Donna M. Turley, Attorney

Donna M. Turley is a founding member of the firm. She focuses her practice on real estate matters, finance, small business, nonprofits, estate planning, probate, animal law, and serving the needs of nontraditional families, including the GLBT community.  Recognized by her peers as an outstanding lawyer, Ms. Turley brings more than twenty years experience as an attorney to the practice.  Her published works include the estate planning chapter in the Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education volume entitled Representing Nontraditional Families (MCLE, 2006), and editing the Legal Handbook for Massachusetts Elders (MBA 1992).  She is a sought after speaker who regularly teaches estate planning for community and business education programs.  She has participated on panels about legal issues facing nontraditional families, and works with community organizations teaching first time homebuyer seminars. 

Ms. Turley's legal career has given her a wide range of expertise in her practice areas.  She started her career in legal services for the poor, and left to work on housing issues for the City of Cambridge.  She then became general counsel for an affordable housing not for profit, ran the public interest legal department of the Massachusetts Bar Association and became executive director of its legal foundation.  She has been in private practice since 1994.

After graduating from Sarah Lawrence College in 1979, Ms. Turley worked on boats before entering law school.  She graduated from Northeastern School of Law in 1985 and earned an advanced law degree in taxation from Boston University in 1992. 

Outside of the office, Ms. Turley is an active member of numerous community groups. She has served on the board for several animal and civil rights organizations, and acted as pro bono counsel to several non profits.  Currently, she is the president of All Dog Rescue, Inc.  In season, Ms. Turley sails, and she recently completed a roundtrip passage of 3,000 nautical miles on her sailboat.  Ms. Turley is licensed by the United States Coast Guard as a U.S. Merchant Marine Officer with an auxiliary sail designation.  She lives in Cambridge with her partner, and their three dogs and one cat.