Overview
Michael E. Carter focuses his practice on white collar defense and complex criminal matters, representing individuals in investigations, prosecutions, and other high-stakes proceedings in federal and state courts. He advises clients navigating sensitive legal issues and brings extensive courtroom, trial, and leadership experience to his practice.
Before joining Honigman LLP, Michael served as Executive Director of the Federal Community Defender Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, where he led an office of approximately 45 professionals, managed a multi-million-dollar budget, and supervised the handling of complex, high-volume federal cases.
Earlier in his career, Michael served with the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, one of the nation’s premier public defense organizations, where he represented clients in serious felony matters and developed extensive trial and litigation experience. Over the course of his career, he has handled hundreds of criminal defense matters and built a reputation as a strategic, thoughtful, and effective advocate.
In addition to his practice, Michael is a frequent trainer and lecturer on trial advocacy and constitutional issues, including Fourth Amendment litigation. He serves on the faculty of the National Criminal Defense College, where he teaches trial skills and trains attorneys from across the country on effective courtroom advocacy and criminal defense strategy. He is also a Fellow of the American Board of Criminal Lawyers.
Services
Practice Areas
Experience
Prior Experience
- Federal Community Defender Office, Executive Director
- Neighborhood Defender Service of Detroit, Supervising Attorney
- Federal Defender Office, Deputy Defender
- Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, Staff Attorney
- Law Office of John A. Shea, Associate Attorney
Credentials
Education
Admissions
- Michigan
Court Admissions
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan