"Gratitude I have for the inspiration that others have provided to me in the past, motivates me to give back to my community."
From his early days as a as a staff attorney of the Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice representing the Latino community on matters related to voting rights and districts in the mid-1970s, to his current role presiding in the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles, Judge Rudolph A. Diaz has paved the way for other Latinos to strike the gavel.
Career milestones are plentiful. From 1992 to 1994, Judge Diaz served as Chairman of the Presiding Judges of the twenty-one Los Angeles County Municipal Courts. In 1994, Judge Diaz was named the first Latino judge to be elected as President of the California Judges Association.
The war on drugs and overcrowded jails also steered Judge Diaz's career to be a part of the historic creation of Drug Courts in 1993, which specifically handled non-violent drug offenders. Judge Diaz's early involvement with the Drug Courts led to his success in becoming the Chairman of the Los Angeles County Oversight Committee on Drug Courts, a position he still holds today. He is also currently on the Los Angeles County Narcotics and Dangerous Drug Commission since being appointed by the Board of Supervisors in 1994.
In 1995, Judge Diaz was a Founding Member of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals and served on its Board of Directors. He was on the Association's National Institute on Drug Courts faculty and also served on the faculty of the National Justice Management Institute. In 2000, Judge Diaz became a Superior Court Judge and elected an assignment to the Juvenile Delinquency Courts. He served as the Supervising Judge of the Eastlake Juvenile Court for over 6 years. He initiated the Juvenile Drug Court Program at Eastlake, and also provided leadership in establishing other drug courts in other courts in Los Angeles County.
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