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About Michelle Yard
MICHELLE RACHEL YARD, Esq.
Michelle Yard is a criminal defense attorney who is Board Certified by the Florida Bar as a specialist and expert in Criminal Trial Law. She has twenty years’ experience defending criminal cases in Central Florida. She has extensive experience in state and federal trials, appeals, and post-conviction. She is a member of the Bar in the State of Florida, United States District Courts for the Southern, Middle, and Northern Districts of Florida, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court of the United States. In March 2025, she opened her own practice, the Law Office of Michelle Yard, PLLC.
From 2023 to 2025, Michelle worked at a prestigious private criminal defense law firm in Orlando where she represented individuals facing the firm's most serious criminal charges, including homicide, capital sexual battery, lewd and lascivious molestation, drug trafficking, racketeering, and others. Again and again, Michelle secured significant favorable outcomes for her clients resulting from her impressive skills and deep experience in motion practice and trials. In addition to the handling the firm's most serious criminal trial cases in state court, Michelle also exclusively handled all of the firm's federal cases, criminal appeals in state and federal court, and post-conviction matters in state and federal court.
From 2015 to 2023, Michelle worked at the Federal Defender’s Office for the Middle District of Florida in the Orlando Division. At the Federal Defender’s Office, she represented individuals in federal jury trial cases on offenses including complex fraud, sexual, controlled substance, and firearm offenses. In addition to trial work, Michelle worked as a Research and Writing Specialist Attorney in the Federal Defender’s Appellate Division defending individuals in federal direct appeals, sentencing guideline amendment cases, and post-conviction habeas cases. Michelle has been granted oral arguments in front of the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, following which she has obtained important reversals for her clients.
In 2016, the Central Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyer (CFACDL) selected Michelle for its annual “Foot Soldier of the Constitution” award honoring one Central Florida criminal defense attorney “who exemplifies the actions of a true criminal defense lawyer by fighting for their client’s rights and improving the Criminal Justice system as a whole.”
From 2005 to 2015, Michelle worked as a trial and post-conviction attorney as a state Assistant Public Defender in the Ninth Judicial Circuit, Downtown Orlando Division, where she successfully tried cases from DUI to sexual battery to homicide. While an Assistant Public Defender, she served as Training Director for Orange and Osceola Counties. Michelle spear-headed many special litigation projects, including leading a comprehensive multi-year jury composition study, representing respondents in Baker Act proceedings, drafting extraordinary writs, defending complex RICO charges, and seeking post-conviction relief under Graham and Miller for juveniles serving life without parole sentences – of which she successfully secured some of the lowest resentences in the country for her clients.
Michelle presents as a speaker at nationwide, state, and regional legal conferences and seminars, particularly on issues related to sentencing and sentencing reform. She has served as President of CFACDL (2022-2023), a Subject Matter Expert in Criminal Law for the Florida Board of Bar Examiner’s Legal Practice Analysis Panel (2020-2021), and previously served on the board of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Central Florida.
About Law Office of Michelle Yard, PLLC
Michelle's Experience
Michelle's Experience
Michelle's Experience
With 20 years of experience defending high stakes criminal cases, Michelle has successfully defended clients in a wide range of cases including charges of DUI, RICO, robbery with a firearm, drug trafficking, sexual battery, and homicide.
Michelle's Approach
Michelle's Experience
Michelle's Experience
At Law Office of Michelle Yard, PLLC, Michelle takes an empathetic, personalized approach to each case, working closely with her clients to understand their unique situation and build a strong rapport and defense strategy with each client.
Michelle's Results
Michelle's Experience
Michelle's Results
Michelle is proud of her impressive track record of achieving favorable outcomes for her clients. She has successfully defended clients in high-profile cases and secured numerous dismissals, acquittals, and reduced charges.