Michelle N. Stinson
602-626-8391 | Michelle@PierceColeman.com
Michelle Stinson is an accomplished Associate attorney at Pierce Coleman PLLC, representing cities, towns, and other public entities in municipal governance, public law, prosecution, and transactional matters. She serves as assistant city or town attorney for several Arizona municipalities, advising elected officials, managers, clerks, police departments, courts, and staff on the legal and operational issues that arise in local government.
Michelle’s practice is rooted in the day-to-day realities of public service. She helps municipalities with public meetings and records, contracts, intergovernmental agreements, ordinances, policies, code enforcement, and municipal prosecution, with an emphasis on clear guidance and workable solutions. She also has particular experience in water, utility, and environmental matters, as well as planning and zoning issues affecting community growth, infrastructure, and public resources.
In her general counsel work, Michelle advises councils, boards, and staff in public meetings and behind the scenes, helping clients move through sensitive, time-sensitive, or procedurally complex issues in a practical and legally sound manner. She also serves as a municipal prosecutor in multiple municipal courts and works with courts, police departments, and municipal staff to support efficient processes, sound charging practices, and effective case management.
Michelle’s background in environmental policy, utility management, and public-sector work informs her approach to municipal representation. Before joining Pierce Coleman, she worked as a federal consultant in Washington, D.C., where she primarily supported the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. She earned her J.D. from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University, graduating with a certificate in Law & Sustainability, and completed additional coursework in utility management through Arizona State University. During law school, she served on the board of Jurimetrics: The Journal of Law, Science, and Technology and as Vice President of the Environmental Law Society. Her internships included positions with the U.S. District Court, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, and the Arizona Secretary of State’s Elections Division.
Michelle is a certified election officer through the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office and regularly assists municipal clerks and public entities with election-related matters. She has also served as an adjunct professor of Environmental Law at George Mason University, where she taught graduate students about the intersection of environmental values and the legal system.
In 2026, Michelle was recognized as a Southwest Super Lawyers Rising Star.
She graduated summa cum laude from George Mason University in 2013 with a degree in Environmental Public Policy. Since moving to Arizona in 2018, Michelle has built a practice focused on responsive, practical, and steady guidance for communities across Arizona. Outside of her legal work, she enjoys hiking, biking, and exploring new disc golf courses across the state.