Tara Borelli is a Valued Lambda Legal Team Member

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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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