Michelle Tarnelli

Michelle Tarnelli is a Vermont attorney at Tarnelli & Hughes who focuses on adoption, assisted reproductive technology, and family law. She also handles appeals before the Vermont Supreme Court and practices assisted reproduction law in Vermont and New York. Her work supports clients during important family changes, including adoption, fertility planning, separation, divorce, and guardianship matters. She uses clear advice, careful preparation, and practical advocacy to help people understand their legal options and make informed decisions during sensitive legal matters with steady professional guidance.

Michelle earned a J.D. from Vermont Law School, graduating magna cum laude, and a B.A. from Fordham University, graduating cum laude. During law school, she served as a Notes Editor for the Vermont Law Review and joined the Moot Court Advisory Board. She also received academic excellence awards and was selected for the Schweitzer Fellowship Program. Her education gave her strong research, writing, advocacy, and problem-solving skills that support her detailed work in family formation and family law cases.

Michelle is a Fellow of the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys, a credentialed group focused on ethical adoption and assisted reproduction practice. She is also connected with professional groups involving reproductive medicine, collaborative practice, and family law. Her legal career includes settlement negotiations, mediation, courtroom advocacy, and appellate work. She helps clients compare available paths, prepare for difficult choices, and pursue results that match their goals while keeping the legal process as clear as possible for them.

Michelle Tarnelli has also helped people through service and legal education. She has represented low-income clients in adult involuntary guardianship matters through a Vermont Bar Association project. She has served children in family court and birth parents in adoption-related termination of parental rights cases. She also contributed as an editor for a family law practice manual and has spoken at conferences and continuing legal education programs. Her work reflects careful advocacy, public service, and support for families in Vermont.

Law Office Affiliations

• Attorney, Tarnelli & Hughes
• Fellow, Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys
• Member, American Bar Association
• Member, American Society for Reproductive Medicine
• Member, Chittenden County Bar Association
• Member, Vermont Bar Association

Licensed State

• Vermont

Education

• Vermont Law School
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• Fordham University
  Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Awards & Badges