Michael was born in St. Louis, Missouri and grew up in Iowa City, Iowa and Lexington, Kentucky. He double majored in biology and political science at DePauw University, graduating at the top of his class in each discipline. His fondest memories of the Midwest include competing at debate tournaments across the region and cycling with his fraternity brothers though the hills of Indiana.After college, Michael moved west to attend law school at the University of Colorado, Boulder. During the summer after his second year of law school, he interned with the Spence Law Firm and realized that his calling was to help others through the practice of law. He also fell in love with the wild and beautiful Teton Mountains.During law school, Michael represented the University of Colorado at moot court and mock trial tournaments and worked as an editor on the Law Review. He graduated second in his class. Before joining the Spence Law Firm in 2013, Michael served as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Justice Warren E. Jones of the Idaho Supreme Court.