Attorney Profiles

Carla M. Burke

Attorney at Law
Phone: 214-521-3605
Fax: 214-520-1181

Biography

Carla Burke, an attorney and shareholder with Baron & Budd’s water contamination litigation group, began her legal career with the firm’s appellate section. She has a gift for writing and oral advocacy that has been very persuasive in the MTBE Multi-District Litigation cases. Carla has also authored and presented numerous papers and presentations on the topics of toxic tort and water contamination litigation and premises liability law.

Carla is a natural teacher, which is perfect for her role as a legal issues attorney in complex water contamination cases. She has also been an adjunct clinical instructor of law at the Southern Methodist University School of Law Legal Clinic and, before law school, an English professor at a local college.

Not long after law school, she successfully briefed and argued, pro bono, the case of Lawson v. Dallas County, 112 F.3d 257 (5th Cir. 2002) before the United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, where she represented a disabled man whose lack of medical treatment while in the custody of the Dallas county jail amounted to cruel and unsual punishment.

Carla’s work for her clients is driven by her conviction that “law is a powerful force for social change. What starts with one person can affect an entire nation.” Carla found the opportunity to be a part of that force for change at Baron & Budd: “Baron & Budd is, literally, changing lives for the better,” she says.

Education

Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law (J.D. 1999)
Southern Methodist University (M.A. 1994, B.A. 1991)

Bar & Court Admissions

Texas
New York
United States Supreme Court
United States Court of Appeals–5th Circuit

Professional Associations

American Association for Justice
Public Justice
Texas Trial Lawyers Association
College of the State Bar of Texas
Dallas Trial Lawyers Association
Dallas Bar Association (Fellow)
Bar Association of the Fifth Federal Court

Languages

French

Presentations

Panelist, “Are There Synergistic Effects Between Toxic Tort Suits and Environmental Regulations?” Environmental Law Institute, 2006

Speaker, “Update on MTBE Litigation,” Energy Litigation Conference, 2005

Co-Presenter, “Premises Liability Cases: What Does the Future Hold?” Andrews Asbestos Litigation Conference, 2003

Co-Presenter, “Texas Supreme Court Update,” Dallas Court of Appeals Seminar, 2000

Publications

Co-Author, “Toxic Torts and Mass Torts,” 57 SMU Law Review 1267 (2004)

Contributor, “Toxic Torts and Mass Torts,” 56 SMU Law Review 2053 (2003)

Contributor, “Toxic Torts and Mass Torts,” 55 SMU Law Review 1375 (2002)

Co-Author, “Applying Texas Premises Liability Law to Asbestos Cases,” COLUMNS, September 2001

Reported Cases

Lawson v. Dallas County, 112 F.3d 257 (5th Cir. 2002)

Norfolk Southern Railway Co. v. Bailey, 92 S.W.3d 577 (Tex.App.–Austin 2002)

Caudillo ex rel. Caudillo v. Lubbock Independent School Dist., 331 F.Supp.2d 550 (N.D.Tex 2004)

Newsrss

MTBE Water Contamination Suit Results in Historic Settlement

Dallas, TX – (May 7, 2008) – Representing 153 public water providers, which includes municipalities, water agencies and private water companies, from 17 states, the national law firm of Baron & Budd, P.C. today announced the largest settlement to date with many of America’s leading oil companies over drinking water contamination caused by the gasoline additive Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE). The settlement stems from cases pending in a federal Multi-District Litigation (MDL) court in New York established to hear MTBE cases nationwide. Read More