Michelle Simpson Tuegel
Of Counsel
P: 215-557-0099 F: 215-557-0673
AREAS OF PRACTICE
- Clergy/Sexual Abuse
- Criminal Defense – Title IX
- Personal Injury
- College & University Student Defense
- Jury Consulting
Michelle Simpson Tuegel
Of Counsel
P: 215-557-0099 F: 215-557-0673
AREAS OF PRACTICE
- Clergy/Sexual Abuse
- Criminal Defense – Title IX
- Personal Injury
- College & University Student Defense
- Jury Consulting
BIOGRAPHY
Early in her legal career, Michelle practiced in Texas in the area of criminal defense. During her years in criminal practice, Michelle developed her skills in the courtroom and tried high profile capital murder cases, sexual assault, kidnapping, and federal felony drug cases. At a time when most young lawyers are still writing briefs and carrying a partner’s briefcase to the courthouse, Michelle was trying death penalty cases with high media publicity. This background also helped Michelle develop the skill of communicating with the media and being a voice for her clients not just in the courtroom, but also through different news outlets.
After years of advocating for accused individuals in the criminal justice system, Michelle decided to refocus her practice on representing victims and individuals who have been injured or wronged by companies and institutions in the civil court system. Specifically, she began representing victims of crime in civil lawsuits around the United States. She is one of the first attorneys to file a lawsuit connected to the October 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas. Tuegel is a frequent voice in the media, from CNN to USA Today. Michelle was named to The National Trial Lawyers’ Top Trial Lawyers list, and to the Texas SuperLawyers Rising Star list for 2015-2018. Michelle was also included in the Texas SuperLawyers Rising Star list “Up and Coming Top 100 Lawyers” and “Up and Coming Top 50 Women Lawyers.”
A former world-ranked athlete in slalom water skiing and nationally recognized for Title IX representation of students, Tuegel uses her competitive drive to champion clients. She recently represented former U.S. national team and Olympic gymnasts and college athletes who were sexually abused by the Olympic team’s former doctor, filing suits against the United States Olympic Committee, USA Gymnastics and Michigan State. Tuegel’s clients are part of a global settlement with Michigan State.
Some of Michelle Simpson Tuegel’s earliest memories are of her trial lawyer father speaking to juries. Michelle feels at home standing in front of a jury, and being a trial lawyer runs in her blood. Michelle is a combination of aggression and compassion and invests herself completely in the people she represents.
Amnesty International, United Kingdom—Fall 2004
- Intern, Parliamentary Branch
- Attended meetings at Parliament involving human trafficking, Sudan crisis, and capital
punishment - Communicated with members of Parliament on human rights issues
- Researched human rights issues on Parliamentary database
Professional Slalom Water Skier
- Ranked 3rd in the World in Women’s Slalom-2007
- Ranked 1st in the United States in Women’s Slalom-2007
- Water Ski World Cup Women’s Slalom Champion-2005
- Water Ski World Championships—Bronze Medal-2003
- Ireland World Cup Stop-4th in 2006, 2 nd 2005
- Russia World Cup Stop-4th in 2006 & 2005
- Chile, World Championships 21 and Under—Silver Medal
- United States Olympic Committee Training Stipend Recipient
Mastercraft Boats-2002-2008—Sponsored Athlete
Shaklee Products-2006-2008—Sponsored Athlete
- Wrote articles for WaterSki Magazine and British Water Ski Magazine
- Negotiated contracts
- Coached amateur athletes
Michelle Simpson Tuegel
Rated by Super Lawyers
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BAR ADMISSIONS
- Texas, 2010
- U.S. District Court Western District of Texas, 2011
- U.S. District Court Southern District of Texas, 2014
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Texas, 2017
- U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit, 2017
EDUCATION
- Baylor University School of Law, Waco, Texas
- J.D. – 2010
- Major: Criminal Practice
- Rollins College, Winter Park, Florida
- B.A. magna cum laude – 2006
- Major: English
- Texas Criminal Trial College – 2011
PUBLISHED WORKS
- In The United States, Many Are Sitting In Jail Just Because They Are Poor, “Pretrial Detention”, Guest Writer, 2015
- “Pretrial Detention”, Fair Trials International, 2015
- “Pretrial Investigations in Child Physical Abuse and Child Death Cases” , Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, 2017
- Waco Legal Professionals Association, Speaker
- Municipal Court Clerk Certification Program in Waco, Speaker
- Rural Court Administrators Conference, “Capital Murder Cases”, Speaker
- Baylor Law School Criminal Practice Class, “Jury Selection”, Lecture, 2014 – 2015
- iEngage Summer Civics Institute for Children, Teacher, 2014 – 2015
- Baylor Law School, Practice and Life after Law School, Speaker
- Baylor Law School Lecture to Practice Court Class, “Jury Selection”, Lecture
- Voice of Jubilee Apostolic Center, “Know Your Rights & Immigration Update”, Speaker
- Baylor University Lecture to Public Law & Service Class, “Capital Defense”, Lecture, 2015 – 2016
- Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, “Mitigation in Non-Capital Cases”, Presentation
- Baylor Law School Awards Ceremony & Lecture Series, “Distinguished Speaker”
- Justice And Mercy
- Jailhouse Snitches Don’t Go To The Pen, But Send A Friend
- The Price Of Freedom
- Seeking Life In The (Death) Bible Belt
- The Pope On Never Excluding The Dimension Of Hope
- TCDLA Rusty Duncan Seminar on “Mitigation and Jury Selection”, Co-presented with Robert Swafford, July 1, 2016 – Present
- Baylor Law School New Student Orientation, Speaker, August 18, 2016 – Present
- Baylor Law School Legal Mapmaker’s CLE “Bar & Community Involvement”, Speaker, August 19, 2016 – Present
- TCDLA Voir Dire Seminar on “Jury Selection: The Colorado Method & Strike for Cause Method”, Speaker – Co-presented with Jeff Blackburn (founder of the Texas Innocence Project), September 9, 2016 – Present
- Waco NAACP, Conducted a Jury Workshop, Speaker, September 17, 2016 – Present
- Lecture to Baylor University Law & Public Service Course “Representing the Accused and Public Service”, September 29, 2016 – Present
- Baylor Law School Practice Court Class “Jury Selection”, Co-Lecture with Robert Swafford , November 14, 2016 – Present
- Waco High School – Mock Trial Class, Lecturer, November 16, 2016 – Present
- Scheduled to speak at Texas State Bar CLE on jury selection, unable to present in the end, but provided paper for the seminar , December 1, 2016 – Present
- NAACP/Phi Kappa Delta Commission on Civil Rights “The Power of Juries in the Fight for Criminal Justice”, Speaker, January 12, 2017 – Present
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers’ Advanced Criminal Law Seminar in Aspen, Colorado on “Sentencing & Mitigation”, Speaker, January 18, 2017 – Present
- Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Seminar on Jury Selection, Speaker, January 1, 2017 – Present
- Conducted Focus Group for large civil litigation case with jury consultant/attorney Robert Swafford , February 1, 2017 – Present
- Southern Methodist University, Sports Ethics Graduate Course, “Title IX and Campus Sexual Assault Cases”, April 18, 2017 – Present
- Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Seminar on Jury Selection, Speaker, April 21, 2017 – Present
- Waco Legal Professionals Association, “Title IX Investigations and Adjudications in the University Setting.”, Speaker, May 9, 2017 – Present
- CJA Panel Training/Federal Criminal Defense Seminar – “Resist, Persist and Defend: CJA Panel Representation in Waco, Texas”, Panel Speaker, May 19, 2017 – Present
- Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Seminar “Successfully Defending Child Physical Abuse and Child Death Cases, Pretrial Investigations”, Speaker, September 15, 2017 – Present
- Baylor Law School “First Seven Years of Practice: What I Wish I’d Known from the Start”, Speaker, September 21, 2017 – Present
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers’ Fall Seminar on Title IX Cases, Speaker, October 1, 2017 – Present
- Scheduled to Speak at the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers’ Association Sexual Assault Seminar in Las Vegas, November 1, 2017 – Present
- World in Women’s Slalom-Ranked 3rd
- United States in Women’s Slalom-Ranked 1st
- Water Ski World Cup Women’s Slalom-Champion
- Water Ski World Championships-Bronze Medal
- Ireland World Cup Stop-4th
- Ireland World Cup Stop-2nd
- Russia World Cup Stop-4th, 2005 – 2006
- Chile, World Championships 21-Silver Medal
- United States Olympic Committee Training Stipend Recipient
- “Texas Rising Star Attorney” by Texas Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters Service, 2015 – 2016
- “Top 100 Trial Lawyers” The National Trial Lawyers Association, 2014 – 2016
- Capital Defense (death penalty appointment list) “second chair” qualified – 3rd Judicial Region of Texas, 2013 – 2016
- United States District Court, Western District of Texas, Waco Division , CJA Panel Member
- Waco McLennan County Bar Association, Member, 2010 – 2016
- Judge Abner V. McCall American Inn of Court, Associate/Member, 2014 – 2016
- American Bar Association, Member
- College of the State Bar of Texas, Member
- Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Member
- McLennan County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association , Member
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Life Member
- Former Associate Municipal Court Judge – City of Woodway, Texas
- State Bar of Texas, Member
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL), Board of Directors
- NACDL, Amicus Curiae Committee , Fifth Circuit Vice Chair
- NACDL Title IX Committee , Member
- NACDL Budget Committee , Member
- NACDL Death Penalty Committee , Member
- NACDL Women in Criminal Defense Committee , Member
- NACDL Membership Committee, Vice-Chair
- Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association (TCDLA), Member
- Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Board of Directors
- TCDLA New Lawyers’ Committee, Co-Chair
- TCDLA Law School Committee , Member
- TCDLA Nomination Committee, Member
- Waco McLennan County Bar Association
- McLennan County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association
- Municipal Court Judge – City of Woodway, Texas , Former Associate