Michael Oates Palmer most recently was co-producer of the CBS legal drama Shark, starring James Woods. He previously wrote for In Justice, an ABC legal drama about exoneration of the wrongfully convicted; Steven Bochco's police drama Blind Justice; and also the Emmy-winning fourth season of Aaron Sorkin's The West Wing, where he was, at that time, the youngest writer in that series' history.

A graduate of Brown University and the American Film Institute, he lives in the Venice neighborhood of his hometown of Los Angeles.

In addition to his work for television, Palmer has also written for political candidates, magazines, newspapers, rent, and food.