Mike Diaz
WA · Judge of the Washington Court of Appeals, Division I
Mike Diaz spent a decade as a federal civil rights attorney in Seattle, helping found the U.S. Attorney's Office Civil Rights Program and enforcing laws protecting people in workplaces, homes and schools. President Barack Obama nominated him to a lifetime appointment on the federal court.
Where Mike Diaz stands, based on their records
Supports
Civil Rights (2 records)
Track record
Track record — Civil Rights
Civil Rights · 2 support
Mike Diaz said the federal government was turning away from civil-rights enforcement and that state government and Washington's constitution therefore had a renewed role in protecting rights and freedoms.
July 5, 2026Supports Civil Rights
Source: spokesman.com
Mike Diaz said courts should defer to statutory text and the legislative scheme but must act as a constitutional check when statutes permit government actors or others to violate rights protected by Washington's constitution.
July 4, 2026Supports Civil Rights
Source: everettpost.com
Track record — General
General · 7 records
Former governors Gary Locke, Chris Gregoire, and Jay Inslee, Attorney General Nick Brown, and five current and four retired Washington Supreme Court justices backed Mike Diaz's 2026 Supreme Court campaign.
July 5, 2026
Source: spokesman.com
Mike Diaz dissented from a ruling allowing a Subway worker's unpaid meal- and rest-break claims to remain in court. He concluded that the employment documents were broad enough to require arbitration even though he described the agreement as poorly written.
January 6, 2025
Source: courts.wa.gov
J. Michael Diaz co-handled a Fair Housing Act case that settled for $95,000 after allegations that Edmonds landlords refused to rent to families with children. The settlement also required nondiscrimination policies, recordkeeping, and monitoring.
September 6, 2017
Source: justice.gov
President Barack Obama nominated J. Michael Diaz to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. The nomination later expired without Senate action.
April 14, 2016
Source: obamawhitehouse.archives.gov
The U.S. Department of Justice honored J. Michael Diaz and the Seattle Police Department reform team for investigating excessive force and discriminatory policing and obtaining and implementing a federal consent decree. DOJ described the work as a collaborative model for police reform.
September 10, 2014
Source: justice.gov
J. Michael Diaz litigated a Justice Department USERRA case that produced a $60,000 settlement for an Air Force reservist who was allegedly returned to a lower-status job and then terminated after military service.
October 27, 2011
Source: justice.gov
As an Assistant U.S. Attorney, J. Michael Diaz helped obtain a consent decree under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act that imposed a 25-foot buffer around a Planned Parenthood clinic and a fine after an intimidation and obstruction incident.
May 4, 2011
Source: justice.gov
Track record — Impartiality
Impartiality · 1 favorable
Mike Diaz said judges should not make pledges about cases and must set aside personal views, assess facts, and follow the law. He also said he has recused himself in matters involving lawyers at his wife's firm and close friends to protect the appearance of impartiality.
July 4, 2026Favorable on Impartiality
Source: everettpost.com
Track record — Legal Competence
Legal Competence · 7 favorable
Mike Diaz described his judicial philosophy as American pragmatism: an adaptive approach that considers cases, institutions, history, and human needs while remaining bounded by evidentiary and procedural rules.
July 4, 2026Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: everettpost.com
Mike Diaz said precedent provides essential stability but may be overturned under established rules when a longstanding constitutional precedent is both wrong and harmful.
July 4, 2026Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: everettpost.com
Mike Diaz said courts should defer to statutory text and the legislative scheme but must act as a constitutional check when statutes permit government actors or others to violate rights protected by Washington's constitution.
July 4, 2026Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: everettpost.com
Mike Diaz dissented when the Court of Appeals denied restoration of firearm rights to a person whose first-degree child-molestation conviction had been sealed after a juvenile case. Diaz argued that Washington law required the sealed proceeding to be treated as though it had not occurred.
December 2, 2024Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: courts.wa.gov
Judge Mike Diaz authored the published opinion affirming Meta's liability and $24.6 million civil penalty for repeated violations of Washington's political-advertising disclosure law. The Washington Supreme Court later affirmed the judgment.
December 2, 2024Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: courts.wa.gov
Judge Mike Diaz authored a published Court of Appeals opinion affirming that Highway 99 tunnel spoil-processing work was covered by Washington's Prevailing Wage Act, an outcome that led to more than $370,000 in back pay for 46 workers.
September 3, 2024Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: courts.wa.gov
J. Michael Diaz co-handled a Justice Department collaboration that produced a model language-access plan and deskbook for Washington courts after a civil-rights review of interpreter access. The resulting changes extended free language assistance to civil proceedings and informed statewide guidance.
July 18, 2017Favorable on Legal Competence
Source: justice.gov
Past race Mike Diaz ran in:
- Justice of the Supreme Court, Position 3 · August 4, 2026 · Washington