Judge Pattison was appointed to the bench in May 2020. He received his bachelor's degree from Wesleyan University in 1993, and completing his law degree at the University of Minnesota Law School in 1999, graduating magna cum laude. Before his appointment, Judge Pattison was a clinical professor of law at Drake University Law School, as well as a staff attorney for Team Child in Seattle, Washington. He is a member of the Iowa State Bar Association.