About Michael C.
Michael C. Lukehart earned his J.D. from Southwestern University School of Law in 1979 after beginning his legal studies in 1977. His legal education set him on a course toward public defense work and private practice in California. The record shows an early commitment to courtroom work and to the institutions that handle criminal cases.
He started his professional career as a sole practitioner in Encino in 1980, operating under the name Michael C. Lukehart, Lawyer at Law. Within two years he moved into public service, joining the Kern County Public Defender’s office in Bakersfield. By 1982 he was serving as Deputy Public Defender V, a role that placed him regularly in trials and hearings across the county. He remained connected to Kern County practice for many years and later established the Law Office of Michael C. Lukehart, where he is listed as Chief Lawyer beginning in 2008.
Those years in the public defender’s office shaped the cases he took and the courtroom skills he developed. He handled a range of criminal matters at the county level and worked on both misdemeanor and felony dockets. The shift back to private practice brought a blend of public-sector courtroom experience and the demands of running a small law office. His record reflects long-term involvement in criminal defense organizations and local bar activities.
Lukehart’s professional affiliations track a career centered on defense work. He joined the California Public Defender Association in 1984 and has maintained that connection. He became a member of the Kern County Bar Association in 2002 and later joined the board of directors for its Criminal Defense Section in 2008. He was a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers beginning in 2009. He also belonged to California Lawyers for Criminal Justice from 2011 until 2016. These memberships indicate sustained engagement with organizations that address criminal defense practice, ethics, and policy.
Over four decades he has combined public defense experience with private practice. That combination informed how he approaches case preparation, client counseling, and trial work. Colleagues and clients have encountered a lawyer who moves between court calendars, evidence review, and plea negotiations.
He continues to practice in California as the head of the Law Office of Michael C. Lukehart and handles criminal defense matters at the trial and pretrial levels.
