About Michael J.
Michael J. Hassen built a legal career across state and federal courts. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with an A.B. in 1983 and returned to Berkeley for his J.D., awarded in 1986. Those credentials set the stage for a practice that spans trial courts, federal districts and multiple courts of appeals.
He joined Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal as an associate in 1988. Three years later he moved into partnership at Miller Starr & Regalia, taking on greater responsibility and often lead roles in cases that required familiarity with both state and federal procedures. In 2005 he became a partner at Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell LLP, and in 2018 he began serving as president of Reallaw, APC. That chronology reflects steady movement into positions of leadership and practice management.
Hassen has maintained an active bar presence since completing law school. He has been a member of the California State Bar since 1986. His admissions extend well beyond the state level. They include the U.S. Supreme Court, multiple federal circuits — the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th and 9th — and district courts across New York and California, as well as the District of Columbia and D.C. Circuit. Those credentials allow him to take cases in diverse jurisdictions and to press appeals when matters move beyond trial courts.
He has been part of the Intensive Advocacy Program faculty at the University of San Francisco School of Law since 1998, a role that has kept him engaged with newer generations of litigators. Teaching in a clinical setting has complemented his courtroom work and provided ongoing contact with evolving advocacy techniques.
Colleagues and clients see him as a lawyer comfortable in both trial settings and appellate briefing. He has handled work in federal district courts and argued matters in several circuit courts. His practice involves litigation management, court appearances and appellate filings; he works on matters that require coordination across jurisdictions and an understanding of procedural as well as substantive law.
Today he leads Reallaw, APC and continues to appear in state and federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court and multiple circuit and district courts. His current practice concentrates on litigation and appeals across federal and state forums.
