Before being nominated to the bench, Patterson was with Morristown's Riker, Danzig, Scherer, Hyland & Perretti, where she focused her practice on toxic torts, intellectual property, commercial litigation and products liability defense. She also served as a deputy attorney general and special assistant under Attorney General—and Riker Danzig name partner—Peter Perretti. She also served on the court's Committee on Character. Patterson's initial nomination, in 2011, did not come without controversy. At the time, Christie was a year past his decision to not renominate a Democrat, Justice John Wallace Jr., for tenure. After taking office, Christie had vowed to “remake” the Supreme Court, voicing his displeasure over the court's controversial rulings over school funding and affordable housing.For years, the state Senate, controlled by Democrats, refused to either consider or vote on Christie's nominations to fill Wallace's seat.Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester, only agreed to consider Patterson's nomination after Christie made it clear that the nomination was being made to fill the seat being vacated by Republican Justice Roberto Rivera-Soto, who had declined to seek tenure.Wallace's seat eventually was filled by current Justice Walter TImpone, a Democrat.