About Michael Diederich
Michael Diederich Jr. trained first as a scientist and then as a lawyer. He earned a B.S. in Environmental Science from the University of Vermont before taking his law degree at Lewis & Clark Law School. He later completed an LL.M. at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University. His legal education is complemented by military legal schooling at the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s School and advanced professional studies at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.
The military portion of his training is notable. He completed both basic and advanced JAG courses. He also attended the Army Command and General Staff College, which is aimed at officers assuming greater responsibility. Those credentials sit alongside civilian academic degrees and inform his work in appellate and trial forums.
He has practiced under the banner of Diederich Law Office for many years and is listed as Principal Lawyer from 1981. Over that span he has been admitted to practice in New York and Massachusetts and to appear before federal tribunals including the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. His admissions also include the U.S. Army Court of Military Appeals, reflecting his military-legal training.
His professional affiliations underscore the kinds of matters he handles. He holds membership in the National Employment Lawyers Association and serves as an appointed member of the New York State Bar Association’s Civil Rights Committee. He is active locally as well, maintaining memberships in the Rockland County Bar Association and the Orange County (NY) Bar Association. Those roles have given him sustained contact with colleagues across employment, civil rights, and trial practice areas.
Colleagues describe his practice as litigation-oriented. He represents clients in state and federal courts and handles appeals where appropriate. He also works on matters that intersect with military law, given his background in JAG training and his admission to military appellate jurisdiction. His mix of civilian and military legal education allows him to move between different forums and procedural regimes.
After four decades at the same office, his work remains rooted in courtroom practice. He continues to operate from Diederich Law Office, counseling and representing individuals in civil rights and employment disputes, as well as in military appellate matters. He currently practices at Diederich Law Office, where his practice centers on civil rights, employment litigation, and military appellate work.
