He is a Certified Appellate Specialist and a member of the California Academy of Appellate Lawyers. Mr. Tanke received his J.D. from the University of Minnesota in 1975 and an LL.M. from Cambridge University in 2005. As a Senior Fellow and Distinguished Research Lecturer in Law at Santa Clara University, he has taught courses in civil litigation and developed a course in class actions and complex litigation. His research interests include legal history and religious property disputes.