René Diaz
Former District Judge Rene Diaz is a speaker for WallBuilders, a national pro-family organization that presents America’s forgotten history and heroes, with an emphasis on our moral, religious and constitutional heritage.
WallBuilders is a name taken from the Old Testament story of Nehemiah, who led a grassroots movement to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and restore its strength and honor. In the same way, WallBuilders seeks to energize people to become involved in strengthening their communities, states, and nation. WallBuilders has been nationally recognized for its work in education, history, law, and public policy, integrating the elements of biblical faith and morality throughout all aspects of American life and culture.
Rene is the CEO of the Diaz Mediation & Arbitration Center, and works as a peacemaker by trying to amicably resolve legal disputes referred to him by the courts or directly by the parties. With over twenty-eight years of civil litigation experience in state and federal courts, he has handled a wide variety of cases all over the State of Texas. In 2004, he was appointed by Texas Governor, Rick Perry as the Presiding Judge of the 224th District Court of Bexar County. Judge Diaz has achieved the highest possible peer review rating of “AV – Preeminent” by Martindale-Hubbell for his ethical standards and legal ability, and he has been repeatedly listed as among the Best Lawyers in San Antonio, Texas by the “Scene in SA” Magazine for the last ten years.
Before becoming a judge, he served as a Texas Commissioner of the OneStar National Service Commission, the state agency that oversees AmeriCorp Volunteers as well as the Texas Office of Faith Based and Community Initiatives. He also served as General Counsel for the Republican Party of Texas and currently serves as Chairman of Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio and as a Board Member for the Bexar County Dispute Resolution Center. A frequent lecturer for the State Bar of Texas and San Antonio Bar Association, he has also volunteered with the Community Justice Program and the San Antonio Young Lawyers, who awarded him the “Honorary Young Lawyer of the Year Award” as the jurist who contributed most to the professional development of the young attorneys.
Born in Virginia, Judge Diaz attended the University of Virginia for his Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations and Latin American Studies and received both his Master’s Degree in Public Policy and his Law Degree from Regent University. During law school he met and married the love of his life, Cynthia Smith. They have been married for thirty years and currently reside in San Antonio, TX.