Michelle E. West

Michelle E. West is founder and principal of MeWe Consults, LLC, which provides executive leadership coaching, consulting, and conflict resolution to assist individuals, teams, and groups in reaching their goals and desired personal, professional, and business outcomes.  

As a former practicing attorney and bar association director with more than 20 years of experience, Michelle is emphatically and empathetically aware of the myriad experiences and growth opportunities desired by lawyers and other professionals, associations, organizations, firms, and companies in navigating change, transition, growth, and development.

For more than a decade, Michelle has spoken at conferences across the country and has been a frequent contributor and organizer of continuing legal education (CLE) programs.  She currently speaks on leadership, mentoring, business strategies, professional and personal development and diversity, equity, and inclusion.  

Michelle received her executive leadership coach training from the Georgetown University Institute for Transformational Leadership and is also certified in both mediation and arbitration.  Michelle received her J.D. from Emory University School of Law and her B.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University, where she studied International Law, Relations and Organization and received a certificate in Latin American studies along with proficiency status in the Spanish language.  She attended academic programs in Ecuador, Canada, Italy, Spain and Costa Rica, and she taught English at La Escuela Politécnica Nacional in Quito, Ecuador, through the World Teach Program.

Michelle is previous founder and owner of MWest Legal, LLC, a general practice law firm, and formerly served the State Bar of Georgia as Directors of the Institute of Continuing Legal Education and the Transition Into Law Practice Program (The Mentoring Program).  Throughout her career, she has worked in various legal settings ranging from small to large firms, nonprofit, public interest, in-house corporate, government sector and solo practice, assisting clients with varied and diverse backgrounds.

Michelle is a past President of the Georgia Association for Women Lawyers (GAWL), and previously served GAWL as vice president and co-chair of the leadership committee where she led and developed leadership curriculum for GAWL’s Leadership Academy.  Michelle currently serves on the ABA Standing Committee on Public Protection in the Provision of Legal Services.

Michelle has previously served the legal profession on the state level as staff liaison to the Chief Justice Commission on Professionalism, the State Bar of Georgia Professionalism Committee, and the Commission on Continuing Lawyer Competency from (2013 – 2022).  West has also served in the following national boards, committees, or commissions: American Bar Association (ABA) – Standing Committee on Professionalism; ABA Hispanic Rights and Legal Responsibility Commission; Association of Continuing Legal Education (ACLEA) - State and Provincial Bar Special Interest Group Co-Chair (2020 – 2022); National Association of Bar Executives (NABE) – Diversity and Professional Development Committees (2021 – 2022).  

Michelle finds true joy in helping others realize their true leadership potential.  In her free time, Michelle relishes time with family and friends, hiking and exploring nature’s magnificent wonders and traveling the world.