FogHorn, January 31,  2019 - Shop Talk - Patricia Roma

 

Patricia was born and raised in Philadelphia in the midst of a conservative Republican Italian family. She had one sister and one brother.  Her brother, a college professor at the State of New York College at Binghamton, died at age 52 of a heart attack, leaving 4 children behind.  Her sister started the first feminist choir in the United States, which is called ANNA Crusis, which is still ongoing.

 

She attended and graduated from a private Quaker School in Philly where they taught the same values as Rotary. She received a BA degree from the University of Wisconsin as well as a Master’s in Social and Political Philosophy. While at the University, she lived on the dairy farm of Marino Larsen, of Danish heritage, who herded his 30 Holstein cows with an amazing big white dog. She wanted to see a calf born and a bull service a heifer. She witnessed the whole birth process from labor to it dropping out, all 80 pounds of the calf which got up and wobbly walked right away and was soon nursing - a fascinating experience!   

 

Patricia moved to Kokomo Indiana, home of the KKK, and worked at the EEOC office helping migrant Mexican workers. She was interested in the law and saw a mime company perform about migrant workers and recognized her calling. The Indiana experience sealed her desire to become a lawyer.

 

In1968, she moved directly to Half Moon Bay to be in a rural and farming community as she had fallen in love with such a community when living on the dairy farm while at the University. She registered in the Golden Gate University Law program. She often hitchhiked to SF for classes. She graduated, passed the Bar Exam but they were not hiring women lawyers at that time. She went to her mentor for advice, and he said bring me a copy of the local paper. He reviewed the copy she provided, and he declared HMB a good place to open an office. He offered to underwrite the expenses in exchange for half the profits, but she said no; but asked if she could continue consulting with him, which he generously agreed to do.

 

Patricia volunteered for indigent appeals at the Court of Appeals. She described going to San Quentin for one of her cases to meet the client. After getting the paperwork from the Clerk at the Court of Appeals and studying it thoroughly, she filed an Opening Brief.  In such cases, one usually receives a postcard stating, "Denied."  But after several weeks, she received a postcard that stated, "Appear." She hadn’t found a weakness in the case, but she did come up with something - a new interpretation of the law. She argued her case at the First District Court of Appeal in San Francisco, in a huge courtroom with a larger than life gold seal hanging on the wall above the Judges.  The Judgment sentencing the appellant to prison was reversed, and the decision was certified for publication.

 

After she finished law school; but before she passed the bar, she was thrown out of her house in Miramar because the landlord was selling it.  Fortunately, a rental opened across the street in a very ugly 800-sq.ft. house, the interior of which was painted baby blue all over, including the kitchen faucets.  Shortly after she passed the bar, she talked her landlord into selling it to her; and she bought it (even though it was the ugliest house she had ever seen) because she never wanted to go through the experience of getting thrown out of her house ever again, no matter what.

 

Someone suggested that she run for City Council in order to get her name out there in order to get clients.  Her picture appeared on the front page of the Half Moon Bay Review along with a headline "Pat Roma is feisty."  The paper further indicated that she discounted the "inexperience" charge, stating "It really just means I'm not jaded and haven't been corrupted."

 

Bill Muth was a partner of Rotarian Bill Johnston with offices over the hill (Muth died in the late 1990s).  Bill Muth lived in Montara; and after he and Patricia got to know each other, he suggested that if she could find office space for the two of them on the Coastside, he would pay for her share of the rent in exchange for a few hours of work.  She found the space, which was the Victorian house that is now the home of La Petite Baleen.  At the time, only the house was there and not the addition that has the swimming pool.  Bill got her into Rotary; and shortly thereafter, told her that she had to attend the Rotary fundraiser, which was a formal affair. At first, she said "No” to the fundraiser, but then went to the Thrift Store and bought a dress and attended; and she has been attending them ever since. 

 

Before long she outgrew the one-room office and purchased the building on Kelly St. now occupied by Absolute Floor. Patricia continued to have a general practice including divorce, personal injury, and bankruptcy, and because of increased expenses in connection with her growing practice gave up the private defender program.  While handling divorce cases, she had a few clients who wanted to give up their right to spousal support, which she was not in favor of. Her work chant was; "Don't Give Up!"

 

In 1986 she purchased the building at 745 Mill Street, across the street from the Half Moon Bay Inn, which at the time a friend of hers had dubbed "HMB Knife and Gun Club." Bartender Dannielle at the Inn was a bigger than life character. Pat saw her in the courthouse in recovery; clean and sober and felt good about her. But later she shows up in a fleabag room in the Inn. She was back on the booze, and Pat told her she had to stop drinking or die, to which she said, "I'm gonna die anyway because I have cancer, but I want you to take care of my dog after I'm gone." She had a beautiful big Labrador retriever named Smokey. Pat told her she'd have to make a will and stipulate Smokey's care. After her death, some residents at the "HMB Knife and Gun Club" tried to keep Smokey and would not turn him over, at which point she called the Half Moon Bay PD and Dennis Luball appeared.  She told Dennis that she thought she needed civil standby, to which he replied, "Pat if you think you need civil standby, you need civil standby."  At which point he took the leash out of her hand, went up to the smoke-filled room where Smokey was being held, got him and turned him over to her.  Dennis told her that he did not think that Danielle had it together enough to make a will.  Dennis Luball is now part of the Half Moon Bay Sheriff's Department and often stands behind the security at the entrance of the courthouse and always greets her with "Hello, Ms. Roma."

 

Pat continued her relationship with the Shapiro family, and 14 years ago Carl invited her for dinner.  When she arrived he informed her that they had invited another family friend who turned out to be Bill, her significant other.

 

Patricia has been listed in Super Lawyers Northern California every year since 2011. Only 5% of all lawyers in Northern California are listed.  The selection is based on a patented selection process based on input from peers, professional achievement, and independent research.

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Paul ended the meeting with the quote:

 

We do not quit playing because we grow old,

We grow old because we quit playing!