Attorney Profiles
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
United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois
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, "Emerging Issues Regarding Toxins Affecting Water," American Association for Justice Annual Convention, 2010
Speaker, "Water Contamination: What Lies Beneath," Harris Martin Oil Spill Litigation Conference, 2010
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
Nelson v. Exxon Mobil Corp., 102 Cal.Rptr.3d 311 (Cal.App. 3 Dist. Nov 20, 2009)
In re Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE) Products Liability Litigation, 457 F.Supp.2d 324 (S.D.N.Y. Jun 23, 2006), 438 F.Supp.2d 291 (S.D.N.Y. Jun 23, 2006), 415 F.Supp.2d 261 (S.D.N.Y. Nov 09, 2005), 2005 WL 39918 (S.D.N.Y. Jan 06, 2005)
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
MEDIA ADVISORY
BARON & BUDD, P.C. ATTORNEY CARLA BURKE PROVIDES
OVERVIEW ON WATER CONTAMINATION AT OIL SPILL LITIGATION CONFERENCE
DALLAS (June 30, 2010) -- Carla Burke, attorney and shareholder with Baron & Budd, P.C.’s water contamination group and an expert in toxic tort and water contamination litigation, delivered a presentation last Wednesday at a legal summit in New Orleans. She addressed the wider effects of the spill including the potential long-term effects of hydrocarbon contamination on soil, water and air.
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Baron & Budd’s Greatest Hits of the Decade
As the first decade of the new millennium draws to a close and we reflect on the past ten years, Baron & Budd would like to share with you what we consider some of our law firm’s major accomplishments—our “Greatest Hits” of the decade, if you will. So, in the spirit of Casey Kasem, here is our countdown of the decade. We wish all of you happy holidays and a prosperous new year—and new decade—to come. Read More
Baron & Budd, P.C. Water Contamination Attorneys Selected as Finalists for 2009 Public Justice Trial Lawyer of the Year Award
Attorneys recognized for their work on In re: Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether Products Liability Litigation MDL 1358
DALLAS –(July 8, 2009) – Scott Summy, Celeste Evangelisti and Carla Burke, all Baron & Budd, P.C. shareholders and part of the law firm’s water contamination litigation team, were selected as finalists for the 2009 Trial Lawyer of the Year Award by the Public Justice Foundation for their work in In re: Methyl Tertiary Butyl Products Liability Litigation MDL 1358. Summy and his team negotiated a historic settlement on behalf of 153 public water providers from 17 states in which the bulk of the country’s major oil refiners agreed to pay the costs of cleaning MTBE contamination from the water supply and to clean up any new MTBE contamination that occurs in the next 30 years.
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