J. Michael Diaz

J. Michael Diaz (born November 15, 1974) is a King County Superior Court judge, currently serving as chief judge of the Children and Family Justice Center^[1] and an adjunct professor of law at Seattle University School of Law, currently teaching a civil rights course^[2] and supervising Independent Studies students.

Early life and education[]

Diaz immigrated from Lima, Peru, to Seattle as an infant. His family settled eventually in the then working-class neighborhood of Ballard and, in middle school, moved down to the White Center/Burien area. His family spoke Spanish exclusively at home. He was the first lawyer in his large Latino family.

In 1996, Diaz received his Bachelor of Arts in philosophy, magna cum laude, from the University of Notre Dame. He then was a graduate student at Princeton University, studying classical philosophy for two years. Diaz received his Juris Doctor from Cornell Law School in 2002, where he was a member of the Cornell International Law Journal.

Career and awards[]

From 2002 to 2006 Diaz was an associate in the Houston, Texas office of the international law firm of Fulbright & Jaworski LLP, litigating complex commercial and white-collar criminal matters. Diaz then returned home and joined the litigation boutique firm Yarmuth Wilsdon Calfo, litigating the same types of cases.

Diaz was an Assistant United States Attorney of the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Washington (“DOJ”) from 2008 to 2018, where he founded the office’s Civil Rights Program in 2011. In that capacity, he investigated and/or prosecuted a wide variety of civil rights matters, from “classic” civil rights cases such as housing, employment and educational matters to more “modern” matters, such as disability rights, servicemember rights, and rights violated by police misconduct. He was the lead line attorney on the United States v. City of Seattle (Seattle PD) consent decree matter from its inception in 2010 until the SPD was found in full and effective compliance in 2018.

Among the honors Diaz received while at U.S. Department of Justice, was the EOUSA Director's Award for “extraordinary professional achievements and excellence” in 2014, among the highest awards given to the nationwide United States Attorney community.  In 2012 he received the Thomas C. Wales Performance Award, the highest award given at the Seattle U.S. Attorney's Office, and the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Division's Distinguished Service Award, also among the highest awards in that division.

Diaz was on faculty regularly between 2012 and 2017 at the DOJ's National Advocacy (Training) Center, lecturing on civil rights enforcement. Additionally, in 2016 Diaz lectured on the Rule of Law as part of the DOJ and State Department’s Office of Oversees Prosecutorial Training and Development in East Timor.

Expired nomination to district court[]

In 2016 President Obama nominated Diaz to be a U.S. District Court Judge for the U.S District Court for the Western District of Washington. President Obama commented on the nomination stating, "I am honored to put forward [this] highly qualified candidate for the federal bench.... [He] will be a distinguished public servant and valuable addition to the United States District Court."^[3] The American Bar Association unanimously rated Diaz "Qualified" for the nomination. The nomination expired at the end of the 114th Congress without Senate action.

State judicial service[]

Governor Jay Inslee appointed Diaz to the King County Superior Court in December 2017, effective January 22, 2018.  At the time of appointment Governor Inslee stated "Michael's commitment to civil rights through his outstanding legal career and community involvement will make him an excellent addition to the bench. His unique experiences have prepared him to understand some of the challenges facing individuals in the courtroom."^[4] Diaz presided over criminal and civil trials at the Maleng Regional Justice Center from 2018-2019. He also serves on the Court’s Executive, Budget and History Committees.

Community involvement[]

As an attorney Diaz regularly volunteered at the Spanish Language Clinic of the King County Bar Association's Neighborhood Legal Clinic Program, which he later helped merge with the El Centro de La Raza Clinic. He also served on KCBA's Pro Bono Service Committee, was chair of its Neighborhood Legal Clinic Program's advisory committee, and chair of its Spanish Clinic Subcommittee.  

Diaz is a commissioner on the Washington State Supreme Court's Minority and Justice Commission,^[5] and volunteers at his daughter's elementary school, including as a soccer coach/team manager and moot court judge.

References[]