About Derek
Derek Radtke has spent more than two decades in the courtroom. Colleagues and clients describe a lawyer whose career has been steady and procedural, built on successive trial roles and a steady rise to firm ownership. He combines a liberal arts background with a professional law degree and long-standing admissions to state and federal courts.
Radtke completed a Bachelor of Arts in English at the University of Washington in 1993. He earned his J.D. from Gonzaga University School of Law in 1997. Those years in the Pacific Northwest shaped his approach to advocacy. The combination of an English degree and a law degree informed his attention to written work and oral argument.
His early legal work began at Buckley & Associates, where he served as a trial lawyer starting in 1998. That role introduced him to the demands of litigation practice and regular courtroom appearances. In 2009 he joined Phillips Law Office as a senior trial lawyer. The senior position broadened his responsibilities. He handled more complex matters and took on trial leadership duties.
In 2017 Radtke opened Radtke Law Office and became owner and trial lawyer. As the principal of his own firm, he has continued to pursue litigation in state and federal venues. Running a small practice has required juggling casework, client relations, and the administrative tasks of firm management. His progression from associate to senior lawyer to owner traces a clear line through trial practice.
Radtke is admitted to practice in Washington state. He holds admissions to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and to both the Eastern and Western Districts of Washington. His credentials also include admission to the United States Supreme Court. Those qualifications mean he can represent clients in trial courts and on appeal across multiple levels of the federal judiciary.
Beyond court work, Radtke maintains memberships in legal organizations. He has been a member of the Washington State Association for Justice since 1998 and served on the WSAJ Public Affairs Committee from 2012 to 2013. He is listed in Who’s Who in American Law, a membership he has held since 2003. These affiliations have kept him connected to statewide practice issues and to peers in trial advocacy.
Radtke’s practice is based at Radtke Law Office. He continues to handle litigation matters in state and federal courts, representing clients in contested proceedings and appeals.
