Michelle Marvel advocates for individuals who have suffered serious injury or wrongful death. She pursues answers and accountability from companies responsible for dangerous products, dangerous property or dangerous drivers.
Michelle frequently works on high-profile cases with local and national media attention. Recent examples include a restaurant explosion; a police shooting; and the Schlitterbahn water slide accident, which killed a 10-year-old boy, resulted in five indictments and made headlines worldwide. Michelle is adept at merging legal and PR strategies, from media statements and press conferences to the implications of press coverage on potential jurors. She has presented training for other lawyers on how to manage high-profile matters.
Before joining Bartimus Frickleton Robertson Rader, Michelle defended medical malpractice, commercial and construction claims as an associate attorney at Sanders Warren Russell & Scheer LLP. She applies this experience to her work for plaintiffs. Bcause she worked on the other side, she understands that perspective and can anticipate defensive strategies.
Michelle is committed to giving back to the legal profession and the community. On behalf of Lawyers Encouraging Academic Performance, she coordinates an annual back-to-school breakfast; the event provides school supplies for 450 kids living in poverty each year. Michelle serves on the board of directors for the Association of Women Lawyers of Greater Kansas City and is the Young Lawyer section president for the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, among other activities.
Michelle has been recognized by the Kansas City Business Journal and Missouri Lawyers Weekly, and she is a top-rated personal injury attorney by Super Lawyers.
Growing up in a military family, Michelle Marvel moved every three years throughout childhood – from the Midwest to the Northeast to Germany (twice). It’s an experience she credits for her ability to be flexible, her appreciation for order and her commitment to public service.
Frequent relocations not only helped her accept change and relate to people better, she said, they also made her pretty hard to intimidate: “I’m comfortable walking into a case, diving right in and getting out of my comfort zone, because I didn’t really have a comfort zone growing up.”
Her desire for structure dates back to childhood, too: Her mother said she often preferred organizing the playroom to playing with toys. Today, Michelle brings a discipline for order and strategy to her cases and is an asset to Bartimus Frickleton Robertson Rader teams managing significant and complex details.
Michelle always knew she wanted a career that would help people; this commitment to service has guided her work to balance a full-time litigation practice with motherhood. Growing a practice while raising two boys is her most fulfilling achievement, she said, but it helps to have some of that trademark flexibility and organization.
One example: On her second day back from maternity leave, Michelle needed to argue a case before the Kansas Court of Appeals. She arranged for an overnight babysitter and jumped right in; she remembers the client’s family sitting in the courtroom.
“When you have the responsibility of advocating for someone on something so important,” she said, “you’ll do everything you can and make every sacrifice to do the best you can.”
- EDUCATION AND PAST EXPERIENCE
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J.D., University of Missouri – Kansas City, 2007
B.A., Truman State University, 2004
- MEMBERSHIPS AND AFFILIATIONS
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Jurisdictions
State of Missouri – All Jurisdictions
State of Kansas – All Jurisdictions
U.S. District Court for Kansas
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri
Professional
Association for Women Lawyers of Greater Kansas City
- Board of Directors, 2013 – present
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Fundraising Committee, Vice Chair
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Mentor, AWL Connections
Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association
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Board of Directors, 2018
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Young Lawyer Section, President 2018
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Trial Academy, Co-Vice Chair, 2012-14
Kansas Association of Justice
- Junior Board Member, Legislative Committee
Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys
- Women’s Caucus Group
Women’s Foundation, Inner Circle
Missouri Bar Association
Kansas Bar Association
American Association for Justice
Civic
Lawyers Encouraging Academic Performance
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Board of Directors, 2015 – present
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Back to School Breakfast, Co-Chair, 2017 – present
- Volunteer, Operation Breakthrough Reading Buddies
Christo Rey High School
- Mentor
- HONORS AND RECOGNITIONS
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Top Settlement, Missouri Lawyers Weekly, 2018
Rising Star, Missouri/Kansas Super Lawyers, 2013 – 2018
- Top Rated Personal Injury Attorney
Up & Coming Lawyers, Missouri Lawyers Weekly, 2017
Best of the Bar, Kansas City Business Journal, 2014 – 2016
Presentations
Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, 2018 Bench-Bar Conference: “Managing High-Profile Litigation: Best Practices for Civil, Criminal and Public Sector Attorneys”
Association for Women Lawyers of Greater Kansas City, 2018 Women’s Trial Institute: “Deposition Skills”
Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association and Bartimus Frickleton Robertson Rader, Litigreat 2017: “Key Habits of the Efficient, Effective Advocate”
Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association and Bartimus Frickleton Roberton Rader, Litigreat 2016: “Remember Who You Work For: Maintaining Effective Client Relations”
