Aaron M. Diaz, Appellate Attorney in San Antonio, Texas

Aaron M. Diaz started his legal career at the age of 17, spending over a decade working as a paralegal in the private and public sector. Aaron dedicated six years working as a paralegal for a criminal defense firm in his hometown of Edinburg, Texas, and several years working for various Texas government agencies including the Office of the Solicitor General of Texas. As a paralegal for Texas’s chief appellate attorney, Aaron developed a strong passion for appellate practice by working on complex, high profile cases. Before attending law school, Aaron received his Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Texas Pan-American, and a Master of Arts degree in Legal Studies from Texas State University.

Aaron graduated from St. Mary’s University School of Law, cum laude, in May of 2020. His passion for writing earned him several awards throughout law school. During his first year, Aaron received the Excellence in Writing Award or “Super Brief,” which is awarded to a first-year law student who demonstrates superior brief writing skills. Aaron also represented St. Mary’s Law in The Paper Chase legal writing competition, placing third against other Texas law school students. Additionally, Aaron served on the St. Mary’s Law Journal as a staff writer and senior associate editor. His student comment entitled, Restoring the Presumption of Innocence: Protecting a Defendant’s Right to a Fair Trial by Closing the Door on 404(b) Evidence, was published in Volume 51 of the St. Mary’s Law Journal.

During his third year of law school, Aaron served as a student defense attorney in the St. Mary’s Criminal Justice Clinic where he represented indigent defendants. His service to the Clinic earned him the Francisco Leos Award for Excellence in Clinical Studies. He was also the recipient of the Lucien Campbell Criminal Law Scholarship and the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association Charles Butts Scholarship.

During law school, Aaron began clerking for Cynthia E. Orr and Gerald H. Goldstein, assisting in complex criminal matters ranging from capital murder, sexual assaults, and white-collar crimes. Aaron also worked diligently on state and federal appeals and post-conviction writs of habeas corpus. And, after successfully passing the Texas Bar exam, Aaron joined Goldstein & Orr as an associate attorney. His current practice focuses solely on juvenile and adult criminal defense, including misdemeanors, felonies, appeals, and post-conviction writs of habeas corpus cases. Aaron is also fluent in Spanish.