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 many types of County Court matters including criminal misdemeanor, 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 then Chief Judge Michael McHugh, and in 2020, she was appointed to the full position of Administrative Judge until 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 as the Circuit Representative for the Conference of County Court Judges and the Second District Vice-President. In 2022, Judge Paluck was appointed as Secretary of the Conference, and then elected to the position by the judges of the State of Florida. In July 2024, Judge Paluck was appointed and then elected to serve as the Editor of The Courier which is publication for all County Court Judges in Florida. In this capacity, she served on the Executive Board of Directors for the Conference of County Court Judges of Florida. For several years, Judge Paluck was the Chairperson of the Technology Committee and serves on the Education, Administration and Management, Conference, New Judge Liaison 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. Judge Paluck was reappointed by Chief Justice Muniz for an additional two-year term. In June of 2026, she was reappointed by Chief Justice Couriel for another term. She was also asked to be the chairperson of the Court Interpreter Expansion Workgroup. This workgroup then reports to the full TCPA Committee.

Judge Paluck has been Faculty Trained to teach other judges at judicial conferences. She has assisted in instruction of classes from Mental Health Court, Stand Your Ground, Florida Wildlife and Game Commission, Canvassing Board and Court Interpreter issues. Judge Paluck was also asked to chair a new judicial committee which she founded to assist judges who are impacted by natural disasters. This committee lends support to displaced judges, so the judge may continue to do his/her work efficiently.

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 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 was predominately 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 was awarded the honoree of the Lee County Association of Women Lawyers Judicial Appreciation Reception in 2015 and 2026. In July of 2026, Judge Paluck was awarded the recipient of the Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Award. This award is presented annually to one county court judge recognizing his/her commitment to judicial excellence. Over the last two decades, Judge Paluck has presented at continuing mediator training in Lee County, and she has been a panelist for several bar associations and legal groups. She has been active in the community hosting numerous mock trials and speaking events for local schools and clubs and participated in several community service events. Since being elected, Judge Paluck has hosted many shadowing students and interns to assist them in learning about our justice system.