyer in Washington – magic with juries, loved by judges, feared by opposing counsel”; the magazine has named her to each of its subsequent top lawyer rankings, including 2009’s roster of Washington’s 100 Most Powerful Women. In addition, Legal Times named Ms. Roberts as one of Washington’s 10 Leading Criminal Defense Lawyers. She is also listed in The Best Lawyers in America and Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.