We make The Wu Project possible!
Meet the team
Ms. Susan Porter
Vice-chair
Susan PorterSusan graduated from Florida State University with a degree in social work. She initially worked for the state of Florida reviewing eligibility for food stamps and AFDC benefits and then began work as a social worker with the Special Family Services program, carrying a small caseload of indigent families, providing information and referral to services on an emergency short time basis. The work was rewarding but Susan felt the limitations of working for the state and decided to go to law school.
In 1981 Susan graduated from Nova Law Center and upon graduation began working as an assistant public defender at the Broward Public Defenders Office, again working with the indigent population in Broward county, Florida. Initially Susan represented juveniles charged with delinquent acts and eventually became a felony attorney representing individuals charged with felonies. Except for a three year stint as a private civil attorney, her entire career has been as a criminal defense attorney working with indigent persons.
She eventually served as a senior attorney supervising felony attorneys and was instrumental in the first years of the first Felony Mental Health Court in the nation, handling criminal cases and supervising the assistant public defenders who represented clients with severe mental health problems in with competency and placement aspects of their criminal cases. Susan has had numerous jury trials for person charged with various offenses, including 1st degree murder and death penalty sentencing.
Since 2005 Susan has served as a chief assistant public defender, handling all attorney training for the 125 attorney office, including new attorney training, in house training and working with local criminal defense organizations for cooperative training. She is in charge of attorney recruiting and reviews all resumes and manages the hiring process.
Susan serves on the Statewide Training Committee for the Florida Public Defenders Association, and is a member of the Broward Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
