Maria S. Sullivan

Maria is a senior associate in Burke’s Public Law practice group and an accomplished public law attorney with extensive experience advising public agencies on litigation, governance, and statutory compliance. Previously, she served as Deputy County Counsel for Tuolumne County, where she provided legal guidance and representation to a wide range of county departments, including the Department of Social Services, Behavioral Health, Information Technology, Probation, General Services Administration, and the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO).

Maria’s practice encompasses a wide range of public law matters, including ethics and compliance, government contracting, public records, Brown Act issues, constitutional rights, privacy, and general municipal law.

She has represented public agencies in administrative trial and appellate proceedings in state courts and regularly advises counties, special districts, and joint powers authorities on policy development and review, and governance issues. Maria assists public bodies when acting in a quasi-judicial capacity and represents agencies in administrative hearings and related proceedings.

Maria is committed to providing practical, informed, and effective counsel to her public agency clients. She is actively involved in professional education and has regularly presented and conducted trainings for public officials and agency staff on ethics, the Brown Act, the Public Records Act, contracting, confidentiality, and juvenile dependency matters. Maria places a strong emphasis on continuing education and staying current with developments in public law to ensure her clients receive thoughtful, reliable, and solutions-oriented legal guidance.