Judge Tara Pascotto Paluck was elected to a newly created County Court seat in November of 2006. As a County Court Judge, Judge Paluck presides over all types of County Court matters including criminal misdemeanor, county civil, small claims, civil traffic infractions, and municipal/county ordinances. In April of 2016, Judge Paluck was appointed as a Co-Administrative judge for the Lee County Court division by Chief Judge Michael McHugh, and she was appointed the full position of Administrative Judge of County Court for Lee County from October of 2020 to July of 2023. Since 2016, Judge Paluck has served as the Chairperson of the Lee County Public Safety Coordinating Counsel. From 2016 until 2022, Judge Paluck was elected by the Conference of County Court Judges as the Second District Vice-President. In 2022, Judge Paluck was appointed as Secretary of the Conference of the County Court Judges of Florida, and then elected to the position by the judges of the State of Florida. She still currently holds this position. For several years, Judge Paluck was the Chairperson of the Technology Committee and serves on the Editorial and Legislative Committees for the County Court Conference. Appointed by the Chief Judge of the Twentieth Judicial Circuit and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Florida, Judge Paluck is a designated mentor judge to new judges

In July of 2022, Judge Paluck was asked to serve on the Commission on Trial Court Performance and Accountability. This Commission operates through the Policy Unit of the Court Services in the Office of State Courts Administrator at the Florida Supreme Court.

As for her education, in 1991, Judge Paluck received her Bachelor of Arts degree in American Studies from the University of Notre Dame. In 1994, she graduated from Creighton University School of Law. After that, Judge Paluck returned home to Lee County to intern with the State Attorney's Office. Subsequently, she began her work as a prosecutor, handling cases primarily in the Domestic Violence and Narcotics/Firearms cases. Additionally, Judge Paluck served as a liaison with the Lee County Sheriff's Office advising on search and seizure issues and attended undercover operations.

After working for the State of Florida for three years, Judge Paluck was hired by Allstate Insurance Company. For approximately eight years, Judge Paluck practiced insurance defense work. As a trial attorney for Allstate, Judge Paluck's caseload consisted mostly of bodily injury, subrogation, personal injury protection, homeowners and small claims actions.

In 2004, Judge Paluck was certified by the Supreme Court of Florida as a mediator in Circuit Civil cases. Additionally, Judge Paluck started her own law firm developing a mediation and general law practice. Predominantly, in this capacity, Judge Paluck handled family law matters. Her practice closed when she was elected to the bench.

In 2010, Judge Paluck was recognized for serving as the presiding judge for Mental Health Court for three years. In July of 2016, she received the President's Award for Outstanding Service with the County Court Judges of Florida. Additionally, Judge Paluck has presented at continuing mediator training in Lee County, and she has been a panelist for several bar associations and legal groups.

Over the last decade, Judge Paluck has been active in the community hosting numerous mock trials and speaking events for local schools and clubs. She has participated in several community service events such as builds with Habitat for Humanity and mentored with the Lee County Association of Woman Lawyers. Frequently, Judge Paluck hosts students and interns to learn about our justice system.