Leslie Danks Burke

Leslie K. Danks Burke, J.D., is a lawyer, adjunct Professor of Law at Cornell Law School, and adjunct full Professor in Cornell University’s School of Integrative Plant Science, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS). Her career in tax, international dispute resolution, and human and civil rights led her to increasing concern about political polarization and damage to the democratic republic arising from tax and economic inequity. Professor Danks Burke transitioned into policy advocacy in rural economic development. Her anti-corruption work has been featured on NPR, and for three years, she provided weekly commentary for the NBC affiliate broadcasting across the rural Twin Tiers of New York and Pennsylvania. Professor Danks Burke holds a B.A. from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School. On a personal note, Professor Danks Burke’s parents farm corn and wheat in eastern Colorado.