Michael Carter is the former Executive Director of the Federal Community
Defender Office of the Eastern District of Michigan.
By Julie Freer
Legal News
There were many reasons Michael Carter landed the job as Executive Director of the Federal Community Defender’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan in December 2020 — among them, according to FCDO Board President Kathy Humphrey, was his passion for criminal defense work and ability to listen and connect with people.
Now, Carter will take his experience both in the court room and leading a large legal organization and apply it to challenges faced by clients in the private sector. In May, Honigman announced Carter joined the firm’s Detroit office as senior counsel in the Investigations and White Collar Defense Practice group.
Carter, who earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and JD from Wayne Law School, said the decision to move to private practice was about embracing a new professional challenge and an opportunity to continue growing as a lawyer.
“I’m incredibly proud of my career in public defense and grateful for the opportunities I had to serve clients, lead an outstanding office, and work alongside some of the best criminal defense lawyers in Michigan,” said Carter. “One of the things that most excited me about joining Honigman was the opportunity to help expand the firm’s white-collar defense and investigations practice. Throughout my career, I have handled complex state and federal criminal matters, conducted extensive investigations, managed high-stakes litigation, and advised clients facing significant legal and
reputational risks. I saw an opportunity to bring that experience to Honigman and help clients navigate government investigations, regulatory inquiries, and white-collar matters.”
After graduating from Wayne Law, he began his career as a criminal defense attorney at the law office of John Shea in Ann Arbor.
In October 2011, he took a job as a staff attorney for Public Defender Services for the District of Columbia (PDS).
“I was drawn to public defense because I saw firsthand how differently people can experience the justice system depending on their background, resources, and their race,” said Carter. “I was particularly aware of the importance of ensuring that every person—regardless of who they are or where they came from—has a strong advocate standing beside them. Public Defense gave me the opportunity to make the promise of a right to counsel a reality for people who often felt unheard or overlooked.”
In 2016, Carter and his wife Raquel returned to the Detroit area. He worked as a deputy defender at FCDO for over three years before becoming a supervising attorney at the Neighborhood Defender Services of Detroit (NDS) in 2019.
“Public defense is demanding work, but it is also incredibly rewarding,” said Carter. “It taught me the importance of empathy, preparation, and fighting for every client, regardless of the allegations against them or their circumstances. The work reinforced my belief that everyone deserves a strong defense and meaningful access to justice.”
In his role as Executive Director of the FCDO, his responsibilities included supervising attorneys and staff, overseeing budgets and operations, recruiting and mentoring lawyers, and ensuring the office continued to provide the highest level of representation to clients. At the same time, he continued to maintain a caseload.
“Those leadership experiences align closely with the challenges faced by corporate clients and enhance my ability to understand business objectives while providing legal advice,” said Carter.
Federal public defenders are uniquely positioned for white-collar defense, Carter says, because they spend their careers seeing the federal criminal justice system from the defense side of the courtroom, providing a comprehensive understanding of how federal prosecutors build cases, how agents conduct investigations, what evidence tends to resonate with juries, and where vulnerabilities often exist.
“Federal public defenders also develop an extraordinary breadth of litigation experience early in their careers,” said Carter. “Unlike many lawyers who may focus on a narrow segment of practice, public defenders routinely handle evidentiary hearings, trials, sentencings, and appeals. That experience creates strategic judgment that is valuable long before a case reaches a courtroom. In many instances, the most effective pre-charge advocacy comes from demonstrating a sophisticated understanding of what would happen if the matter were ultimately litigated.”
Although there will be plenty of differences between public defense and white collar defense, one commonality is building a relationship with clients through a foundation of connection and trust.
“My clients in the private sector are facing significant challenges and important decisions,” he said. “To advise them effectively, I need to understand not only the legal issues, but also their business objectives, concerns, and priorities. The ability to build trust, communicate clearly, and connect with people helps me serve clients more effectively and work collaboratively with colleagues across the firm.”
Legal News
There were many reasons Michael Carter landed the job as Executive Director of the Federal Community Defender’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan in December 2020 — among them, according to FCDO Board President Kathy Humphrey, was his passion for criminal defense work and ability to listen and connect with people.
Now, Carter will take his experience both in the court room and leading a large legal organization and apply it to challenges faced by clients in the private sector. In May, Honigman announced Carter joined the firm’s Detroit office as senior counsel in the Investigations and White Collar Defense Practice group.
Carter, who earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and JD from Wayne Law School, said the decision to move to private practice was about embracing a new professional challenge and an opportunity to continue growing as a lawyer.
“I’m incredibly proud of my career in public defense and grateful for the opportunities I had to serve clients, lead an outstanding office, and work alongside some of the best criminal defense lawyers in Michigan,” said Carter. “One of the things that most excited me about joining Honigman was the opportunity to help expand the firm’s white-collar defense and investigations practice. Throughout my career, I have handled complex state and federal criminal matters, conducted extensive investigations, managed high-stakes litigation, and advised clients facing significant legal and
reputational risks. I saw an opportunity to bring that experience to Honigman and help clients navigate government investigations, regulatory inquiries, and white-collar matters.”
After graduating from Wayne Law, he began his career as a criminal defense attorney at the law office of John Shea in Ann Arbor.
In October 2011, he took a job as a staff attorney for Public Defender Services for the District of Columbia (PDS).
“I was drawn to public defense because I saw firsthand how differently people can experience the justice system depending on their background, resources, and their race,” said Carter. “I was particularly aware of the importance of ensuring that every person—regardless of who they are or where they came from—has a strong advocate standing beside them. Public Defense gave me the opportunity to make the promise of a right to counsel a reality for people who often felt unheard or overlooked.”
In 2016, Carter and his wife Raquel returned to the Detroit area. He worked as a deputy defender at FCDO for over three years before becoming a supervising attorney at the Neighborhood Defender Services of Detroit (NDS) in 2019.
“Public defense is demanding work, but it is also incredibly rewarding,” said Carter. “It taught me the importance of empathy, preparation, and fighting for every client, regardless of the allegations against them or their circumstances. The work reinforced my belief that everyone deserves a strong defense and meaningful access to justice.”
In his role as Executive Director of the FCDO, his responsibilities included supervising attorneys and staff, overseeing budgets and operations, recruiting and mentoring lawyers, and ensuring the office continued to provide the highest level of representation to clients. At the same time, he continued to maintain a caseload.
“Those leadership experiences align closely with the challenges faced by corporate clients and enhance my ability to understand business objectives while providing legal advice,” said Carter.
Federal public defenders are uniquely positioned for white-collar defense, Carter says, because they spend their careers seeing the federal criminal justice system from the defense side of the courtroom, providing a comprehensive understanding of how federal prosecutors build cases, how agents conduct investigations, what evidence tends to resonate with juries, and where vulnerabilities often exist.
“Federal public defenders also develop an extraordinary breadth of litigation experience early in their careers,” said Carter. “Unlike many lawyers who may focus on a narrow segment of practice, public defenders routinely handle evidentiary hearings, trials, sentencings, and appeals. That experience creates strategic judgment that is valuable long before a case reaches a courtroom. In many instances, the most effective pre-charge advocacy comes from demonstrating a sophisticated understanding of what would happen if the matter were ultimately litigated.”
Although there will be plenty of differences between public defense and white collar defense, one commonality is building a relationship with clients through a foundation of connection and trust.
“My clients in the private sector are facing significant challenges and important decisions,” he said. “To advise them effectively, I need to understand not only the legal issues, but also their business objectives, concerns, and priorities. The ability to build trust, communicate clearly, and connect with people helps me serve clients more effectively and work collaboratively with colleagues across the firm.”
––––––––––––––––––––
Subscribe to the Legal News!
https://legalnews.com/Home/Subscription
Full access to public notices, articles, columns, archives, statistics, calendar and more
Day Pass Only $4.95!
One-County $80/year
Three-County & Full Pass also available
