Michelle J. Cole

Michelle J. Cole serves as a Professor of Legal Writing in the First-Year Skills Program at UC Berkeley School of Law. Previously, she was an Assistant Professor at Charlotte School of Law. With a decade of legal practice at prominent firms including Alston & Bird, King & Spalding, and Davis Polk & Wardwell, she specialized in appellate advocacy and complex litigation.

Her academic background:

• Bachelor of Arts, Cornell University (1992)
• Juris Doctor, Vanderbilt University School of Law (1995)

Professor Cole's expertise lies in legal writing and appellate advocacy. Her research and teaching integrate practical experience from product liability, tort, and environmental litigation. She focuses on developing students' ability to craft persuasive legal arguments and navigate appellate procedures through rigorous writing instruction and advocacy training.

As a key instructor in the First-Year Skills Program, she mentors incoming law students in foundational writing and advocacy. Her clerkship with Judge Richard J. Cardamone of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals and extensive courtroom experience enhance her pedagogical approach, emphasizing real-world application of legal reasoning and complex writing challenges.