After a life-changing car accident as a teenager, Pat Broderick had two choices: remain in the safe haven of her parents or reinvent herself and find a new path through life as a woman in a wheelchair. She chose the latter. Pat finished her college degree, earned her master’s, and began working as a probation officer. Perturbed by what she observed in the courtroom, she decided to become a lawyer. She graduated from law school, passed the bar exam, and went to work. Her illustrious career, spanning roles from a volunteer social worker in Ecuador to a senior judge in the District of Columbia, embodies her unwavering commitment to public service and justice. Judge Broderick has influenced the legal landscape across various disciplines, all while fostering legal education at top law schools and advocating for diversity and women’s advancement in the legal profession.Her story is a testimony to overcoming pain, fear, and prejudice but tempered by her resolve to carry on traveling and having fun in her own way. Just ask her ski instructor.
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Patricia A. Broderick, born in New York City, graduated from high school in New Jersey and pursued higher education at Trinity College in Washington, D.C., earning a BA in sociology in 1971. She furthered her education with a master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from George Washington University in 1974. Early in her career, Pat volunteered as a social worker in Ecuador and served as a probation and parole officer in Virginia. Her legal career began after studying law at The Columbus School of Law, where she served as a law clerk and later became an assistant U.S. attorney, earning the Department of Justice Special Achievement Award in 1988.In 1989, Pat joined the U.S. Department of Justice’s Anti-Money Laundering and Asset Forfeiture Sections, earning another Special Achievement Award. She was later promoted to the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Financial Enforcement, where she served as chief of the International Section. Pat led U.S. negotiating teams and lectured internationally on anti-money laundering methods. Her career further advanced as she served as an attorney for the Task Force on Tax Refund Fraud and as special counsel to the Violence Against Women Office. In 1998, she was appointed as an associate judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, achieving senior status in 2020.Throughout her career, Judge Broderick has been involved in academia, teaching at various prestigious law schools and mentoring at her alma maters. She enjoys leisure activities such as theater, traveling, playing the flute, and skiing. A member of the National Association of Women Judges and the International Association of Women Judges, she spoke at the IAWJ Biennial Conference in 2021 on ‘Diversity and Disability.’ Her achievements have been recognized in publications such as Who’s Who in American Women.