At Reel Fathers Rights, our mission has always been clear: providing fathers with the robust advocacy they need to navigate the often turbulent waters of family court. Today, we are excited to announce a significant addition to our San Diego team. Michael F. Linardi has joined the firm as our newest Associate Attorney, bringing more than 18 years of legal experience in children’s court litigation, child welfare law, and mediation to the fathers we represent across San Diego County and Southern California.
A Career Built on Trial Experience and Courtroom Preparation
Michael’s path to family law has been shaped by nearly two decades of courtroom work. He began his legal career as a Staff and Supervising Attorney representing children in California dependency proceedings, where he served as attorney for the child and guardian ad litem and gained extensive trial experience examining lay and expert witnesses, presenting evidence, and litigating contested matters in juvenile court.
He went on to represent hundreds of children in abuse and neglect cases for a major New York legal services organization, and later served as an Agency Attorney handling child welfare, adoption, and termination proceedings. Since 2022, Michael has served as an Assistant County Attorney in New York, where he has conducted trials, evidentiary hearings, and contested motions on a high volume caseload of complex child welfare matters.
“Michael brings deep trial experience and a strong commitment to representing fathers,” says Mark Reel Jr., CEO of Reel Fathers Rights APC. “His career as a courtroom attorney in children’s court, combined with his work as a Certified Mediator and Certified Welfare Law Specialist, gives him the kind of preparation and procedural command that translates directly into results. We are thrilled to have him at our San Diego office.”
A Certified Welfare Law Specialist and Trained Mediator
Michael is a Certified Welfare Law Specialist, certified by the National Association of Counsel for Children in 2007. The designation recognizes attorneys with demonstrated expertise in child welfare law, abuse and neglect proceedings, and dependency court practice.
He is also a Certified Mediator under the laws of the State of Texas, with Advanced Family Law and Children’s Court Mediator credentials. From 2017 to 2022, Michael served as Mediation and Intake Manager at a Texas dispute resolution center, where he developed mediation training programs for family, civil, and children’s cases and personally trained over one hundred volunteer and professional mediators. That dispute resolution skill set gives him a second toolkit for the fathers he represents: the ability to negotiate, mediate, and resolve cases efficiently when a contested trial is not the best path to a favorable outcome.
Credentials
- Juris Doctor: University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, Sacramento, California. Carol J. Miller Scholarship Award winner for work with the Community Legal Services Clinical Program.
- Bachelor of Arts: California State University, Northridge.
- Bar Admissions: California State Bar (2002) and New York State Bar (2010).
- Certifications: Certified Welfare Law Specialist (National Association of Counsel for Children, 2007); Certified Mediator, State of Texas (Advanced Family Law and Children’s Court Mediator).
- Languages: English (native); Spanish (conversational).
A Deep Commitment to Fathers in San Diego County
At Reel Fathers Rights, Michael represents fathers in divorce, child custody, child support, domestic violence, and paternity matters across San Diego County and Southern California. He brings nearly two decades of trial experience, a national specialty certification, and the ability to communicate directly with Spanish speaking clients. Michael is based at the firm’s San Diego office at 401 W A Street.
