About Susan

Experience:

Susan has practiced divorce and family law in the DFW area since 2007. She is the 2024 Chair of the Dallas Bar Association Family Law Section, after serving on the Section’s board of directors since 2016. She also serves as one of the co-authors of the Texas Family Law Practice Manual, a resource that nearly every family law attorney in Texas uses on a daily basis. Susan is a skilled family law trial attorney in the courtroom, but also realizes that most cases and clients are better served by what is done outside of the courtroom – whether it is negotiation, planning, mediation, or settlement; her significant trial experience allows her to provide her clients with the counsel of how to resolve matters amicably, as well.

She is well-known for her attorney ethics. In 2019, she was chosen to begin service as a panel member for hearings involving attorney misconduct for the State Bar of Texas; she then was selected to chair a panel from 2020-2024. In 2024, she was elected as the overall leader of the State Bar of Texas District 6 Grievance Committee.

After graduating from Rhodes College, Susan stayed in Memphis and worked for a small criminal defense firm. There, she was able to directly assist the attorneys in their day-to-day practice, including preparing capital murder cases for trial. She developed a strong interest in criminal law that grew during her time at Baylor. During law school, Susan clerked for the United States Attorney’s Office and had several clerkships with the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office, where she gained felony trial experience. After graduation, Susan completed a post-graduate clerkship with the Tarrant County District Attorney’s office.

Prior to entering private practice, Susan worked as in-house counsel for an asset management company. The company held not only commercial and residential real estate, but also other diverse portfolio interests, such as stocks and other subsidiary companies. Susan helped form business entities to ensure their organizational success and handled litigation matters for these companies.

While working for the company, Susan began building her private practice by handling private cases for others in the areas of family law, criminal defense, probate, and litigation. Susan has continued to serve clients in family law matters since 2007, including divorce (contested and uncontested), child custody, child support, termination, adoption, Child Protective Services, paternity, and modifications of any of the above. She also serves her clients in preparing and negotiating premarital agreements (“prenups”) and postmarital property agreements between spouses (“postnups”).

Susan has been recognized by her peers as being selected as a D Magazine Best Lawyer in Dallas and as a SuperLawyer in Family Law through Texas Super Lawyers, as published in Texas Monthly magazine, each honor received for several years in a row. In 2015, Susan was elected as a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation; fellowship in the Texas Bar Foundation is limited to one-third of 1% of licensed attorneys in Texas. Election to the Fellows of the Texas Bar Foundation is one of the highest honors that can be bestowed upon a member of the State Bar of Texas. Nomination is based on outstanding contributions to the legal profession as well as commitment to the attorney’s community. Fellows of the Texas Bar Foundation have placed great importance on professional integrity and on promoting the cause of justice in Texas.

Susan is licensed to practice in: all state courts of Texas, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, and the Supreme Court of the United States.

Education:

◊ J.D., Baylor University
◊ B.A., Rhodes College

Susan graduated from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee with a double-major in Political Science and History, and was inducted into the Order of Omega honor society. At Rhodes, she served as the Student Representative to the Faculty Curriculum Committee and was an invitational team captain for the prestigious Rhodes Mock Trial team. Susan was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi sorority, where she served as a social chair and as the Continuous Open Recruitment Chair. As an alumnus, Susan has served as an adviser to the sorority for chapter development and alumnae/parent relations. She was recently elected to a position on the Rhodes College Alumni Association Executive Board.

Susan earned her law degree from Baylor University School of Law. While at Baylor, she served on the Student Bar Association Executive Board and coached the Baylor Undergraduate Mock Trial team to victory at several national competitions. She also served as a research assistant to one of her law professors and assisted in the preparation of a brief to the United States Supreme Court. She serves on the Steering Committee of the Dallas Baylor Lawyers Network.