Brande L. Gustafson

Brande L. Gustafson is a senior associate attorney in Fresno, California, who practices civil litigation with an emphasis on civil rights defense and personal injury defense. She represents public entities and their employees in complex, high-profile cases involving public entity liability in state and federal courts. Her clients have included school districts, law enforcement and corrections personnel, probation officers, elected officials, and public agency leaders.

Brande earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminology with an emphasis in Victimology and a minor in Spanish from California State University, Fresno in 2005. She received her Juris Doctor from San Joaquin College of Law in 2009. Before becoming an attorney, she worked as a contract paralegal for the United States Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of California, where she managed materials for affirmative civil litigation.

Brande has handled matters involving civil rights claims, personal injuries, and the responsibilities of government agencies and employees. She successfully argued before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in a case addressing probable cause in claims involving unlawful detention and arrest. She is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, the Ninth Circuit, two federal district courts in California, and all California state courts.

Brande L. Gustafson has held several leadership and service positions within the legal community. She served as president of the Federal Bar Association in 2017, a Ninth Circuit lawyer representative from 2019 through 2023, and co-chair of a federal court conference planning committee from 2020 through 2022. She has also served on judicial selection and advisory committees and led her law school’s alumni association. She was recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star from 2015 through 2019.

Law Office Affiliations

• Senior Associate Attorney, Weakley & Arendt, PC
• Member, California State Bar
• Member, Magistrate Judge Merit Selection Panel, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, 2015 and 2017
• Co-Chair, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, Conference Planning Committee, 2020-2022
• President, Federal Bar Association, 2017
• President, San Joaquin College of Law Alumni Association, 2014-2015
• Member, Fresno County Bar Association
• Member, Fresno County Women Lawyers
• Member, Association of Defense Counsel of Northern California and Nevada

Licensed State

• California

Education

• San Joaquin College of Law
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• California State University
  Bachelor of Science (BS)

Awards & Badges