Her Story
About Patti
Patti Tobias is a nationally respected court administration and behavioral health justice reform leader whose career spans nearly five decades of public service, consulting, and system transformation. Based in Colorado, she currently serves as a consultant with The Leifman Group, where she works alongside nationally recognized justice reform advocates to help states and local jurisdictions improve outcomes for individuals with serious mental illnesses who intersect with the criminal justice system. Her expertise encompasses court administration, behavioral health policy, diversion programs, competency-to-stand-trial systems, and collaborative justice initiatives that bridge courts, treatment providers, and community organizations.
Tobias began her career after earning a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a Master of Science in Judicial Administration from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. She held key leadership roles within the Missouri court system before becoming Administrative Director of the Idaho Courts, a position she held for more than twenty years. During her tenure, she worked closely with multiple Chief Justices and helped shape statewide judicial administration policies and practices. Her distinguished leadership in court management established her as one of the nation’s leading voices in judicial administration and justice system improvement.
From 2014 to 2024, Tobias served as Principal Court Management Consultant at the National Center for State Courts, where she acted as senior advisor and national lead for the National Judicial Task Force to Examine the State Courts’ Response to Mental Illness. One of her most significant accomplishments was helping secure the unanimous adoption of the task force’s recommendations by chief justices and state court administrators across the United States. Today, through her work with The Leifman Group, she continues to advance innovative strategies focused on pre-arrest and post-arrest diversion, behavioral health treatment, homelessness reduction, and systemic reforms that promote both public safety and compassionate care for individuals living with mental illness.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Patti
01What do you attribute your success to?
I have been so fortunate to have had so many mentors throughout my career. I can't even name them all, but beginning with my professor at the University of Denver Law School, the director of the program, to my first state court administrator, to all of those that I have worked with along the line, and now with Judge Steve Leifman. All of those have been mentors and those who have inspired me to continue, to be motivated to improve the justice system. I hope I have served as a mentor with maybe hundreds of individuals that I have had the privilege of working with along the way. My education has been foundational - my undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois in political science and economics, and my Masters of Science in Judicial Administration from the University of Denver Law School, along with my week-long Harvard education on negotiation and working with partners. My involvement in professional organizations including the Conference of State Court Administrators and NAMI has also been instrumental. But most importantly, my life experience has taught me that those individuals who get tangled up in the criminal justice and behavioral health system can be our daughters, our sons, our brothers, our sisters, our family members, our neighbors, and that we need to remember to treat those individuals that come before the courts as if they were our family members.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would definitely encourage them to pursue a career in court administration. It is fulfilling, it is important work that we do, and it will be a wonderful opportunity to be of service, to have purpose in our lives.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
We, collectively, our society, needs to improve our response to individuals with serious mental illnesses, whether it be through 988, the new National Suicide Hotline, or through crisis intervention team training, or through access to mental health care. Those who are at risk to being justice-involved are especially vulnerable. We need to improve the court and community response to individuals with serious mental illnesses through pre-arrest diversion, post-arrest diversion, and we need to address the crisis on the competency to stand trial system.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
My life experience has taught me that those individuals who get tangled up in the criminal justice and behavioral health system can be our daughters, our sons, our brothers, our sisters, our family members, our neighbors, our everyone, and that we need to remember to treat those individuals that come before the courts as if they were our sons, our daughters, our family members, and make the changes that we would want them to be treated. My special interest is my family. I have 2 children and 1 grandson who is 15 months old and lives here in Colorado, close to where I live. Pure joy. It is my privilege to do what I do - to be of service, to have purpose in our lives through this important work of improving the administration of justice and advocating for those with mental health issues in the judicial system.
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