Michele Young, an acclaimed attorney, mother of five and breast cancer survivor has dedicated her life to the mission of achieving the maximum amount of good in a minimum amount of time.  Whether in the courtroom, legislature or community Michele always fights for social justice, equality and idealism.  She speaks for those who have been marginalized, overlooked or unfairly treated and imagines what a life could be but for the obstacles that shaped a life and does all she can to dismantle those barriers.  She reaches across aisles, brings together dream teams, uses data-driven approaches and deploys her considerable energy, passion and resourcefulness to help individuals and institutions come closer to their potential. She is known for making things happen, and she does so with remarkable speed and efficacy.

Her passion comes from her life. The grandchild of Jewish immigrants, the child of idealistic public-school teachers, she saw first-hand the promise of America as the beacon of liberty for her family. She saw the barriers that stood in the way of her, her twin sister and so many she loves from having the life of their dreams. All through her life, she sought to lift herself and lift others, so all came closer to the dream of America that inspires her to this day of a land where all, regardless of race, creed, sex, or origin, can reach their dreams. Michele worked odd jobs to support herself and through Georgetown Law Center in her twenties, took a Greyhound to interview with a legendary Federal civil rights judge in Cincinnati where she unexpectedly found her home and where fate led her to meet Greg Young. Their 32-year marriage became the foundation for raising five children in her adopted city with a beloved husband who has never missed a Bengals game in his lifetime. 

In 2018, Michele was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer and told to go through her bucket list. After the diagnosis, Michele’s list now included beating cancer and changing the laws to provide all women the right to affordable and effective screening technology.

Michele assembled an all-star team to accomplish this goal including her doctors at UC Health Dr. Elyse Lower, Dr. Annie Brown, and Dr. Mary Mahoney and two dear friends, former Representatives Jean Schmidt and Sedrick Denson. 

As part of this dream team, Michele helped author, advocate, and shepherd what became Ohio House Bill 371 which was signed into law on July 24, 2022. Carrying pink carnations and roses, she knocked on the doors of state legislators until she knew there were the votes for passage.  The law ensures women in Ohio have the right to 1. an annual mammogram, 2. coverage of supplemental screenings, 3. a clear notification of breast density and 4. advanced screening decisions are left up to the radiologists and not insurance.

Michele continues to work with this dream team to ensure early detection is not just a right, but a reality for all women in Ohio.  They will soon introduce new legislation that will make HB371 even better.

Additionally, Michele continues to work for the same right to early detection for all women in the United States as the ability to catch breast cancer early should not be a matter of one’s zip code.

Michele is on a mission to end breast cancer.  Calling breast cancer an epidemic that has been normalized and ignored, and leads the Pink Eraser Project, a non-profit to erase breast cancer by revolutionizing its treatment.

She has been on a mission to end bullying. Michele and Patti Collins have teamed up with the Bootsy Collins Foundation to create “The Land of Superheroes.”

Michele has been honored for her work, most recently as the USA Today 2024 Ohio Woman of the Year and 2020 Cincinnati Enquirer Woman of the Year.

Michele’s track record shows she can get it done.

In 2017, Michele was part of the legal team that brought justice to the family of Gabriel Taye, an 8-year-old child who committed suicide after being bullied. The landmark 3-million-dollar settlement has changed the way bullying is handled. In just two years' time, Cincinnati Public Schools has a new, data-driven approach that predicts bullying much like forecasters can predict storms, allowing schools to get ahead of it. 

She is now working with Patricia Collins and the Bootsy Collins Foundation to spearhead a movement that seeks to end bullying and create a kid-kind world where every child soars and is judged by the quality of their character and not the color of their skin. Inspired by Martin Luther King and the heroes of the sixties, Patti and Michele came together to motivate a new generation to share the dreams and hopes that one day, all children would be judged by the content of their character and not the color of their skin.

Michele and Patti have created the Land of Superheroes effort. This program encourages communities to build a peaceful world where all children can thrive, bullying is no longer tolerated, and kindness prevails. Patti and Michele, have traveled as far away as Compton or to local schools and parks to inspire children and joined forces locally with Cincinnati Public Schools and the Hamilton County Public Library.

While raising five children, Michele gave to the community every spare moment. This included bringing together students and young graduates to robustly support the Interfaith Worker Center’s successful coalition effort to bring healthy food to the Cincinnati Public Schools and to gather the civic and law enforcement leaders to support the Hamilton County Coroner’s effort to build the first crime lab in 50 years.

As a lawyer, Michele was part of the successful pro-bono effort to free Tyra Patterson after 23 years in prison for a crime she did not commit. Michele is honored to remain a dear friend to Tyra. Co-counsel on the historic Sherry Chen case that brought justice to an Ohioan wrongfully accused and fired, the complaint Michele co-authored attracted the attention of U.S. Senator Roger Wicker’s team and a cite in the final report on the “rogue police force” of the U.S. Department of Commerce that targeted Chinese Americans for years and now disbanded as a result.

Michele developed public safety initiatives, including a “Don’t Text and Drive” campaign with her husband’s law firm, Gregory S. Young Co., LPA, that reached millions for years.

In 2016, Michele was the endorsed Democratic candidate and the first mother to run for Ohio’s first congressional district. Although she had never run before, Michele swept the Democratic precincts in the primary and ran an energetic campaign that came close to winning Hamilton County. Her race won support from icons such as Kathleen Kennedy Townsend and Gloria Steinem. 

In addition, Michele is on the Armed Forces Ticket Association board to give out art and sports tickets to our veterans and OJPC to help the forgotten incarcerated and returnees have dignity and a chance for redemption.

USA TODAY named Michele Young the Ohio Woman of the Year Honoree for 2024. Hamilton County named May 19, 2022, Michele Young Day. Michele is a 2020 Cincinnati Enquirer Woman of the Year and 2020 Cincinnati Bar Association’s Julia A. Stauberg Honoree “in Recognition of an Outstanding Female Counselor for her Exemplary Service and Accomplishments.” Other awards include the Cancer Family Care Unsung Hero Award, the Outstanding Achievement Award by Cincinnati Women’s Political Caucus, and the Leadership in Empowerment Award at the Cincinnati AAPI Heritage Celebration.

Before Michele suffered her own health setback, she studied how the law responds to changes in medicine and society. She wrote on the subject, including as a legal co-author of a medical malpractice guide at a time of change, published by the American Bar Association. Because of her experience, she sees a path for change as the science is there, and now the law, the funding, and the policies can follow.