professional bio
Michelle Whittington brings a solid, versatile edge to Bradford & Barthel as a hearing representative. Having previously served as a California workers’ compensation claims professional, she understands file reviews from the inside out. That hands-on experience gave her a practical, problem-solving mindset and taught her how to build clear roadmaps that drive claims toward fair, expeditious resolutions—qualities that every carrier and employer appreciates.
Michelle also brings valuable experience as a Georgia workers’ compensation legal assistant, where she mastered the nuanced state-specific requirements for issuing record subpoenas across Georgia, Florida, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Those roles sharpened her organizational skills, refined her strategic approach to claims handling, and gave her a strong foundation to advocate effectively for our clients.
Michelle earned her Associate Degree with honors from Santa Ana College before transferring to UCLA, where she completed her Bachelor of Arts in Art History in 2015. She then spent several years building a broad professional background across behavior therapy, special education, and fine art auctions. It was during her time cataloging for an auction gallery that she found herself asking numerous employment-related legal questions. At that point, she realized that no matter what industry she entered, the law would always play a vital role. This realization led her to explore pursuing a JD, but when she saw the Master's program UCLA offered, she jumped at the opportunity. Designed to train professionals to analyze complex issues and perform deep legal research, the program gave Michelle a sharp analytical eye for case law and file analysis—skills that pay immediate dividends in defense work. (As a result, she has mastered the universal defense answer to all legal questions: "It depends.")
Outside of work, Michelle lives in Georgia with her husband and two cats. In her free time, she enjoys taking her Jeep out with the doors off (when the Georgia humidity and bugs cooperate), reading, cross-stitching, and watching rugby—having traded ten years on the pitch for a spot in the stands. A proud Bruin and die-hard San Francisco 49ers fan, she flies her West Coast colors unabashedly in the heart of SEC and Falcons territory. Fluent in English and Spanish, she also loves sharing her Mexican heritage with her Southern friends and family.
Education & Memberships
2026 University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, Los Angeles, CA
Master of Legal Studies, General Studies
2023 San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
Certificate in Grant Writing
2015 University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Bachelor of Arts (Art History)
2013 Santa Ana College, Santa Ana, CA
Associate of Arts (Honors)
