Michael Bindas joined the Institute for Justice Washington Chapter (IJ-WA) in 2005. IJ-WA litigates in the areas of economic liberty, private property rights, educational choice, freedom of speech, and other vital liberties secured by the Washington State Constitution.

Michael successfully represented Blayne and Julie McAferty when the City of Seattle tried to shut down their bed and breakfast under an arbitrary and irrational land use provision, and he helped defend the free speech and association rights of the Yes912 initiative campaign when several Washington municipalities tried to use campaign finance laws to regulate media commentary concerning the initiative.  Michael has also helped home and small business owners in Seattle and Renton defeat governmental attempts to use bogus "blight" designations to unconstitutionally take property through eminent domain.

Prior to joining IJ-WA, Michael spent three years as an attorney with Perkins Coie LLP, where he litigated constitutional and False Claims Act issues.  He is a former law clerk to Judge Rhesa Hawkins Barksdale of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and served as an engineer officer in the United States Army and Pennsylvania Army National Guard before beginning his legal career.

Michael received his law degree cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 2001, where he served as Articles Editor for the Journal of Constitutional Law and was elected to the Order of the Coif.  He received his undergraduate degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1995, where he was a Distinguished Cadet.