About Suzanne Wooten
Over Two Decades of Experience in the Collin County Legal Community
I grew up the daughter of a career senior officer of the United States Armed Forces. During my childhood, I learned to be resilient, adaptive, respectful, and appreciative of the call to serving the community and our country. After completion of my Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Texas at Austin, I moved to the Northeast to work in the private sector before returning to Texas to complete my Juris Doctorate from St. Mary's University School of Law. In the mid-1990s, I began my trial attorney career working as an associate for Mr. Thomas Thurmond in a multi-field law practice in San Antonio, Texas. After relocating to Collin County in 1996, I worked in insurance defense, civil litigation, family law, and criminal law. In 2000, I opened my own law office and mediation center on the square in McKinney. In 2008, I made history by challenging an incumbent district judge and winning the election for the 380th Judicial District Court by a landslide. While on the bench, I presided over thousands of cases on both a criminal (felony) and civil (CPS, family, civil) docket, fulfilling the oath I took as a fair and impartial jurist to faithfully execute the duties of the office of District Judge, and to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States and Texas. Since leaving the bench, I have continued working as a trial strategist, consulting expert, and attorney. Additionally, since returning to the private sector, I have acted as a mediator, arbitrator, or special master in over 1,200 cases. I have a reputation in the legal community for being principled, dedicated, tenacious, and a strong advocate, as well as a fierce defender of justice.
EXPERIENCE MATTERS
EDUCATION:
Bachelor of Science, University of Texas at Austin
Juris Doctorate, St. Mary’s University School of Law
ADMISSIONS:
State Bar of Texas
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES AND AFFILIATIONS:
Member, State Bar of Texas
Member, American Bar Association
Life Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation
Life Fellow, Collin County Bench Bar Foundation
Member, Family Law Section of the State Bar of Texas
Member, Collin County Bar Association
Charter Member, Collin County Young Lawyer’s Association
Member, Collin County Women Lawyer’s Association
Fellow, College of the State Bar of Texas (2000-2009)
Former Member, American Judges Association
Former Member, National Association of Women Judges
Former Member, Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association
Former Member, Texas Association for Court Administration
Member, Daughters of the American Revolution
EXPERIENCE:
North Texas Litigation Solutions, Mediator/Arbitrator/Special Master/Trial Consultant
Collin, Dallas, Grayson, Denton, and surrounding counties
Law Offices of Suzanne H. Wooten, Owner/Attorney
205 W. Louisiana Street, Ste. 203
McKinney, Texas 75069
State District Judge, State of Texas
Presiding Judge, 380th Judicial District Court
Term 2009-2012
Trial Attorney/Mediator
Firms and Solo Practice in Texas- civil, family, commercial litigation, and criminal defense
November 1995- December 2008
PRESENTATIONS:
“A View from the Bench”, Speaker - Plano Bar Association, Plano, Texas, March 6, 2009.
“Writing the Perfect County Western Song: Successful Preparation and Trial of a Texas Temporary Orders Hearing”, Presented with Michelle May O’Neil, Coye Conner, Jr., Rick Robertson, and Hon. Lawrence Noll - Marriage Dissolution Boot Camp, Ft. Worth, Texas April 15, 2009.
“New Judges’ Perspective”, Co-Speaker with Hon. Jill R. Willis -
Collin County Bar Association, Allen, Texas May 27, 2009.
“A View from the Bench”, Co-Speaker with Hon. Jill R. Willis - Collin County Bench Bar Conference, Rockwall, Texas May 30, 2009.
“Collaborative Solutions Annual Seminar”, Presenter Judges’ Panel - Collaborative Solutions Group, Dallas Bar Association Collaborative Law Section and the Global Collaborative Law Council, Dallas, Texas July 17, 2009.
“Making Your Practice Work”, Speaker - Collin County Bar Association Seminar, Plano, Texas, Jan. 29, 2010.
“Collin County Young Lawyers’ Association Judicial Reception”,
Presenter Judges’ Panel, McKinney, Texas March 11, 2010.
“Collin County Citizen Prosecutor Academy Class XI, Jury Trial-Judge’s Perspective”, Co-Speaker with Hon. Jill R. Willis - Collin County Courthouse, McKinney, Texas March 25, 2010.
“Family Law Essentials”,Presenter-Judges’ Panel - The Pro Bono Committee of the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Texas and Legal Aid of North West Texas, Sherman, Texas September 17, 2010.
“Objection, that testimony is devastating to my case! Witness
Preparation”, Presenter - Dallas Bar Association, Family Law Section, Dallas, Texas, May 14, 2014.
“Demystifying the Interface Between Psychology & Law”, Presenter - Collin County Psychological Association, Plano, Texas, April 24, 2015
“Witness Preparation”, Presenter- Plano Bar Association, May 6, 2016
“Making Your Practice Work”, Presenter - Collin County Bar Association, Plano, Texas, April 26, 2018.
“Using Mediation in Collaborative Cases”, Presenter - Dallas Bar Association – Collaborative Law Section, Dallas, Texas, September 26, 2018.
“Managing Client Expectations: Witness Preparation”, Presenter- Frisco Bar Association, Frisco, Texas, October 12, 2018.
“Maximizing Mediation: Preparing to Build a Bridge”, Presenter - Collin County Bench Bar Conference, Glen Rose, Texas, May 18, 2019.