About Thomas Rodger
Thomas Rodger Chapin is a licensed attorney admitted to practice law in the State of California. He was admitted to the California State Bar in 2002. His license is currently in active status. Mr. Chapin is a Senior Trial Attorney at Reel Fathers Rights APC, a law firm specializing in family law matters, with offices in Corona, Riverside, and Carlsbad, California. He has been practicing law for over 24 years, serving clients throughout Southern California.
Mr. Chapin earned his Juris Doctor degree from Chapman University School of Law in 2002. Prior to law school, he completed his undergraduate education at California State University, Northridge, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree. During his time at Chapman, he gained practical experience through internships and clerkships, focusing on family law and civil litigation.
Mr. Chapin concentrates his practice in the areas of family law, criminal defense, and civil litigation. He represents individuals in divorce proceedings, child custody disputes, child support matters, and domestic violence cases. His criminal defense experience includes handling serious cases such as murder, robbery, domestic violence, burglary, and DUI. In civil litigation, he has managed personal injury, real estate disputes, and business-related cases across various industries, including aerospace, entertainment, and retail. His practice encompasses all stages of litigation, including initial case evaluation, discovery, mediation, settlement negotiations, and trial proceedings in both state and federal courts.
Throughout his career, Mr. Chapin has handled cases in the Superior Court of California for the County of Riverside, the Superior Court of California for the County of San Diego, and the United States District Court for the Central District of California. He has also appeared before the California Court of Appeal on multiple occasions. Prior to joining Reel Fathers Rights, he served as Lead Counsel for Humboldt County Counsel, handling high-stakes civil litigation in both federal and state courts. He represented county agencies, including the Public Guardian and Environmental Health, in guardianships, conservatorships, receiverships, writs, and administrative hearings involving code violations, particularly cannabis-related issues. He also advised municipal agencies by drafting contracts, ensuring regulatory compliance, and managing public records requests and subpoenas.
Mr. Chapin is an active member of the California State Bar Association and the Riverside County Bar Association. He holds membership in the American Bar Association Section of Litigation. He is also a certified mediator through the Riverside County Superior Court mediation program. Mr. Chapin is fluent in English and Spanish, allowing him to serve the diverse communities of Southern California effectively.
