Patrick Thompson

• Office: Superior Court Judge, Seat 13
• Election Date: March 5, 2024
• Candidate: Thompson, Patrick
• Due Date: December 23, 2023
• Printable Version

Thank you for seeking GrowSF's endorsement for the March 5, 2024 Primary Election! GrowSF believes in a growing, beautiful, vibrant, healthy, safe, and prosperous city via common sense solutions and effective government.

The GrowSF endorsement committee will review all completed questionnaires and seek consensus on which candidates best align with our vision for San Francisco.

We ask that you please complete this questionnaire by December 23, 2023 so we have enough time to adequately review and discuss your answers.

We understand that judge candidates are not permitted to discuss issues which they may have to rule on in the future, so this questionnaire endeavors to help voters understand your background and experience.

Table of Contents

• Experience
• General
• Personal
• Thank you

Experience

Please provide your credentials and general experience in the legal field.

I have lived and worked in San Francisco for the past 30 years. After graduating from Harvard Law School, I worked on civil law matters in major law firms where I helped clients navigate complex commercial disputes in a broad range of industries. I served in leadership roles in the Bar Association of San Francisco, the State Bar of California, and the American Bar Association.

I also chaired the boards of significant nonprofits in San Francisco, including California Pacific Medical Center, Grace Cathedral, the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and the MFA Advisory Board of the American Conservatory Theater. I was appointed after four rounds of vetting, with evaluations from hundreds of lawyers, judges and community leaders. I was appointed to the bench by Governor Gavin Newsom with broad community support.

Please describe your experience prosecuting or defending civil cases, if any.

Prior to my appointment to the bench, I spent 30 years in large national law firms litigating civil disputes in a wide range of industries. I primarily represented clients facing federal and state claims involving price-fixing and monopolization, and I defended multiple class action suits involving the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, false advertising and unfair business practice claims and representing clients in other complex commercial litigation. I represented clients in regulated industries, advocating for them in proceedings and evidentiary hearings before the Federal Trade Commission and the California Public Utilities Commission. I litigated matters in many different forums, including arbitrations, trials and summary judgements, where I achieved victories for many sector-leading clients. I advised and litigated for clients across many industries, including food and beverage, technology, energy, banking and financial services, hospitality and telecommunications.

Please describe your experience prosecuting or defending criminal cases, if any.

I have not prosecuted or defended criminal cases.

Please describe any other relevant experience the voters may find informative.

Outside of my legal practice, I have served in leadership positions in professional associations, nationally (American Bar Association), statewide (Executive Committee of the Antitrust and Unfair Competition Section of the State Bar of California) and locally (the Foundation board and Judiciary Committee of the Bar Association of San Francisco). In addition to my professional activities, I chaired the boards of significant non-profit organizations in San Francisco, including California Pacific Medical Center, Grace Cathedral, the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and the MFA Advisory Board of the American Conservatory Theater.

General

Please describe your judicial and/or legal philosophy.

Consistent with the canons of ethics, I strongly believe well-run courts are at the foundation of a safer San Francisco – which is why I run my courtroom "by the book" focusing on the law, and never politics. By the book means I endeavor to respect the law, encourage respect for the legal process by lawyers, litigants and the public, and respect the victims and defendants who appear before me. I cannot take any positions on legislative or policy matters, nor can I specify a set of personal criteria I apply to any matter, or class of matters.

What should voters consider when voting for Judge?

First and foremost, voters should consider whether the candidates are, or will uphold the oath, to follow the law. Judicial elections are often used to fill open slots, giving communities an opportunity to fill vacant positions. When faced with that situation, voters should consider the respective qualifications, objective evaluations by local bar associations, community and professional engagement, the leadership they have demonstrated in the organizations in which they have participated, and whether there are indications of bias. I was appointed after four rounds of vetting. That process included evaluations by hundreds of my former colleagues, adversaries, judges, fellow board members, and members of the community. The reviewing bodies conduct follow up interviews not only with an applicant's references, but may interview any evaluator to probe the person's answers. These evaluations were reviewed locally, by a regional body appointed by the governor, the Judicial Nominee Evaluation Commission (provided for under state law) and the judicial appointments secretary of the governor. The local and state review bodies considered a uniform set of criteria that are used to evaluate all judicial candidates who appear before them. The process is objective and designed to evaluate the qualities that any community would seek in a judge. I received exceptional assessments through this process. I encourage San Francisco voters to consider my background, that objective vetting, and the commitment that I have demonstrated to continue working hard to discharge my oath to serve my fellow residents as a judge on the Superior Court.

If you are the incumbent, please state why you should retain your seat. If you are the challenger, please state why you deserve the seat and/or why the incumbent is not fit for the job.

I have served on the Superior Court for almost two years. After I was appointed in April 2022, I was assigned to Traffic where I engaged directly with largely unrepresented residents in arraignments, traffic infraction trials and parking appeals. Despite my lack of criminal experience, I demonstrated a strong work ethic, an intense interest in learning the criminal law, and a passion to serve in any department, as needed. Shortly after I started, I was asked to serve as a visiting judge in various departments, including felony arraignments, felony preliminary hearings, misdemeanor domestic violence, behavioral health court, mental health court, and parole. In January 2023, I was assigned to a felony preliminary hearings department, where I assess the district attorney has probable cause to pursue a case to trial. This is a high volume department. Since January, I have had over 7,500 matters on calendar and held about 400 preliminary hearings involving a broad range of alleged felony criminal conduct. Having extensive courtroom experience as a civil lawyer in federal courts across the country and state courts around the state, I run my courtroom "By the Book" where I respect the law and strive to handle matters fairly and efficiently. Although I have only been on the bench a short time, I have the support and endorsement of my colleagues, several justices on the Court of Appeal, numerous political and community leaders such as State Senator Scott Wiener and the elected Sheriff Paul Miyamoto.

Personal

Tell us a bit about yourself!

How long have you lived in San Francisco? What brought you here and what keeps you here?

I have lived and worked in San Francisco for the past 30 years. Immediately after law school, I moved to the Bay Area to study for the bar exam in Berkeley before starting work at a law firm in downtown San Francisco. I moved into the city from the East Bay when I was a second year associate and have lived here ever since. I moved to San Francisco because it was a walkable, urban city with a Mediterranean climate. As demonstrated by my community activities I have consistently been engaged in the life of the city and have chosen to give back by trying to serve the community.

What do you love most about San Francisco?

The unrivaled natural beauty of our coast and the eclectic neighborhoods within.

What do you dislike the most about San Francisco?

I cannot comment on legislative or policy matters that might be raised by this question. Aside from that, I genuinely love the city and cannot identify anything specific I really dislike.

Tell us about your current involvement in the community (e.g., volunteer groups, neighborhood associations, civic and professional organizations, etc.)

I had to resign from my non-profit board positions when I became a judge. I remain involved in the leadership of the Antitrust Section of the American Bar Association and am a member of several professional organizations for judges.

What are the top three things you think need to change about San Francisco?

As a judge, I cannot tackle or opine on the legislative or policy issues raised by this question.

Thank you

Thank you for giving us your time and answering our questionnaire. We look forward to reading your answers and considering your candidacy!