--- title: "Patricia J. Gorence | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/patricia-j-gorence-9647" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-07" --- # Patricia J. Gorence U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin · Magistrate ## Profile - Court: U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin - State: Wisconsin - Role: Magistrate - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-06-30 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - This experience shaped her commitment to equity and justice - Distinguished federal judge and the first woman to serve as a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the Eastern District of Wisconsin, later also serving in the Western District of Wisconsin - She clerked for Judge Robert W. Warren (E.D. Wis.), held the role of Assistant U.S. Attorney (rising to First Assistant), was Deputy Attorney General of Wisconsin, practiced at Gimble, Reilly, Guerin & Brown, and later returned to the federal bench ### Education - Marquette University Law School — J.D. (1977) - MA in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison (1969). - BA in Journalism from Marquette University (1965). ### Additional information - Magistrate, District Court, W.D. Wisconsin, 1994-present - Patricia J. Gorence passed away on August 4, 2025, at age 82. - Federal bench for 26 years, retiring June 30, 2013, but remained on recall status until 2020. - Appointed in 1994 to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin on a renewable eight‐year term. - She had previously been appointed in 1991 to the Eastern District of Wisconsin, where she broke ground as the first woman in that role. - Colleagues remembered her as a trailblazer, quiet, competent, and caring judge who “did her work and went about it respectfully”. - Active in the Milwaukee Bar Association, the Association for Women Lawyers, and numerous community service initiatives. - Founding the “START” reentry program (Successful Transition and Reentry Together) to help previously incarcerated individuals reintegrate into communities. - Supervising law clerks on civil rights cases and mentoring new judges and staff. - Before law school, Gorence held a position as a reporter for the Waukesha Freeman and for the Southern Courier in Montgomery, Alabama, during the Civil Rights Movement, reporting on politics, protests, and the lived experiences of sharecroppers. - She was married to John Bach for 56 years and is survived by her children Amy, Mara, and Christopher, and five grandchildren. - Birth place: Sheboygan, Wisconsin ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### camera notice Scope: statewide Wisconsin SCR 61 asks media to give the trial judge advance notice before bringing cameras or recording equipment into the courtroom. Evidence excerpt: the trial judge shall be given notice, at least 3 days in advance [Wisconsin SCR Chapter 61: Electronic Media and Still Photography Coverage of Judicial Proceedings](https://www.wicourts.gov/sc/scrule/DisplayDocument.html?content=html&seqNo=1099) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### courtroom equipment control Scope: statewide Wisconsin SCR 61 leaves courtroom equipment placement, lighting, and use subject to trial-judge control. Evidence excerpt: Only equipment approved by the trial judge in advance of the court proceeding may be used [Wisconsin SCR Chapter 61: Electronic Media and Still Photography Coverage of Judicial Proceedings](https://www.wicourts.gov/sc/scrule/DisplayDocument.html?content=html&seqNo=1099) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### remote hearing notice Scope: statewide Wisconsin's court system instructs parties that courts will notify them when a hearing is remote and provide joining instructions. Evidence excerpt: The court will send you instructions on how to join your remote hearing by video or by phone. [Wisconsin Court System: Zoom hearing resources](https://www.wicourts.gov/courts/zoom.htm) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### remote hearing technology Scope: statewide Wisconsin remote-hearing guidance tells participants to contact the clerk promptly if they lack reliable internet or phone access. Evidence excerpt: Contact the clerk of circuit court as soon as possible. [Wisconsin Court System: Zoom hearing resources](https://www.wicourts.gov/courts/zoom.htm) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9647/patricia-j-gorence/) - [Official roster](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9647/patricia-j-gorence/) - [U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin current judicial profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9647/patricia-j-gorence/) - [Wisconsin SCR Chapter 61: Electronic Media and Still Photography Coverage of Judicial Proceedings](https://www.wicourts.gov/sc/scrule/DisplayDocument.html?content=html&seqNo=1099) - [Wisconsin Court System: Zoom hearing resources](https://www.wicourts.gov/courts/zoom.htm) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9647/patricia-j-gorence/) - [Mourning the Passing of Magistrate Judge Patricia Gorence (ret.) | Eastern District of Wisconsin | United States District Court](https://www.wied.uscourts.gov/news/mourning-passing-magistrate-judge-patricia-gorence-ret) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/patricia-j-gorence-9647", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/patricia-j-gorence-9647", "name": "Patricia J. 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Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.