Susan Carns Curtiss

Personal Introduction

Raised an “Army brat,” I attended six schools by the time I graduated high school. I’m no stranger to adjusting to new situations, or to relating to folks from all different backgrounds. My family’s heritage of commitment to public service (both grandfathers, my father, both uncles, both husbands of my two aunts, and nearly half of my cousins voluntarily have served, or currently serve, in the U.S. military). The importance of serving others, and being willing to sacrifice for the benefit of your community and your country, was a life principle that I observed - and lived - throughout my childhood. It is also a principle I try to live out through my work as a lawyer. It is my deepest desire that my work for my clients, lead individuals and businesses to be more careful, so that our community is more safe. My path to becoming a lawyer was rather unconventional; it began when I served as a juror in 2002. Within a few months of that week and a half long trial, I began volunteering for the Judge that presided over that case. Approximately one year later, I began classes at Oklahoma City University School of Law. Shortly after graduation from law school, I began working as a trial attorney for a national insurance company. In my work for the insurance company, I obtained both a formal and a practical education about what insurance companies need from claimants in order for folks to have a reasonable expectation that they will be fairly compensated. During my employment there, I was able to obtain resolution of the majority of my cases before and without a trial, though, naturally, some did go all the way to a jury verdict. In fact, over three and a half years, I tried a dozen jury trials. However, though I achieved great success in the courtroom, I felt a growing personal restlessness, and found myself drawn to plaintiffs’ work; the work of advocating on behalf of the hurt, the vulnerable. It was during that time, that a personal injury litigation firm in Oklahoma City approached me about coming to work for them. I accepted that timely offer, and for the next four years, I represented folks with many kinds of personal injury and wrongful death claims (both those that could get resolved without a lawsuit, as well as those which warranted pursuing further through litigation). Over the years, my observations and work in the courtroom as a juror, as an attorney for defendants at the insurance company, and as an attorney for plaintiffs, have led me to believe strongly in the importance of hiring highly-skilled litigation counsel to accomplish either the ideal of non-litigation resolution of a claim, or to facilitate a genuine opportunity for a full and fair verdict from a jury. My work is devoted to being exactly that kind of lawyer to my clients. In my personal time, I love spending time with my family, reading, running, cycling, and knitting (but only if the project does not involve a pattern). I’ve been known to do a little public speaking at local churches and schools, and once (never again - they won’t let you use ANY notes!) I did a TEDx talk, where I shared more about the imperfect path I followed to be able to do the work I love doing for my clients every day.