About Michael J.
Michael J. Forbes combines a background in chemistry and engineering with a law degree. He moved from laboratory benches to legal briefs, bringing an analytical eye to complex problems. That blend of science and law has shaped a steady, practical approach to cases that involve technical detail and layered evidence.
Forbes studied chemistry and engineering at Miami University of Ohio, earning a B.S. in 1984. He returned to the classroom a few years later and received his J.D. from the University of Louisville in 1991. The academic mix is uncommon among litigators. It gives him a different vocabulary for technical exhibits and expert testimony.
He entered practice after earning his law degree in 1991 and is admitted to practice in Kentucky and Indiana. He also is authorized to appear before the Sixth and Seventh U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals. Over the years he has worked on matters that moved through trial dockets and appellate calendars. That experience includes preparing briefs, conducting discovery, and presenting oral arguments where appeals are at issue.
Forbes approaches cases with attention to detail. He breaks down complex facts into discrete questions. He pays close attention to how evidence will read on the record and how technical testimony will be received by judges and juries. His science training helps when a case turns on laboratory methods, cause-and-effect analysis, or interpreting engineering reports. Colleagues say he is methodical in trial preparation and careful in framing issues for appeal.
He practices from Forbes Law Offices, PLLC. The firm handles matters in state and federal venues across the jurisdictions where he is admitted. At the office he concentrates on litigation and appellate work, guiding cases from initial pleadings through the appeals process where necessary. Cases that contain technical elements or scientific evidence draw on his undergraduate background as much as his decades of legal practice.
For clients and fellow attorneys, his work is defined by clear legal writing and an emphasis on establishing a factual record that will stand scrutiny on appeal. He continues to represent clients in trial and appellate courts and manages litigation matters at Forbes Law Offices, PLLC, with a focus on litigation and appeals.
