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Tara Borelli is a Valued Lambda Legal Team Member Tara Borelli is a fighter. Tara and Lambda Legal fight for equality. Tara has dedicated her life to fighting for the day where people do not have to worry about losing rights due to sexual orientation, gender identity, or HIV status. Tara and the Lambda Legal Team fight for equality so that people do not lose their jobs, their parental rights, or their relationship rights. Tara Borelli is working in the
One of Tara’s most memorable moments in school was
Los Angeles Lambda Legal
protesting federal government recruitment on campus.
organization. Lambda Legal is an
The students protested the recruitment because at
impact litigation office. Lambda
that time the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Policy” violated the
Legal has been molded after
anti-discrimination policies of the campus. The campus
the National Association for the
recruitment continued for years despite numerous
Advancement of Colored People
lawsuits filed by multiple lawschools. However, those
(“NAACP”) and other historic
days are behind us now.
associations dedicated to equality. Lambda Legal is committed to achieving full recognition of civil rights
Tara discussed some of the positive changes she sees
regardless of a person’s sexual orientation, gender
in the protection of relationship rights for same sex
identity, or HIV status. Additionally, Lambda Legal
couples. Tara has seen a huge shift in the amount
works in coalition with a number of reproductive rights
of pro bono work in this area. Due to the fact that
groups and women’s equality groups. The Western
there is so much to be done in this area, the pro
Regional Office of Lambda Legal oversees litigation
bono contribution of firms is imperative. Law firms
in 11 western states. Lambda Legal has five different
are now seeing litigation to protect people’s rights
regional offices located in New York, Chicago, Atlanta,
based on sexual orientation, gender, and HIV status
Dallas, and Los Angeles.
as important. More and more firms are dedicating pro bono contributions in this area.
Tara received her political science degree from UC Davis, and then she went on to graduate from Boalt Hall, which has now been named the School of Law at UC Berkeley. During her internship with Lambda, Tara discovered she was “hooked” on the work. As an intern, she dreamed of working with Lambda Legal full-time. She said she was inspired by her internship to “work as hard as I could so that I could bring more to the table.”Although Tara loves her work, initially, she wanted to be a journalist to bring injustices to light. Luckily, for our legal community and the many disadvantaged individuals Tara represents, Tara found her true calling. “I realized I could really make a difference working in the law, and I could be a part of this dynamic movement.”
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Tara’s main mentor is Jon Davidson. Jon is the legal director at Lambda Legal. He has “worked in this movement for decades.”According to Tara, Jon Davidson is a great man to work for. His legal skill, knowledge, and dedication are unparalleled in this field. Tara discussed some of her personal experience with sexual orientation prejudice. In 2004, Tara and her wife Susan were married in San Francisco thanks to the efforts of Gavin Newsom. “Although I knew there would be a question as to the legal validity of the marriage, it meant so much for us to be acknowledged as a married couple. I was incredibly hurt when our marriage was invalidated.”Tara, Susan, and Bailey (the Pomeranian) are a family.
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Tara is driven to work hard and make a difference.
federal challenge seeking the freedom to marry for
Each case and heartbreaking client story provides more
same-sex couples in Nevada.
fuel for her fight for equality. For instance, one such case is Diaz v. Brewer (formerly Collins v. Brewer). In
For her advocacy, Tara has received a number of
2009, Arizona enacted a law to strip gay and lesbian
awards including all of the following: the Best Lesbian,
state employees of domestic partner benefits including
Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Lawyers (LGBT) Under
healthcare. The argument was that if the state stripped
40 Award, Certificates of Recognition presented by
domestic partners of health benefits, they violated the
the California State Assembly, the 2012 Legal Service
federal constitution because the government would
Award, and the Top Women Lawyers of 2012 Award.
not be upholding the promise of equality. Further,
Tara has a great deal of public speaking experience
by stripping these rights the law would be punishing
working with various firms, volunteer associations,
people for exercising their right to private relationships
and schools. Additionally, she also taught a number of
with a same-sex partner. Through the work of Tara and
mandatory continuing legal education seminars.
Lambda Legal, these healthcare rights were upheld through a preliminary injunction during the case.
In the past, Tara served on the Board of Directors and was Program Committee Chair for LifeWorks Mentoring,
Tara found being lead counsel on Diaz v. Brewer to be
now part of the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center. This
incredibly gratifying.“I believe access to healthcare is
program is an incredibly important mentoring program
incredibly important. It was incredibly frightening for
providing a positive support system and mentoring
these clients to be faced with the loss of healthcare.
services for LGBT youth. Tara admires a number of
The clients in this case included those whose partners
other non-profits such as the LGBT Rights Project of the
were suffering from glaucoma, hypertension, and even
American Civil Liberties Union (“ACLU”), the National
a stay at home foster parent suffering from a torn
Center for Lesbian Rights (“NCLR”), and Gay & Lesbian
carotid artery. Right as the state was about to yank
Advocates & Defenders (“GLAD”). Each organization
coverage, leaving thousands of people without health
provides “a chance to work with brilliant people in the
coverage, we intervened.”
field.”
Tara is working with Lambda Legal on the ground
In five years, Tara sees herself working with Lambda
breaking case, Golinski v. United States Office of
Legal. “I want to stay right here. There is so much
Personnel Management. On February 22, 2012 the U.S.
left to do.” Tara will continue to pour her heart and
District Court Judge Jeffrey White declared the Defense
soul into the movement. “I want to help establish
of Marriage Act (“DOMA”) unconstitutional as applied to
principles upon which we can build future work. Each
Karen Golinski. Here, Lambda Legal and co-counsel at
new precedent is a building block to the next step of
Morrison & Foerster represent Karen, who was denied
progress” she said. Perhaps she summed it up best
spousal health benefits by her employer, the U.S. Ninth
when she said “I love my work.” This is an area of the
Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. This unique
law that is constantly changing and providing new and
and pivotal case will be heard by the U.S. Ninth Circuit
rewarding challenges.
Court of Appeals and Lambda Legal will seek to uphold Judge White’s historic ruling to ensure that Karen, and
For more information about Tara Borelli or Lambda
others like her, will receive equal benefits. In addition,
Legal, visit Lambda Legal’s website at www.
Tara is serving as co-counsel in Sevcik v Sandoval, a
lambdalegal.org.
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