Susan K. Carns
(405) 691-1600
Susan K. Carns practices in Carr & Carr’s Oklahoma City office. She previously worked for a major insurance company as a successful trial attorney.
A mother of three, Susan and her family are active in their church and in community organizations. She was co-chair of the 2010 Taste of Oklahoma City, benefitting Big Brothers and Big Sisters.
In 2003 she was a City of Oklahoma City Historic Preservation Commissioner. A former Army brat, Susan was born in West Point, New York, graduated from high school in the Republic of Panama, and has lived in six states.
Susan is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court Western District of Oklahoma. She is the co-author with Gerald P. Green of E-Discovery: The New Federal Rules, The Oklahoma Bar Journal, volume 77, number 30, 2006.
Education
- 1992 – Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Christian Education from Wheaton College in Illinois
- 2006 – Juris Doctor, Oklahoma City University College of Law in 2006
Professional Associations
- Oklahoma State Bar Association, member since 2007
- Oklahoma State Bar, Bench and Bar Committee, member since 2008
- Oklahoma State Bar, Professionalism Committee, member since 2008
- U.S. District Court Western District of Oklahoma, member since 2007
Susan’s Story
“In June of 2002, I made my first (and unexpected) step toward becoming a lawyer: I served as a juror. After the week-and-a-half-long trial ended, my curiosity about the profession did not; in fact, it grew.
“A few months later I called the judge from that trial and asked if I could come make her coffee and sweep her floors, so that I might be able to learn more about the work of a lawyer. She responded that she already had folks to help her with those things, but, I was welcome to come and observe her whenever I wanted. So we worked out a schedule and I spent a day or two with her every week for about the next year: reading pleadings, listening to oral arguments, watching jury trials, etc.
“During that time, I learned the value of having very good legal representation. Simply having good facts in your favor is often not sufficient if you do not have a good lawyer representing those facts to the judge or jury. Also, within that year’s time, I applied for and started law school.
“Surprisingly, in spite of my courtroom experience with the judge, I hadn’t really anticipated trial work in my future. Nonetheless, the opportunity presented itself shortly after law school, and I started my career working on behalf of individuals who were being provided a defense attorney by their insurance company. Within the first three years of working for that company, I’d taken no fewer than a dozen cases to jury trial. I loved it: the pre-trial work, the courtroom, working with opposing counsel, presenting the case to the jury. Still, overall, my favorite part of legal is knowing that my involvement helps folks get a great result, with or without a trial. My work at Carr & Carr is dedicated to just this.
“My years of working for an insurance company gives me an informed perspective on how best to present my client’s case to insurance companies in order to obtain the best settlement offers. Likewise, my years as a trial lawyer have given me an informed perspective on how best to handle a case in the event it needs to go to court. It is with the deepest sincerity that I say that I am so pleased to have been provided this opportunity to serve those in need through my work here at Carr & Carr.”
