Susan Brooks is the Associate Dean of Experiential Learning at Drexel University Earle Mack School of Law, where she oversees all of the law school's clinical and public service programs. Previously, she spent many years as a Clinical Professor at Vanderbilt Law School, where she directed the Child and Family Law Policy Clinic, and taught other courses related to child and family law and policy.

Brooks has been involved in extensive research, writing, and community service projects related to child welfare, social services, and the role of the courts. During her time in Tennessee, she conducted research and consulted on numerous projects related to child welfare and the foster care system with representatives of all three branches of government. Brooks also spearheaded three successful legislative initiatives to support kinship families in Tennessee. In addition to providing direct legal representation and legislative advocacy on behalf of vulnerable children and families, Brooks, who is a certified mediator, also worked to promote greater use of mediation in child-related matters, and provided pro bono consultation to many community service agencies throughout Tennessee.

In addition to her J.D., which she received from the New York University School of Law, Brooks has a graduate degree in social work from the University of Chicago, School of Social Service Administration (SSA). She practiced social work for several years before attending law school at New York University. Much of her scholarship has focused on the application of social work principles to the fields of clinical legal education and child and family law.