Patrick Buelna

PATRICK BUELNA is a civil rights attorney specializing in law enforcement misconduct. He has succeeded in winning many of the highest verdicts and settlements in police abuse cases. Buelna won a record-setting $21 Million verdict in a federal jury trial in 2022 against the Fremont Police Department for the officer shooting of Elena Mondragon. He won a $6 Million verdict in 2021 against the San Jose Police Department for officers striking a man with a police car that was running away.

In 2026, Lawyers for the People secured one of the largest hostile work environment jury verdicts in California on behalf of a disabled African American cement truck driver. Joseph Sample had spent years driving for Cemex Corporation, a major cement ready-mix company, when he began enduring repeated racial slurs, disability-based harassment, and a hostile work environment from his coworkers. Despite reporting this abuse to supervisors and human resources on multiple occasions, the company failed to intervene. Lawyers for the People took the case to trial and secured a $5 million jury verdict on Mr. Sample’s behalf.

He has secured many of the highest settlements in police and jail abuse cases throughout California. In 2026, Buelna achieved a $8 million settlement for K’aun Green who a police officer shot after K’aun had heroically disarmed an armed suspect in a restaurant. The lawsuit led to an investigation that revealed the shooting officer had sent several racist texts about K’aun and Buelna’s colleagues that resulted in the officer’s firing and disqualification as a law enforcement officer in California. 

In 2025, Buelna secured a $9.5 million settlement and permanent training and policy changes for the death of Maurice Monk in a California Jail which was the number one jail settlement in California.

Buelna was named one of Daily Journal’s Top 100 Lawyers in its 2024 issue.

Buelna co-founded Lawyers For The People out of a longstanding commitment to serve people and communities that have been under-represented and under-resourced. Before dedicating his career to civil rights work, Buelna spent a year living and teaching at an orphanage in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He was also a public school teacher in the Bronx, New York City for the Teach For America program. 

For several years, Buelna was continuously selected as a Rising Star by SuperLawyers which is awarded to only 2.5% of attorneys. Buelna has spoken at Stanford Law School, U.C. Hastings Law School and other venues regarding civil rights trials and strategy.

Education:

St. Mary’s College of California – High Honors

UC Law San Francisco – Honors

Instagram: @lawyersftp