Steven R. Burk was born and raised in the Midwest. He graduated from the University of Iowa in 1976, and taught high school English in Iowa and Baltimore, MD. He attended law school at the University of Baltimore while working in the Public Defender Office, where he was assigned to the major felony and death penalty units. A private law firm brought Mr. Burk to Fort Lauderdale, FL, in 1983, and he opened his own office one year later.
He has successfully represented persons charged with all major felony offenses, including weapons and drug offenses (ranging from possession to trafficking in controlled substances), manslaughter, first degree murder, rape and other sex offenses, burglary, robbery and kidnapping. He has likewise assisted persons charged with white collar offenses including complex racketeering, telemarketing and trade-secrets prosecutions, and misdemeanor prosecutions of DUI and domestic violence.
Profile:
In addition to criminal jury trial successes, Mr. Burk has also represented doctors, lawyers and other professionals in disciplinary proceedings before boards of review and administrative agencies. He is one of a handful of lawyers who have successfully defended persons subjected to Jimmy Ryce commitment proceedings, both at the trial level and on appeal.
His work has lead to appearances in local and national news media, including MSNBC and the Today Show.
Mr. Burk was pleased to serve as a Broward County Traffic Magistrate, presiding over thousands of traffic offense cases. As a result of his experience in this quasi-judicial role, local law enforcement agencies have sought his assistance in service training for their police officers.
In 2006, Mr. Burk opened an office in Deland, Florida, midway between Orlando and Daytona. He continues to practice in the areas of criminal defense, family law and civil litigation.
In addition to his trial background, Mr. Burk is qualified under Florida Supreme Court guidelines to arbitrate disputes, and has been appointed as a special master to assist in resolving complex civil discovery issues.