Judge Michael J. Finkle: Professional Background and Legal Expertise

The Hon. Michael J. Finkle is a judge for the King County District Court in Washington. He was appointed to the bench by the Metropolitan King County Council in 2010.

Over the course of his judicial career, Finkle has held assignments over the Regional Mental Health Court and the Regional Veterans Court. Through this work, he has become a recognized expert in mental health law and the judicial system.

Finkle earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Loyola Marymount University in 1978. He then completed a J.D. at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law (1981) and an M.B.A. from Seattle University (1995).

After graduating from law school, Finkle entered into private practice as a business attorney with a medium-sized law firm. He worked in that capacity until 1986, at which time he joined the Office of the Los Angeles City Attorney as a deputy city attorney in the Criminal Division, the Special Operations Division, and the Housing Enforcement Section. Then, in 1990, Finkle relocated to Seattle, where he spent the remainder of his legal career as an assistant city attorney in the Criminal Division of the Seattle City Attorney’s Office.

Finkle is a recipient of the Ernest H. Campbell Award (2010) and the Outstanding Service Award (2013) from the Washington State Association of Municipal Attorneys.

His memberships have included the Washington State Association of Municipal Attorneys (president), the Washington State Bar Association’s Trial Advocacy Program, the Judicial Assistance Services Program, and the District and Municipal Court Judges Association. He has also sat on the King County Mental Illness and Drug Dependency Oversight Committee.