
Michael James « Mike » Ross is a former lawyer and junior partner at Specter Litt, a former legal consultant/supervisor at the Eastside Legal Clinic, with whom he had a legal partnership with, and a former investment banker at Sidwell Investment Group. He is married to Rachel Zane.
He was hired by Harvey Specter, a senior partner at Pearson Hardman, as an associate lawyer, despite Mike not having graduated college or having a law degree. Mike left Pearson Specter after accepting the job offer to work at SIG; however, he returns later in season 4 after Jonathan Sidwell fired him from his firm. Shortly after his return, Louis Litt discovered his fraud and leveraged it to become name partner, forming Pearson Specter Litt. After Jack Soloff and the other partners at PSL acknowledge Mike’s worth to the firm, he is promoted from junior associate to junior partner.
He was arrested for conspiracy to commit fraud in the season 5 summer finale, and was involved in a trial against the U.S Attorney’s Office for his illegal practicing of law. Although the verdict was not guilty, Mike plead guilty before the official verdict, and was incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution, Danbury in Connecticut. However, after being presented a deal by Sean Cahill, he helped keep Frank Gallo behind bars and have insider trader William Sutter arrested, and was freed from prison as a result.
He became a legal consultant and supervisor at the Eastside Legal Clinic in Queens, although his time there was brief as he attempted to get accepted into the New York State Bar to become a legitimate lawyer. In the season 6 finale, Mike becomes legitimate and resumes his position of junior partner at Pearson Specter Litt while also maintaining his ties to the legal clinic.