Thomas Jack "T.J." Burke KC (born 1972) is a New Brunswick

lawyer A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...

and former politician. Burke made history when he was elected becoming the first member of Aboriginal heritage elected to a legislature anywhere in

Atlantic Canada Atlantic Canada, also called the Atlantic provinces (french: provinces de l'Atlantique), is the region of Eastern Canada comprising the provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec. The four provinces are New Brunswick, Newfoundlan ...

. He served in the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from

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-2010 and was a member of the executive council from 2006 to 2009Nick Moore. "T.J. Burke resigns from environment post," Moncton Times & Transcript, July 24, 2009, page A3. by serving as Minister of Justice and Attorney General. Burke was born in Los Angeles, California. His family returned to Canada in 1978, and he was raised in

Fredericton, New Brunswick Fredericton (; ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of New Brunswick. The city is situated in the west-central portion of the province along the Saint John River, which flows west to east as it bisects the city. The river is the do ...

. He graduated from Fredericton High School in 1990. After high school, Burke enlisted in the United States Military where he served from 1991 to 1995 as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division, one of America's elite military units. Following his service in the

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, Burke again returned to Canada and completed a Bachelor of Arts at the University of New Brunswick (New Brunswick) and a

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. He practiced law in Fredericton until he was named to the

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. Burke received national attention on December 15, 2005, when the legislature unanimously passed his tireless work and dedication on creating a motion declaring 2006 the "Year of the

War Bride War brides are women who married military personnel from other countries in times of war or during military occupations, a practice that occurred in great frequency during World War I and World War II. Among the largest and best documented examp ...

". On September 28, 2010, Burke was defeated by Progressive Conservative candidate Troy Lifford and lost his seat in the Legislature. Since his departure from politics, Burke has become one of New Brunswick's prominent criminal law defence lawyers and out of court room negotiators. He is regarded by many of his peers as a tireless advocate for the wrongfully accused and relentless defence lawyer in the court room. Burke was appointed and served a term as Canada's Chief Federal Negotiator on an important legal file. Burke has argued successful cases before all level of court including the

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. He has received various academic and public awards through law and politics, such as the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Awards. He has taught courses at both St. Thomas University and the University of New Brunswick's law school and is a recipient of the Queen's Counsel designation, a special recognition reserved for senior members of the legal community, who have distinguished themselves in their areas of legal practise.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Burke, T. J. 1972 births Canadian people of American descent Schulich School of Law alumni First Nations politicians Lawyers in New Brunswick Living people Members of the Executive Council of New Brunswick New Brunswick Liberal Association MLAs Politicians from Fredericton Politicians from Los Angeles United States Marines 21st-century Canadian politicians Attorneys General of New Brunswick Paratroopers