Full Name
Hon. Paula Patrick
Job Title
Supervising Judge Commerce Division
Company
Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Speaker Bio
Judge Paula Patrick is a presiding judge in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was elected in 2003 to the Court of Common Pleas and has served almost twenty-two (22) years in the largest court system in the state and the fifth largest in the nation. Judge Patrick has served in the juvenile, family, criminal, and civil divisions of the Court. She has adjudicated more than 25,000 cases in her career and has written more than six hundred opinions (600) to the three Pennsylvania appellate courts.
Judge Patrick is currently assigned to the Commerce Court Program and is the Supervising Judge of that program. She oversees, supervises, and manages judges, administration, as well as a caseload of solely business matters. She has proven expertise in case management and administration with a high-volume caseload. Judge Patrick is known for her judicial efficiency and her ability to meet challenges head on, resolve complex problems, and adapt quickly to changing priorities. She is a strong leader who works well under pressure and exudes positivity. She is well respected by both her peers on the bench and attorneys who come before her. In 2015, Judge Patrick was also appointed City Commissioner for one year to oversee and manage Philadelphia elections.
In her judicial career, Judge Patrick has been a member of many professional, civic, and charitable organizations, including the Federalist Society. She participates on state and national committees dedicated to professional development for members of the bench.
Prior to her election, Judge Patrick was a solo practitioner for almost ten years with a general litigation practice in the areas of personal injury, worker’s compensation, family law, criminal defense, and municipal bond finance. She also served for two years as adjunct faculty of the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at LaSalle University. While there, she taught undergraduate courses in criminal law and the court system. During her tenure as an attorney and college instructor, Judge Patrick received countless awards and honors from professional, civic, religious, and social groups.
Judge Patrick is a native of North Carolina, having graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in Political Science from Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, North Carolina. She also graduated from the Texas Southern University Thurgood Marshall School of Law, receiving her Juris Doctorate.
Judge Patrick enjoys reading, traveling and spending time with her family.
Judge Patrick is currently assigned to the Commerce Court Program and is the Supervising Judge of that program. She oversees, supervises, and manages judges, administration, as well as a caseload of solely business matters. She has proven expertise in case management and administration with a high-volume caseload. Judge Patrick is known for her judicial efficiency and her ability to meet challenges head on, resolve complex problems, and adapt quickly to changing priorities. She is a strong leader who works well under pressure and exudes positivity. She is well respected by both her peers on the bench and attorneys who come before her. In 2015, Judge Patrick was also appointed City Commissioner for one year to oversee and manage Philadelphia elections.
In her judicial career, Judge Patrick has been a member of many professional, civic, and charitable organizations, including the Federalist Society. She participates on state and national committees dedicated to professional development for members of the bench.
Prior to her election, Judge Patrick was a solo practitioner for almost ten years with a general litigation practice in the areas of personal injury, worker’s compensation, family law, criminal defense, and municipal bond finance. She also served for two years as adjunct faculty of the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at LaSalle University. While there, she taught undergraduate courses in criminal law and the court system. During her tenure as an attorney and college instructor, Judge Patrick received countless awards and honors from professional, civic, religious, and social groups.
Judge Patrick is a native of North Carolina, having graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in Political Science from Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, North Carolina. She also graduated from the Texas Southern University Thurgood Marshall School of Law, receiving her Juris Doctorate.
Judge Patrick enjoys reading, traveling and spending time with her family.
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