Thomas R. Burke

About Thomas R. Burke

Tom defends speech and content across all mediums – representing internet companies; networks; studios; book, magazine and news publishers; authors, journalists, photographers, documentary filmmakers, and environmental groups.With over 35 years of trial and appellate experience in California’s state and federal courts, Tom’s law practice covers the full spectrum of content liability and First Amendment issues including the defense of libel lawsuits. A veteran newsroom lawyer, Tom provides prepublication counseling and vets books, long-form journalism and scripts. He also defends journalists facing subpoenas for unpublished information and confidential sources. Tom manages a large caseload of pro bono public records lawsuits (both federal and state) representing journalists and NGOs who cannot afford legal counsel. Tom also supports Protecting Journalists, a pro bono program that he helped to launch in 2020 (run by The Reporter’s Committee for Freedom of the Press) that provides pro bono vetting and public records assistance. https://projourn.org/Tom is the author of “Anti-SLAPP Litigation” (The Rutter Group 2013-annually updated) and annually co-edits the Anti-SLAPP Motions chapter of The Rutter Group’s Civil Procedure Before Trial. For nearly two decades, Tom taught media law at the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California, Berkeley.

Experience

1. Partner

   Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

   Dec 1996 — Present · San Franciso, CA, US

   Media and First Amendment law

Education

• Arizona State University

  Bachelor of Science (B.S.), magna cum laude, Broadcast Journalism

  1980 — 1984

• University of San Francisco School of Law

  J.D., magna cum laude

  1987 — 1989