Oklahoma City University
School of Law
MottoVeritas Ecclesia Cognitio
(Truth, Church, Knowledge)
Established1907
School typePrivate
Endowment$ 80.5 million[1]
DeanDavid Holt
LocationOklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.
Enrollment469[2]
Faculty33[2]
USNWR ranking150 (USNWR)[3]
Bar pass rate54.74%[4]
Websitelaw.okcu.edu
ABA profileOCU Law Profile

Oklahoma City University School of Law, also known as OCU Law, is the law school of Oklahoma City University. OCU Law is located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and was founded in 1907. OCU Law was located in the Sarkeys Law Center on the southwest side of the Oklahoma City University campus until spring 2015, when it moved to a new campus near downtown Oklahoma City.

The Chickasaw Nation Law Library at OCU Law houses a collection of more than 300,000 volume and volume equivalents, and is open to the public. OCU Law has been accredited by the ABA since 1960 and has been a member of the Association of American Law Schools since 2003.[5][6]

The 2023-2024 edition of U.S. News & World Report's Best Law Schools ranked OCU Law as #150 (out of a total of 175 ranked, with 180-196 being "rank not published").[3] The 2022 edition of U.S. News & World Report's Best Law Schools listed OCU Law as a 4th Tier Law School ranked #147-193 among 204 ABA accredited schools.[7][8] OCU Law was also listed under the outstanding category in the 2010 edition of the Princeton Review's best law schools release.[9] The IRLG ranked OCU Law #52 overall in its 2009 ranking of law schools, based upon the percentage of graduates who pass the bar exam. IRLG also ranked it #107 overall, in its ranking of law schools, based upon the 57.2 percentage of prospective applicants who are accepted.[10][11]

According to OCU Law's 2014 ABA-required disclosures, 91.3% of the Class of 2014 were employed nine months after graduation and 88% of the class was employed in bar passage required or J.D. advantage positions.[12] OCU Law was ranked in the first quartile for 2013 employment stats by Moody's Investors Services. The report issued in May 2014 ranked all U.S. law schools based solely on their most recent graduating class' employment in J.D. required or J.D. preferred positions.

History

The law school has educated judges, political figures and founders of prestigious private law firms. Due to its long tradition of providing evening and part-time schedule options, the law school has also produced highly successful business leaders, particularly in the real estate, engineering, and oil and gas industries. The student body commonly includes medical doctors, university professors, military officers, and professionals from other fields. The School of Law is a member of the Association of American Law Schools and has been accredited by the American Bar Association since 1960.

The current dean of Oklahoma City University School of Law is David Holt, who also serves as the Mayor of Oklahoma City and took over during the Fall of 2023. The previous Dean was Jim Roth, former member of Oklahoma Corporation Commission. His predecessor Dean Valerie Couch was a former federal U.S. Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, who succeeded Lawrence Hellman, who succeeded Rennard Strickland, a noted legal historian and former Dean of the University of Oregon School of Law, and the Honorable Robert Harlan Henry, Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.

Publications at the Oklahoma City University School of Law

Students of the Juris Doctor (JD) program are involved in preparing and publishing:

  • Oklahoma City University Law Review - The Law Review is published three times a year. It has been published for more than 40 years and includes articles from professors, practitioners, judges, and OCU Law students. The OCU Law Review provides the opportunity for students to write and edit scholarly articles while being exposed to viewpoints and commentaries written by authors from the United States, as well as internationally. Membership is highly selective and third-year members have the opportunity to serve on the Law Review’s Board of Editors. Service on the law review is an integral part of the educational experience for those students selected for it. In recent years, the law review has published symposia on topics of importance to Oklahoma practitioners. The OCU Law Review is ranked in the first tier of law journals according to the Global Jurist.[13]
  • Oklahoma Tribal Court Reports
  • Conference on Consumer Finance Quarterly Report

Academics

The School of Law offers Juris Doctor programs for full-time and part-time students. In addition, Oklahoma City University School of Law offers students the ability to obtain a joint J.D./M.B.A., a joint J.D./M.A. in Non-profit Organizations and Leadership and a J.D./M.P.A degree. Oklahoma City University School of Law also offers a Master in Legal Studies degree.

Programs

Oklahoma Innocence Project

The Oklahoma Innocence Project (OIP) at Oklahoma City University School of Law is the only Innocence Clinic in the state. Law students participating in the innocence clinic assist the OIP legal staff with identifying and rectifying wrongful convictions in the state of Oklahoma.

Judge Alfred P. Murrah Center for Homeland Security Law & Policy

In conjunction with the school's move downtown in Spring 2015, Oklahoma City University School of Law opened the Judge Alfred P. Murrah Center for Homeland Security Law & Policy, an academic and practical resource center that examines the unique legal issues central to protecting and securing our nation, with a particular focus on the prevention of domestic terrorism. The Center works in close partnership with the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, and includes former Oklahoma governor Frank Keating and former U.S. Department of Homeland Security General Counsel Joe Whitley as co-chairs of the Center's board.

Alternative Dispute Resolution Center

Oklahoma City University School of Law provides a negotiation, mediation, and arbitration program designed to settle disputes in lieu of litigation in the Courts.

American Indian Law & Sovereignty Center

The American Indian Law & Sovereignty Center is an academic law and policy center focusing on the complexities of American Indian law and tribal law. The Sovereignty Center provides services for tribal governments and stakeholders and offers direct legal services to individuals through the American Indian Wills Clinic.

Center on State Constitutional Law and Government

The Center on State Constitutional Law and Government was founded to develop and implement programs dedicated to the improvement of state constitutions and state governance.

Externship program

Oklahoma City University School of Law's prime location downtown leads to numerous opportunities for students to discover new and interesting aspects of the law through 80-plus externship sites. New sites are added regularly and each site has multiple placements. The School of Law offers five different externship focus areas: Corporate Counsel, Government Practice, Judicial, Litigation Practice and Native American.[14]

Employment

According to OCU Law's official 2013 ABA-required disclosures, 91.8% of the Class of 2013 was employed in some capacity while 1.2% were pursuing graduate degrees and 5.3% were unemployed nine months graduation.[15]

Costs

Tuition at Oklahoma City University School of Law is $1,065 per credit hour. Other expenses include: general fees, parking and security fee, Student Bar Association fee, Installment Plan Fee, Installment Finance Fee and a Finance Fee.[16]

Notable alumni and students

Name Class Accomplishments
Hannah Diggs Atkins 1985 Secretary of State for the State of Oklahoma, Civil Rights Leader[17]
Deborah Barnes 1983 Judge, Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals 2008–Present
Michael D. Brown[18] 1981 Director and Administrator of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Jeff Cloud 1991 Elected commissioner of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission 2004–2011[19]
Brandon Creighton[20][21] 1998 Member of the Texas House of Representatives from his native Montgomery County in the Houston suburbs
Mickey Edwards[22] 1969 US Representative from Oklahoma's 5th district who served from 1973-1993. Also, an author, political commentator, and professor.
Enoch Kelly Haney[23] 1964 Principal Chief of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma
Carol Hansen[24] 1974 Judge, Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals 1985–Present
Elizabeth A. Hayden[25] 1980 District Judge for Stearns County, Minnesota 1986–2009
David Holt[26] 2009 Oklahoma City Mayor 2018–Present
Ernest Istook[27] 1976 US Representative from Oklahoma's 5th district who served from 1993–2006 and the Oklahoma Republican gubernatorial nominee in 2006
Yvonne Kauger[28] 1969 Associate Justice, Supreme Court of Oklahoma 1984–Present
Todd Lamb[29] 2005 Lt. Governor of Oklahoma 2011–Present
Richard Lerblance[30] 1979 Senator from District 7 of the Oklahoma State Senate 2003–Present
Johnston Murray 1946 14th Governor of the State of Oklahoma[31]
Marian P. Opala[32] 1953 Associate Justice, Supreme Court of Oklahoma 1978–2010
T. W. Shannon 2002 First African-American Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives (42nd Speaker)[33]
James R. Winchester[34] 1977 Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Oklahoma 2007–Present

References

  1. ↑ Law School Almanac - 2008 Endowments retrieved on 6-6-2009.
  2. 1 2 2014 Standard 509 Information Report - Oklahoma City University
  3. 1 2 U.S. News & World Report, Best Law Schools 2023-2024, Oklahoma City University School of Law
  4. ↑ "Bar Exam Statistics | the Oklahoma Board of Bar Examiners (OKBBE)".
  5. ↑ LSAC profile, ABA "OCU Law". LSAC.org . retrieved on 2-8-2010
  6. ↑ AALS member schools "Listing AALS member schools". AALS. retrieved 2-8-2010
  7. ↑ 3,4 rankings Top Law Schools retrieved on 1-20-2009.
  8. ↑ "Oklahoma City University". usnews.com. U.S. News & World Report L.P. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
  9. ↑ Princeton Review best law schools retrieved on 2-3-2010.
  10. ↑ Ranking of Law schools - Raw data "2009 Raw Data ranking". IRLG. retrieved on 2-8-2010.
  11. ↑ Ranking of Law schools - Raw data "2009 Raw Data ranking". IRLG. retrieved on 5-10-2010.
  12. ↑ http://law.okcu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/EmploymentQuestionnaireSummary-123-3190-04-14-2015-13-45-24.pdf
  13. ↑ Journal Rankings "Ranking the law journals" . Global Jurist. retrieved on 2-4-2010.
  14. ↑ "Externship Placement Sites - Oklahoma City University School of Law". Law.okcu.edu. Retrieved 2015-09-22.
  15. ↑ "Home". Employmentsummary.abaquestionnaire.org. Retrieved 2015-09-22.
  16. ↑ "Tuition & Fees - Oklahoma City University School of Law". Law.okcu.edu. 2014-06-20. Retrieved 2015-09-22.
  17. ↑ "Hannah Diggs Atkins Collection Papers, 1950 to 1992". Archived from the original on March 24, 2007. Retrieved February 5, 2007.
  18. ↑ "Michael D. Brown". Notable Names Data Base. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  19. ↑ "Jeff Cloud". Archived from the original on December 9, 2006. Retrieved February 9, 2007.
  20. ↑ "Brandon Creighton's Biography". votesmart.org. Retrieved February 23, 2014.
  21. ↑ "Brandon Creighton". loopnet.com. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
  22. ↑ "Mickey Edwards". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  23. ↑ "Enoch Kelly Haney". Oklahoma Arts Conference. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  24. ↑ "Carol Hansen". 2010 Oklahoma Bar Association. Archived from the original on 26 February 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  25. ↑ "Elizabeth A. Hayden". Minnesota Judicial Branch. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  26. ↑ "David Holt". oklahoma state legislature. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  27. ↑ "Ernest Istook". Notable Names Data Base. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  28. ↑ "Yvonne Kauger". The Supreme Court of the State of Oklahoma. Archived from the original on 22 February 2013. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  29. ↑ "Todd Lamb". © 2013 The State of Oklahoma. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  30. ↑ "Richard Lerblance". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  31. ↑ "Johnston Murray". National Governors Association. Retrieved 12 September 2012.
  32. ↑ "Marian P. Opala". The Supreme Court of the State of Oklahoma. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  33. ↑ McNutt, Michael. "T.W. Shannon of Lawton officially takes Oklahoma House speakers post," The Oklahoman, January 9, 2013 (accessed March 21, 2013).
  34. ↑ "James R. Winchester". The Supreme Court of the State of Oklahoma. Retrieved 12 March 2013.

35°28′32″N 97°31′00″W / 35.4756°N 97.5166°W / 35.4756; -97.5166

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