Michelle Ochoa is an associate attorney with The Law Office of Scott M. Ellison in in Corpus Christi, TX.  Michelle is Board Certified in Criminal Law and currently serves on the Corpus Christi Bar Association Board of Directors as the Criminal Law Chair.  She is a member of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, the Coastal Bend Women Lawyers Association and has previously served on the Board of Directors of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association.  Michelle also served as a mentee in the inaugural class of the Future Indigent Defense Leaders.

Michelle was a public defender from 2011 to 2023.  Prior to that adventure, she was in private practice working in criminal defense in Corpus Christi and surrounding areas.  After graduating from law school at St. Mary’s University, she worked for several years in the District Attorney’s Office of Nueces County.  Originally from Carrollton, TX, Michelle earned her bachelor’s degree from The University of Texas at Austin and taught high school government prior to entering law school.  Michelle is a proud parent of an amazing autistic son, Matthew.

Publications include:

On The Front Lines — Defending Smuggling Cases in Texas State Court, TCDLA Voice for the Defense — Vol. 52 No. 1 P 15, January/February 2023

Do’s & Don’ts of Being Second Chair, TCDLA Voice for the Defense — Vol. 51 No. 2 P 24, March 2022

Biases.  We All Have Them.  What Are Yours?, TCDLA Voice for the Defense — Vol. 50 No. 5 P 24, June 2021