Michelle MacDonald is a restorative lawyer, circle facilitator, mediator, and trainer, practicing law with MacDonald Law Firm, LLC 1986-2021, in the areas of Family Law, Divorce, Paternity, Adoption, Estate Planning, and Probate, including Civil Rights, Constitutional issues, Family Law, Child Custody, Support, Property, Child Protection, Adoption, Juvenile, Wills, Trusts,& Probate, Traffic & Criminal, Business, Real Estate, Injury, Appeals, Dispute Resolution and more. After litigating families for 25 years, she founded Family Innocence, a non-profit dedicated to keeping families out of court: resolving conflicts and injustices peacefully. Michelle graduated cum laude from Boston College, earned her law degree from Suffolk University, and completed the program of Instruction for Lawyers at Harvard Law School. Michelle served as a Small Claims Court Judge and arbitrator in Hennepin County 1999 – 2014, and as an Adjunct Referee, Family Court from 1992 – 2012. Michelle was a long time member of the Minnesota State Bar Association, Family Law, Children’s Law, ADR sections; and past co-chair of the Professionalism Committee. Michelle is a certified parenting time expeditor; parenting consultant, Social and Financial Early Neutral evaluator, and has been Rule 114 qualified in alternative dispute resolution since 1995. Michelle’s law related activities included Amdahl Inn of Court Member; citizens police academy graduate; Mock Trial Judge; Juris Divas Member; cooperative private divorce project (divorce without courts); and custody/parenting time dialogue group. She is an active member of the National Association of Community and Restorative Justice (NACRJ), and Restorative Practices International. She is admitted to practice law in the Minnesota and Massachusetts Supreme Court 1986-2021; and the Supreme Court of the United States of America, and has been a statewide candidate for the Minnesota Supreme Court. Michelle was recognized each year from 2013 to 2019 by North Star Lawyer for her pro bono work as an attorney. Michelle is author and editor of “Sandra Grazzini-Rucki and the World’s Last Custody Trial.”