Dr. Wendy L. Patrick, J.D., Ph.D.

Wendy L. Patrick is a career prosecutor, recognized by her peers as one of the Top Ten criminal attorneys in San Diego by the San Diego Daily Transcript, and was presented by the Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court with the California Public Lawyer of the Year award from the State Bar’s Public Law Section. Ms. Patrick has completed over 165 trials ranging from hate crimes, to domestic violence, to first-degree murder.

Dr. Patrick has over 25 years of specialized training and experience. In the Special Operations Division of the San Diego District Attorney’s Office, she handled a full case load of sensitive investigations including threats against public officials, judges, and other professionals, as well as police misconduct and officer involved shootings. In the Sex Crimes and Human Trafficking Division she prosecuted human traffickers, sex offenders, stalkers, child molesters, and was the team leader in charge of Sexually Violent Predator civil commitment cases. In the Family Protection Division she prosecuted domestic violence, elder abuse, child abuse, and child abduction. In the Juvenile Division she was the director of the Serious Habitual Offender unit, and served as the countywide Arson Deputy. In the Appellate and Training Division she handled everything from habeas petitions, to public records requests, to a variety of post-conviction motions.

Ms. Patrick is the immediate past president of the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals (ATAP) San Diego Chapter, Sergeant of Arms of the ATAP national board, and an ATAP Certified Threat Manager. She also served as Co-Chair of the statewide California District Attorneys Association Sexual Violent Predators Committee and Human Trafficking Committee.

Ms. Patrick is co-chair of the California District Attorneys Association Ethics Committee, a past Chair and Advisor of the California State Bar Ethics Committee (Committee on Professional Responsibility and Conduct), and past Chair of the San Diego County Bar Association’s (SDCBA) Legal Ethics Committee where she served a six-year term. She is widely published in the field of legal ethics, had her own ethics column in the San Diego Daily Transcript for more than a decade, and teaches ethics nationally on a regular basis.
 
Ms. Patrick lectures nationally and internationally on the topics of sexual assault, domestic violence and human trafficking, including courses in Hong Kong, South Korea, and South Africa. She also teaches sexual assault prevention for the Army, having presented domestically as well as in Bavaria and Wiesbaden, Germany.