Born and raised in Jasper, Georgia, Michael completed his high school education at Pickens County in 1999. He was a member of the Mock Trial Team at Kennesaw State University, where he was elected team captain. He participated in numerous regional and national contests and triumphs while participating in mock trials. Out of thousands of students, Michael was named an All-American at the American Mock Trial Association National Championship in Des Moines, Iowa.

Michael enrolled at Thomas M. Cooley Law School after receiving his bachelor's degree in political science from Kennesaw State University. He served on the Moot Court and Mock Trial student advisory council while in law school. In the areas of trial skills and forensic evidence in criminal cases, Michael was awarded certificates of merit. In addition, he wrote the Thomas M. Cooley moot court problem in 2007 and served as the mock trial coach for the Hazel Park Mock Trial Team.

In the Appalachian Judicial Circuit, which included Pickens, Gilmer, and Fannin counties, Michael started his legal career as the staff attorney for Superior Court Judges Roger E. Bradley and Amanda H. Mercier. He became the Chief Assistant District Attorney in 2014 after joining the Appalachian Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office in 2013. Michael started working in private practice in 2017.