Trump nominates Patrick Bumatay to the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

SAN FRANCISCO — President Trump announced his intent Wednesday, October 10 to nominate Patrick J. Bumatay to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. If confirmed, Patrick will be the first Filipino-American judge to ever serve on a federal appeals court, the second openly LGBT federal circuit court judge, and the second Filipino-American Article III judge in the history of the United States.

Patrick is an Assistant United States Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California, where he is a member of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Forces Section. He is currently detailed to the Office of the Attorney General, where he serves as Counselor to the Attorney General on various criminal issues, including the national opioid strategy and transnational organized crime. Patrick has demonstrated a strong commitment to public service, serving as a Department of Justice attorney during the administrations of George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump.

Mr. Bumatay has also served in other positions in the Department of Justice, including the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the Office of the Associate Attorney General, where he was responsible for overseeing various aspects of the Department’s civil enforcement programs, and the Office of Legal Policy. 

Upon graduation from law school, Mr. Bumatay served as a law clerk for Judge Timothy M. Tymkovich of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit Court. He also clerked for Judge Sandra L. Townes of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. 

Mr. Bumatay received his B.A., cum laude, from Yale University and his J.D. from Harvard Law School. He is a member of the National Filipino American Lawyers Association (NFALA), the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, the Tom Homann LGBT Law Association, and the Federal Bar Association.

“We congratulate Patrick on the announcement of the President’s intent to nominate him to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit,” said David Mesa, president of the National Filipino American Lawyers Association (NFALA). “Patrick’s strong qualifications, including his breadth of experience as a federal prosecutor, a defense attorney, and a senior Department of Justice attorney make him ideal for the Ninth Circuit.” Mesa added: “Patrick is a proud first generation Filipino-American, the son of Filipino immigrants to the United States, and I have no doubt he will serve the Ninth Circuit and the people of California, Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands with excellence, fairness, integrity, and intellect.”

Patrick is a member of NFALA and two of NFALA’s affiliates, the Filipino American Lawyers of San Diego (FALSD) and Filipino American Lawyers of Washington, D.C. (FALA DC). NFALA and its Judicial Executive Nominations and Appointments Committee (JENAC) supported Patrick through the nomination process and during that time, Patrick earned the joint endorsements of six other national, statewide, and California regional bar associations, including four of NFALA’s affiliates.

NFALA commends President Trump for announcing his intent to nominate Patrick to the Ninth Circuit.

NFALA is the national voice for the Filipino-American legal profession. It advocates for justice, civil rights, and equal opportunity for the Filipino-American community. It cultivates high standards of integrity and professionalism among its members and strives for the advancement and success of Filipino-Americans within the profession. NFALA is a family, comprised of members throughout the United States, with the shared goal of increasing its national growth, impact, and visibility while also celebrating its members’ cultural heritage.