Candidate for
Superior Court Judge; County of Alameda; Office 20

About Tara Flanagan

For Tara Flanagan, being a good judge means putting one's lifetime of skills, education, and experience to work for the greater good. She believes that the court needs highly qualified, fair minded, diverse judges that can bring real-life prospective to the courtroom. Tara's background and experience in civil, family, and criminal law makes her the perfect candidate for the job.

Tara grew up in a union household in the Bay Area. She was one of seven children raised by a single mother. She learned first hand what it's like to struggle to make ends meet.

Tara knew that if she was going to succeed, it was going to be through hard work. A stellar student- athlete, she was awarded a basketball scholarship to Cal State Northridge. While in school, Tara enjoyed success both on and off the court. In her senior year, she led her team to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Division II basketball tournament. Tara also received awards and honors for her excellence in leadership and in the classroom.

After graduating from college, Tara received a scholarship to attend the American Association of University Women's young women's leadership conference in Washington, DC. It was during this trip to our nation's capitol, where she met notable women leaders and dignitaries, that Tara decided that she wanted to be a lawyer.

Before she dedicated herself to the law, Tara worked to fulfill her dream of athletic success. Leaving basketball behind, Tara took up the sport of rugby, and was selected to the US Women's Rugby National Team. Tara and her teammates went on to win the Women's Rugby World Cup in 1991. Tara shined on the world stage, garnering co-tournament MVP accolades from the London Times. The USA Eagles National Rugby Team followed their impressive 1991 victory with a second place finish in the 1994 World Cup.

As her rugby career came to a close, Tara enrolled at Southwestern Law School. Attending law school at night while working full time, Tara distinguished herself at Southwestern, becoming class president and named to the Moot Court Honors Program, where she later served on the Honors Board of Directors.

After graduation, Tara's law career started at a large litigation firm in Orange County; from there, she joined the Los Angeles District Attorney's office where she served as Deputy District Attorney. During her first year at the D.A.'s office, Tara's hard work and skill earned her recognition and honors as an "Outstanding Domestic Violence Prosecutor."

In 2004, Tara began practicing family law. As a legal aid attorney, she represented domestic violence survivors and their children. Tara fought for restraining orders and financial support to ensure that the victims had the security to move forward with their lives. Later, Tara was the managing Attorney of the Self-Help Center of the Superior Court, and Family Law Facilitator. There, she helped low income people navigate the courts, because she believes that all people should have equal access to justice. Today Tara runs her own practice and continues to specialize in protecting the victims of domestic violence.

In an effort to help alleviate the backlog of cases in our court system, Tara became a Temporary Judge in Alameda County. As a Temporary Judge, Tara presides over traffic, family, restraining order and small claims cases.

Tara believes that the diversity of the Court should reflect the diversity of our community. Currently, only 30 percent of Alameda County Superior Court Judges are women.

Tara Flanagan has the diverse experience, real-life perspective, and temperament to be an effective and fair Superior Court Judge for the people of Alameda County.

She is committed to an efficient judicial system, which treats everyone with dignity.