Judge Robert C. Coates

Judge Robert C. Coates works as Partner with the San Diego law firm Olins, Riviere, Coates & Bagula, which offers experienced counsel in real estate, criminal, family, patents, and business matters. With nearly three decades of experience on the bench, and over a decade as a private attorney, Judge Robert C. Coates serves as the firm’s “grey eminence,” handling matters pertaining to estate planning and small-business representation, including litigation.

Judge Robert C. Coates established a reputation for trial law in the early 1970s as Partner with the firm Coates & Miller, LLP. Appearing twice before the California Supreme Court, he represented a wide range of clients in matters concerning mental health, environmental issues, and mining. He also undertook defense of accused criminals in cases that extended to homicide. Judge Coates served on the Executive Committee of the San Diego Trial Lawyers Association.

In 1982, Judge Coates accepted a position with the Superior Court of California, County of San Diego, undertaking duties as Presiding Judge of the Municipal Court Civil Division. In this capacity, he presided at, on average, 50 settlement conferences each week, also maintaining a full calendar of pre-trial motions and handling all ex-parte requests. After four years, Judge Robert C. Coates shifted his professional focus to lengthy civil jury trials, and he subsequently administered family and juvenile law matters. He retired from the bench in January 2011, six months prior to returning to law as an attorney.

Judge Robert C. Coates has been active in a number of social and environmental issues throughout his career. An accomplished author and poet, he published the nonfiction work, A Street is Not a Home: Solving America's Homeless Dilemma, through Prometheus Books in 1990. The book achieved a major foundation grant that enabled its dissemination to American city managers and foundation executives, as well as state- and national-level policy leaders. In 1995, Judge Coates developed and taught the course Poverty Law at what is now Thomas Jefferson School of Law. He has stayed active on homelessness and poverty issues over the years and currently chairs the Homeless Women Task Force in San Diego. Judge Robert C. Coates was recognized for his achievements through a 1999 Humanitarian Award from the Coalition for the Homeless and a 2007 Rotary International Service to the World award.