PATRICIA BRESEE
Retired Commissioner,
Superior Court of San Mateo County

A recognized expert in Juvenile Law, the Honorable Patricia Bresee (ret.) has devoted most of her professional life to children's issues. As a private attorney, she represented children in juvenile courts who had been neglected, abused or who had been accused of committing a crime, and children who were caught in the middle of custody battles in family court. As a Superior Court Commissioner in San Mateo County for 15 years, she was assigned to sit as a juvenile court judge and handled dependency and delinquency matters as well as adoptions and guardianships.

Pat continues to serve on planning committees and as faculty for the Center for Judicial Education and Research. In 1994, she was named Juvenile Court Judge of the Year by the California Judges Association and in 1998 the National Court Appointed Special Advocate awarded her the title of Judge of the Year. She served on the San Mateo County First Five Commission from 1990 to 2006 and served on the board of Peninsula Community Foundation from 1997 to 2006, in the role of chair from 2004 to 2006. Pat is also a Consultant to the California Judicial Council Center for Families and Children in the Courts.