Volunteer Spotlight: Tara Burke, Jackson Lewis P.C.

Since PBPO’s founding, Tara Burke, a Knowledge Management Attorney with Jackson Lewis P.C., has been willing to jump in and leverage her experience and that of her colleagues to further PBPO’s mission. Since 2015, Tara has not only volunteered to assist our clients with their employment needs, but also co-authored 5 Pro Bono Brief: Nonprofit Legal News articles and co-presented 19 educational seminars geared toward nonprofit leaders, in addition to serving as co-chair of Grow PBPO for three years. Tara was our 2016 Law Firm Attorney of the Year recipient, and she hasn’t slowed down over the years.

Why does Tara volunteer with PBPO? 
“The model of PBPO fits my interest and skill set perfectly. Our firm has expertise in all aspects of labor and employment law. I enjoy making sure that important non-profits in our community receive the same level of legal excellence that we provide to all our clients. My favorite experience has been presenting educational seminars for non-profit employers to help them comply with the ever-evolving state and federal employment laws. “

Tara has worked as an employment attorney for 20+ years. She graduated from Xavier University and the University of Cincinnati College of Law. At Jackson Lewis, Tara works with employers to build positive and inclusive workplaces and reduce legal risk through policy development, training, and employment law counseling. She is also a frequent speaker at local and national seminars.

Tara’s volunteer engagement with PBPO has not only benefited our nonprofit clients, but also positively impacted PBPO directly. We benefited from her legal expertise in addressing several of our own legal needs and, additionally, she has raised our reputation nationally through her speaking engagements with Exponentum, a national collaboration of pro bono service providers of which PBPO is  a member. Tara is also an active member of Grow PBPO, an advisory council to PBPO.

In addition to her extensive involvement with PBPO, Tara currently volunteers with her daughter at a farm that provides a day program for people with special needs. On the weekends, you might find Tara watching her daughter ride horses or cheering on her son at a lacrosse game. In December, her family spends time on the family Christmas tree farm. 

Fun fact: if you ever think you are seeing double, you might be right! Tara has an identical twin sister, Nora Burke Wagner, who is also an attorney and an assistant dean at UC’s College of Law.  Tara is looking forward to visiting Spain and France this fall with her sister and teaching employment law.

PBPO is a stronger and more effective organization thanks to Tara’s unwavering support.