Lecturer Bio
Melissa MacDougall
After a long tenure as a trial lawyer, including many years building and managing an indigent defense system in rural Northcentral Washington State, Melissa MacDougall accepted an opportunity with the Office of Career and Professional Development at the University of Florida Levin College of Law. In that role, she mentored and coached JD and LLM students as they navigated their academic and professional pathways. As the Judicial Clerkship Advisor, she collaborated with UF Law faculty and developed professional relationships with federal and state judges, while also designing and presenting programming that connected students with a broad range of employers and career opportunities.
With a strong commitment to student development, Melissa pursued and was accepted into the M.Ed. program in Student Personnel in Higher Education at the University of Florida to further enhance her coaching, mentoring, and teaching skills. Following a family relocation out of state, she transitioned from UF Law but remains deeply committed to higher education and student success. As a graduate student and part-time lawyer and legal coach, she focuses on promoting inclusion for all learners, particularly Indigenous students, neurodiverse individuals, and students with disabilities, while expanding coaching access for other marginalized populations.
Melissa is also an Erickson International Certified Level 1 Coach and is completing Level 2 training in August 2025, with the goal of pursuing International Coaching Federation accreditation.
Currently, she serves as Advocacy Director at the Native American Disability Law Center, where she is honored to support and advocate for the Navajo Nation and Native communities.
