Lecturer List

Judge Wes Reber Porter is a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the District of Hawaii and a dedicated legal educator. Before taking to the federal bench where he now handles civil and criminal cases and mediations, Judge Porter spent years as a career federal prosecutor and in academia.

He served as Trial Counsel with the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps, an Assistant U.S. Attorney, both civil and criminal divisions for the District of Hawaii, and a Senior Trial Attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice's Criminal Division, Fraud Section in Washington, DC. Judge Porter led prosecutions involving significant white-collar crime and securities fraud investigations, earning the Assistant Attorney General Award for Distinguished Service.

Transitioning to academia, Judge Porter became a tenured professor and directed the Litigation Center at Golden Gate University School of Law. He was a prominent advocate for experiential learning and legal education reform. His scholarship centers on federal sentencing, investigative techniques, expert witnesses, and empowering the next generation of trial lawyers through hands-on skills training. He teaches Evidence, Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Professional Responsibility, White Collar Crime, and Trial Advocacy.

At Santa Clara Law, Judge Porter teaches Criminal Law and Trial Techniques in our FlexJD program.