Michelle De Anda joined Colman Perkins Law Group in 2024. She obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of California Irvine. She was involved in an on-campus organization called the Olive Tree Initiative, a student initiative that encouraged conflict analysis through compassionate listening, critical inquiry, and experiential learning to better negotiate, understand, and resolve conflicts.

Michelle was selected to represent UC Irvine as a student diplomat for OTI’s experiential learning trip to the Middle East. After a year of rigorous academic preparation, fundraising, and leadership training, she traveled to the region. While in Jordan, Israel, and Palestinian territories, she engaged with civil society actors, elected officials, journalists, and scholars—allowing her to develop a deeper understanding of the cultural nuances, history, and political ideologies that have preserved ongoing conflicts.

The following winter, Michelle studied abroad in Rome, Italy. With each passing day, she immersed herself in the life and culture of the Eternal City. She embraced trying new foods, learned the tradition of Aperitivo, visited beautiful churches, and wandered the ruins of what once was ancient Rome.

In her final year at UCI, Michelle trained for two more experiential learning trips. Her work led her to South America, where she had the unique opportunity to meet with government officials, academics, and other contemporaries who witnessed firsthand the brutal years of the Colombian Conflict. Then, she traveled to Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C., where she attended meetings with diplomats, foreign policy think tanks, and NGOs whose life’s work focused on Turkey-Armenia relations and Armenian Genocide Recognition.

In her spare time Michelle enjoys spontaneous adventures with her loved ones, watching movies, visiting museums, and reading poetry. She finds joy in nature’s beauty—being under the trees, hiking, and landscape photography.