Patrick McDonough

Senior Attorney
Hometown: Encinitas, California
Pronouns: He/Him/His
My favorite San Diego beer is:

Sadly, my immune system forced me into early retirement from beer drinking, but I can still enjoy the burgeoning local hard kombucha market! #glutenfree

My favorite way to enjoy water is: Surfing. Being unable to surf after it rains – due to polluted urban runoff – is what inspired me to become an environmental attorney.
I want to see a world where: individuals understand the full impacts of their daily actions and decisions, and our collective society has the political will to safeguard San Diego’s iconic coastal waters.

Patrick McDonough joined San Diego Coastkeeper in early 2019, where as staff attorney he assists with all legal, policy, and advocacy work.

A surfer from Encinitas who became increasingly concerned about water quality issues the more time he spent in the ocean, Patrick pursued a law degree in order dedicate his career to environmental advocacy. He graduated cum laude from the University of Maryland School of Law with a certificate of concentration in environmental law from the school’s esteemed Environmental Law Program. In law school, Patrick worked on several Clean Water Act cases with Waterkeepers Chesapeake, another member of the Waterkeeper Alliance, through the school’s award-winning Environmental Law Clinic. Patrick also served as President of the Maryland Environmental Law Society student organization, and was a legal intern for San Diego Coastkeeper in 2011. He is licensed to practice law in state of California, the Southern and Central Federal Districts of California, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Outside of the office, Patrick enjoys surfing, hiking, camping, and preferably traveling around the world to do all three.

Patrick can be reached by email at [email protected]