A native of Memphis Tennessee, Suzanne graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from the University of Tennessee.
As a part of her undergraduate studies, Suzanne worked at the Knox County Public Defender’s Office and a Community Alternative to Prison Program. These experiences led Suzanne to pursue a career in social justice; in 1998 she matriculated at Washington University in St. Louis for graduate studies in both law and social work.
The Brown School of Social Work at Washington University, then the top-ranked program in the world, provided an open-minded environment where Suzanne gained a deeper understanding of human behavior, diversity, poverty, community dynamics and complex social systems. This was the perfect compliment to her comprehensive legal studies, which included traditional subjects (contracts, property, and constitutional law) in addition to specialized coursework in how to represent children, women and minorities. Throughout the four year program, Suzanne worked at Legal Services of Eastern Missouri’s housing unit, a large law firm, Parkway School District and for an International Human Rights Agency in Kathmandu, Nepal. Whether it was writing a report to the UN about compliance with international treaties, drafting a House Bill at state level or even writing an individualized education plan for a child in need, each of these experiences helped Suzanne gain greater insight into both the human condition and the way that the legal system impacts the lives of individuals. Along the way, Suzanne also found love in the form of a fellow law student and St. Louis native.
In 2002, Suzanne graduated with her JD/MSW, got married, decided to put down roots in St. Louis, and began her first job as an attorney at Voices for Children St. Louis, (formerly City CASA). There, Suzanne supervised a team of 40 highly-trained lay leaders and represented children who were victims of abuse and neglect. Our combined representation began within 72 hours of a child provisionally coming into foster care and lasted until they reached permanency. The scope of representation included advocating for their legal, educational, and medical needs as well as engaging in custody modification, contempt hearings, termination of parental rights, guardianship and adoption cases. Suzanne left full-time employment at Voices for Children in 2007 after the birth of her second child, though she carried on as a contractor in various capacities. This allowed Suzanne to focus on raising her two young daughters and being a “near-professional volunteer,” serving on numerous charitable boards.
In 2008, Suzanne was granted a contract position for the State of Missouri to represent abused and neglected children in the Family Drug Court. This was a civil court program with the goal of family reunification for children who have been placed in the custody of Missouri Children’s Division due to one or both parents’ substance abuse problems. Suzanne continued in the post for five years, learning the ins and outs of addiction, treatment, and the toll addiction places on an addict’s family. Family Drug Court ignited Suzanne’s passion for assisting these families. The rest of Suzanne’s combined legal and social work practice included not-for-profit development work and civil litigation in Family Law and Care and Protection Matters, as well as extensive Guardian ad Litem work. She also contracted with Washington University to provide representation to indigent clients through their Civil Justice Clinic.
Suzanne is excited to carry on her justice work at ELO. She continues to serve on many charitable boards and have civic involvement. Suzanne lives in St. Louis County with her husband and their two children.