About Susan
Susan Marks built a layered educational foundation before entering law. She earned an M.A. in special education from California State University, Fresno in 1988 and a Ph.D. in special education from the University of Oregon in 1995. Years later she returned to school for a J.D. at Arizona Summit Law School, completing the degree in 2015. Her academic record anchors a career that crosses education, research and legal practice.
She moved into higher education in 2001, joining Northern Arizona University as a professor of special education. In the classroom she taught graduate courses and supervised applied research. Her academic work addressed assessment and behavior supports for students with disabilities. Over time she combined scholarship with hands-on training, mentoring graduate students and advising on program development.
Marks added legal training to that background in the mid-2010s. After earning her law degree in 2015 she opened Susan Marks & Advocates, PLLC, operating as owner and lawyer. She later reorganized her practice and in 2023 established the Law Office of Susan Marks, PLLC. She is licensed to practice in Arizona and in the Navajo Nation. She also holds a Board Certified Behavior Analyst designation at the doctoral level (BCBA-D), a credential that ties her clinical and academic expertise to her legal work.
Her combined credentials inform the kinds of matters she handles. She approaches cases that involve education plans, behavior supports and disability accommodations through both legal and behavioral lenses. That dual perspective affects how she prepares for administrative hearings, drafts individual education program materials and consults on policy questions. Colleagues and clients encounter an attorney who can explain technical behavior analysis concepts and translate them into legal arguments.
Marks’ practice is part legal counselor, part technical adviser. She works with families, school teams and agencies on disputes and planning. In administrative settings she draws on pedagogical research and professional standards for behavior analysis. Outside hearings she offers training and written guidance intended to prevent conflicts from escalating.
Today she practices from the Law Office of Susan Marks, PLLC, combining her background in special education, behavior analysis and law to address education and disability-related matters.
