Dr. Vicky L. Sullivan, a senior associate based in our Austin office, received her Juris Doctor from the St. Mary’s University, School of Law after a long career as a public school educator and administrator. Dr. Sullivan earned a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) from The University of Texas at Austin and is a Texas licensed educator with certifications as a Superintendent, Mid-Management (Principal), and Secondary Physics and Physical Science Teacher. Additionally, she has a master’s degree in educational leadership from The University of Texas at San Antonio and a bachelor’s degree from St. Mary’s University.
Prior to pivoting to a second career in law, Dr. Sullivan worked in public school education for twenty-six years in the fourth largest school district in the state of Texas - Northside Independent School District in San Antonio. Dr. Sullivan began her career teaching high school physics, integrated physics and chemistry – IPC, and mathematics at John Marshall High School in Northside ISD. Then, she was promoted into administration as an Assistant Principal at Thomas C. Clark High School for Northside ISD.
In 2004, Dr. Sullivan was recruited to a district-level Hearing Officer for the Pupil Personnel Department in Northside ISD, where she conducted administrative, due process student disciplinary hearings for all grade levels and advised on a variety of legal issues involving general education laws district-wide. Her career blossomed and she was promoted to the Assistant Director then Director position and spent the last decade of her career in education as the Director of the Pupil Personnel Department, which functioned as an internal quasi-legal hub where school district staff sought counsel on a variety of student legal issues, including student discipline, student attendance/truancy, and student admission. There she provided district leadership, supervised district hearing officers and attendance officers, and advised in the areas of student discipline, student First Amendment and Constitutional rights and responsibilities, student investigations, search, and seizure, student attendance and truancy, FERPA and public information requests, among other student legal issues. Dr. Sullivan worked education/school law, family law, and juvenile law issues providing support, guidance, and training to administrators and staff throughout the district.
While in law school, Dr. Sullivan worked as a law clerk for the Legal Services Division at Texas Association of School Boards, legal intern for School-to Prison Pipeline and Education Justice Projects at Texas Appleseed, and interned as a research assistant for St. Mary’s University School of Law
Before joining the firm, Dr. Sullivan practiced Criminal Defense and Family Law with Zarka Law Firm and was a freelance Criminal Appellate Attorney with the Law Office of Angela Moore & Associates. Most recently, she served as a Senior Staff Attorney at Texas Appleseed practicing Education/School Law, Civil Rights Law, and Public Interest Law. While at Texas Appleseed, she represented students and parents in court involving criminal and civil cases, authored and supported legal writings including amicus briefs in student rights cases, and engaged in drafting legislation proposals, bill amendments & interim charges for legislative consideration, and was invited to testify as a subject matter expert before the Texas Legislature House Public Education Committee Hearing. As a recognized subject matter expert in the areas of student discipline and attendance/truancy throughout her professional career, Dr. Sullivan has been an invited speaker at several universities and conferences as well as being interviewed on multiple media platforms. In 2022, Dr. Sullivan was recognized as one of the Top 50 Attorneys of San Antonio by Attorney Intel.
Vicky’s paralegal is Andrea Stevens.