Biography
Suzanne graduated with honors from University of Baltimore School of Law. After earning her Juris Doctor, Suzanne moved to Annapolis and began her legal career working as a Judicial Law Clerk for The Honorable Laura Ripken in the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County. Upon concluding her clerkship, Suzanne began her private practice career, working with a firm exclusively focused on representing personal injury plaintiffs. Throughout this period, she built up substantial trial experience, zealously advocating for injured individuals against insurance companies. It did not take long for Suzanne to realize that representing injury victims was her passion and she has set out on a career path of doing exclusively this kind of work.
After five years as an associate trial attorney, Suzanne then moved to Potter Burnett Law where she was a founding partner and trial attorney of the Bowie, Maryland based personal injury and medical malpractice firm. There Suzanne grew her business, continued litigating car crash and complex injury cases, while also being instrumental to the daily operations required to run a firm.
Throughout her legal career, Suzanne has garnered recognition for her exceptional professional achievements and dedication to community service. In 2023, she was recognized among The Daily Record's “Top 100 Women”, an honor shared by high-achieving women who make significant contributions through their leadership, mentorship, and community involvement. Prior to that, in 2019, she was celebrated as a “Leading Women” honoree by the same publication, a distinguished award given to women aged 40 or younger acknowledging significant career accomplishments alongside a demonstrated commitment to inspiring change in their communities. In 2012, only two years into practicing as a personal injury attorney, Suzanne received the prestigious "20 in their Twenties" award from The Maryland Daily Record, recognizing her outstanding professional achievements and community service.
Suzanne has also been recognized annually since 2013 by Super Lawyers with the distinction of being ‘A Rising Star’ in the Maryland and Washington D.C. legal communities.
Suzanne is actively involved in many legal and community organizations, including Anne Arundel County Bar Association (AABA) where she is the President for 2024-2025, has been on their Board of Trustees for over a decade, and has held various positions including Community Services Chair, Social Programs Chair and Chair of the New Lawyers Committee. She was honored with the AABA President’s Award in 2018 for her outstanding efforts that year to raise money for veterans. Additionally, she serves on the Board of Directors for the Maryland State Bar Association (MSBA) and is an active member of the Prince George’s County Bar Association (PGCBA) as well as the Society for Women Trial Lawyers.
Suzanne actively collaborates with other Maryland trial lawyers through her involvement with the Maryland Association for Justice (MAJ) where she is also a Board member. She has been the co-chair of the Women's Caucus for the last three years and serves on the board of the Political Action Committee (PAC). Notably, Suzanne plays a vital role in spearheading fundraising initiatives that support candidates dedicated to safeguarding our civil justice system and advocating for victims of negligence.
Suzanne not only is a leader in the legal arena, but also in her community. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Maryland Hall for Creative Arts and has been a long-time supporter, previously being a founding member of the Young Patrons for Maryland Hall. She was formerly a Baltimore City Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for children in the foster care system and is a consistent supporter of Anne Arundel County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA).
In her personal life, Suzanne resides in Edgewater with her family — law partner and husband, Andrew Burnett — and their three young children and rescue dog, Koco. They enjoy traveling, being outside, and spending time supporting their kids in their various activities.