Oscar Michelen attended New York Law School and received his Juris Doctor degree in 1985. He graduated magna cum laude, finishing in the top 5% of his class. He served as an editor on the New York Law School Law Review. His experience in the practice of law also began during law school, first as a student law clerk to the Honorable Vincent J. Broderick, a Federal District Court Judge, and later as a student legal specialist in the Office of the Corporation Counsel, the law firm that represents The City of New York.

Upon graduation, he was hired as a trial attorney at the Corporation Counsel’s Office.  He was quickly promoted to Senior Trial Attorney in the Manhattan Trial unit and supervised and trained a number of other attorneys while continuing to try the more serious cases. In 1987, after being out of law school for less than two years, he was promoted to the position of Senior Trial Specialist in the Special Litigation Unit. He was the youngest lawyer and first Hispanic in the office's history to be given this prestigious position. In that unit, he was responsible for defending the City in the highest exposure, multimillion dollar lawsuits brought in all five boroughs and the surrounding counties. He held that position until 1989 when he joined the law firm of Sandback & Birnbaum as an associate. He became a partner there in 1995.

At the firm, Mr. Michelen brought his significant trial experience and record of success to develop several practice areas that are flourishing and continuing to grow. He began and still chairs the Civil & Commercial Litigation group which represents corporations and individuals, as well as several governmental agencies and municipalities, in all manner of serious, civil lawsuits throughout the metropolitan area and the State. He recently founded an entertainment law practice that resulted from several high-profile clients coming to him for their litigation needs. He is also often retained on serious, newsworthy criminal defense cases.   

Mr. Michelen is the founder of The Law Squad, a not-for profit organization that presents informational seminars to high school teens and their parents on various legal issues.  He recently began hosting a television program of the same name that airs on North Hempstead Public Television in Long Island. Mr. Michelen is also often sought out for appearances on television and in print media discussing a variety of legal topics.  He is an adjunct professor of law at New York Law School, where he teaches Legal Writing and Appellate Advocacy.    

Mr. Michelen is fluent in Spanish, having been born in the Dominican Republic. He lives with his wife and three sons on Long Island, New York.