Professional History

Education

Bachelor of Arts, University of Massachusetts, 1972, magna cum laude, Departmental Honors in Government, Political Science and Pre-law;

Doctor of Jurisprudence, The American University, Washington College of Law, Washington, DC, 1974. (Graduated first in class)

Awards

• Certified Criminal Law Specialist, State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization
• President, Desert Bar Association, Criminal Law Committee
• Arbitrator, American Arbitration Association
• Lecturer, Nevada Attorneys for Criminal Justice
• President's Club, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
• Contributing Author: Magazines - Forum, California Defender, Crime Justice & America
• Legal Analyst, KMIR-TV 6, NBC News, Palm Springs/Palm Desert, California, CourtTv, The Desert Sun
• Superior Court Judge Pro Tem: Los Angeles County, San Bernardino County, Riverside County

Memberships

• Desert Bar Association (President - Criminal Law Committee)
• State Bar of California (Criminal Law Specialist)
• NACDL (National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers [President's Club])
• CACJ (California Attorneys for Criminal Justice)
• NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People)
• Morongo Basin Bar Association
• California Public Defenders Association
• ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union)

Experience

Mark J. Sullivan graduated magna cum laude from the University of Massachusetts in 1972. Only two years later, he completed a three-year law school program and graduated from The American University College of Law in Washington D.C. He immediately sat for and passed the summer, 1974 California Bar examination, and became a lawyer in November, 1974.

Shortly thereafter, Mr. Sullivan accepted a position in San Francisco with the prestigious civil law firm of Cartwright, Saroyan, Martin & Sucherman. He gained valuable trial experience under the tutelage of Robert E. Cartwright, who had been the founder and led such organizations as the American Trial Lawyers Association and the California State Bar. There, Mr. Sullivan became an accomplished trial lawyer, and was the recipient of such awards as Young Lawyer of the Year and Civil Litigator of the Year. Despite being 32 years old and being only four years out of law school, Sullivan was rapidly developing a reputation as one of the best trial lawyers in California.

However, while at the Cartwright firm, Sullivan was limited to handling only tort litigation. He had wanted to concentrate more on representing professional athletes, which was something he had done as an agent while in law school. So, after three years at the Cartwright firm, Mr. Sullivan went out on his own and established the firm of Sullivan & Shane.

One of his first cases at Sullivan and Shane involved the San Diego Chargers and Random House Publishing. Sullivan had to take on two of the largest, most powerful law firms in Southern California in trial. The case WAS IN THE San Diego County Superior Court, but received national attention. The jury in that case awarded Sullivan's client one of the largest monetary verdicts of the era, and the victory enhanced Mr. Sullivan's already formidable reputation. Soon, offers from law firms all over California came his way.

After a year-long hiatus in St. Croix, Mr. Sullivan accepted an offer to be associated with a Beverly Hills law firm, and he moved to Southern California. All the while, however, he had yearned to have his own practice, and by this time, he had decided that he wanted to specialize in criminal law. After a weekend visit in 1981, he decided to open his practice in Palm Springs.

Because he had never been employed as a deputy public defender or as a prosecutor, establishing a reputation as an exceptional criminal lawyer was a daunting task. More than a decade of attending continuing education seminars, practical experience and hard work as a committed defense attorney finally qualified him to apply for certification as a Criminal Law Specialist in 1994. He had already been selected as the defense lawyer faced by local prosecutors in the office of the San Bernardino County District Attorney. In 1995, he was certified after receiving commendations from judges, colleagues, and prosecutors.

One of the judges before whom Sullivan practices on a daily basis summed up his ability very well. With decades of experience as a trial judge in Southern California prior to his appointment by the Supreme Court of California to sit in the Coachella Valley, this judge was asked to evaluate Mark Sullivan as a criminal defense attorney. His opinion is that Mark J. Sullivan is the best criminal defense attorney that I he had ever seen in the Riverside County courts, and Mark Sullivan ranks with the best criminal defense attorneys who had ever appeared before him in the 35 years that he had been a judge in all of California. Other judges, too, were asked to comment upon his ability. They consistently praised his preparedness, his professionalism, and his uncanny ability to win so-called impossible cases, cases that other capable, experienced criminal defense lawyers had considered hopeless.

In the 25 years that he has practiced in Palm Springs, Mark Sullivan has represented all kinds of clients for all kinds of cases. But he is most proud that the individuals who are in the best position to evaluate and select a lawyer have chosen Mark Sullivan to represent them. Among those in the know, Mr. Sullivan has been chosen to represent courthouse bailiffs, courtroom clerks, court reporters, probation officers, police officers and deputy sheriffs. He has also represented many of his colleagues, civil lawyers, other criminal defense attorneys, prosecutors and trial judges. In fact, in 1999, Mr. Sullivan was selected by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of a neighboring state to defend him of criminal charges. Sullivan prevailed in the case.

From the beginning, Mr. Sullivan has held many prominent positions. While he was with the Cartwright firm in the '70's, Mr. Sullivan was one of the youngest attorneys to serve as an arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association. He is a member of the President's Club of the National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys in Washington, D.C.

Sullivan he has written articles for legal magazines such as Forum™, California Defender™m and Crime, Justice & America™ magazines. Sullivan serves as legal analyst for both KMIR-TV6 and CBS2, and has appeared on Court TV® . He seems to handle very interesting cases, many of which appear in The Desert Sun.

From 2000 to 2005, Mr. Sullivan served as president of the Criminal Law Committee of the Desert Bar Association. In September, 2006, his Palm Springs law firm will celebrate its 25th anniversary.

History

• 1974-1978 Cartwright, Saroyan, Martin & Sucherman, Inc.
  Attorneys and Counselors at Law
  San Francisco, California
• 1979-1980 Sullivan & Shane
  Attorneys at Law
  San Francisco, California
• 1979-1981 Rohlin Law Firm
  Hollywood, California 90016
• 1981-pres Mark J. Sullivan, Attorney at Law
  Certified Criminal Defense Attorney
  555 South Palm Canyon Drive
  Suite 201
  Palm Springs, California 92264
  (Tel.) 760/327-1529 (Fax) 760/327-2348 (24 hr. cell) 760/861-3417