Thank you for your interest in me and my legal practice.
My name is Michael Rice, and I hope that I can be helpful to you and your family. As I write this, I am in my late 40s, and I am beyond fortunate to live in Hermosa Beach with my family (including three kids currently entering teenage years and a few guinea pigs).
Probably like you, I’ve lived a lot of life by now, so I combine both my human and legal experience to work very closely with my clients through their most challenging times. It’s a privilege to do the work I do.
Background: I grew up in the Phoenix area where, prior to law school, I worked in high technology for well-known Fortune 500 companies. Then I went to law school at the Seattle University School of Law where I graduated in the top 5% of my class. I served on the Law Review and its Editorial Board for two years.
After law school, I was judicial clerk to the Hon. Eileen W. Hollowell (now retired) in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Arizona for about two years, which is a unique privilege few get to experience. Working closely with a trial judge in chambers in federal court continues to inform my practice today.
My journey into family law: After clerking in bankruptcy court, I continued to practice bankruptcy law for a number of years. This experience gave me a unique understanding of what it’s like for clients to go through incredibly challenging times, especially to understand their financial choices and options, which is useful for my current clients.
In bankruptcy, I was able to accomplish a number of important things, including a number of student loan discharges, which is something many lawyers thought wasn’t possible.
As time went on, I aged, matured, and had a family for myself. As intellectually interesting as bankruptcy law was (and still is), I felt I could do more for my clients than simply offer them legal advice or representation in court.
Today, working in family law, I have the privilege of closely working with my clients through one of the most difficult moments they will ever face in their lives. I think I am exceptionally good at not just the legal work, but also supporting my clients emotionally as they go through such challenging chapters of their lives.
My objective is always to help my clients uncover their true values, and apply those values to the legal, financial, and other issues that come up as they reform their families and their lives. I believe my clients usually end up a lot happier than they started because of the unique way I work.
I hope I can do the same for you.
Admissions:
- California state courts
- Federal Court Central District of California
- Formerly admitted Washington State Bar
Education and Experience:
- Seattle University School of Law, magna cum laude, Law Review Editorial Board member, Dean’s List
- Judicial Clerk, United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Arizona
- Pepperdine School of Law, Wm. Matthew Byrne, Jr. Judicial Clerkship Institute (“JCI”)
- Certified Conflicted Co-Parenting Coach
- LA County Bar Family Law Advocacy Training (“FLAT”)
- LA County Bar Trial Advocacy Program (“TAP”)
- LA County Bar TAP Deposition Training
- LACBA Minors’ Counsel Trained (2024)
Membership and Associations:
- Los Angeles County Bar, Family Law Section
- Beverly Hills Bar Association, Family Law Section
- Southern California Mediator’s Association
- California Lawyer’s Association, Family Law Section
- Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (“AFCC”)