Michelle (Thomson) Dylan has 15 years of criminal defense experience sucessfully representing clients in state and federal court. Known for her tenacity and attention to detail, Michelle has gained the respect of clients, colleagues and prosecutors alike. During her career, she has consistently obtained favorable results in complex and challenging cases, winning before or at trial on such charges as narcotics sales, marijuana cultivation, fraud, burglary, domestic violence and DUI.

Michelle has drafted numerous significant motions and appeals, including an Appeal in the California Supreme Court and a Petition for Certoriari in the United States Supreme Court. She has also worked closely with Attorney Douglas Rappaport in the litigation of a number of serious felony state cases and multi-defendant federal cases.

Over the years, Michelle has worked to improve the justice system and bring about systemic change, taking on such projects as challenging the use of juvenile adjudications as strikes under Three Strikes law, aiding in the creation of a diversion program for minors in traffic cases, and objecting to the scientific foundation related to the automated red light system in San Francisco.

Michelle was born and raised in New York. She graduated from Boston College with a dual major in Philosophy and Economics. In 1997, she received her JD from the University of San Francisco School of Law, where she served as a member of the school's Law Review and a Tutor in USF's Student Bar Association Program.

Fascinated by the criminal justice system, she chose to participate in the school's Criminal Law Clinic, whereby she had the opportunity to represent indigent clients in court, and she interned for the San Francisco Public Defender's Office doing investigative work through USF's Invesitgation Clinic.

Michelle joined Douglas Rappaport's Law Firm in 1998 as an attorney. From 2006 - 2010, she also served on the Felony Conflicts Panel in San Francisco, representing indigent defendants where the public defender had a conflict of interest.

Michelle lives in San Francisco with her husband, Micah, and their dog and cat. When she isn't practicing law, she enjoys live music, hiking, photography and snow-boarding.