Bruce Burke practiced for forty two years as a civil trial and appellate attorney statewide, until his retirement in 2017. He served as lead counsel in numerous complex civil cases, with emphasis on class actions involving wrongful denial of insurance coverage, student loan scams and consumer fraud claims. Bruce is a "double" alumnus of the University of Arizona. In 1971 he received a Bachelor of Science degree with high distinction from the College of Agriculture, where he majored in Agricultural Economics, and also graduated with Honors in English Literature. In 1975 he received a Juris Doctor degree from the College of Law.
He is a member of the U of A Honors College Advisory Board, a Fellow of the U of A Law College Association, and a Lifetime member of the U of A Alumni Association.
Bruce serves as a board member on the Marshall Foundation and the John and Helen Murphey Foundation, both of which devote their charitable resources to local community needs, with an emphasis on higher education. From 2003 to 2010 he served as a member of the Tucson Unified School District School Governing Board, and was board President in 2005.