University of Oklahoma College of Law

Last updated
University of Oklahoma College of Law
University of Oklahoma College of Law seal.png
MottoMinistri iuris fideles
Established1909
School type Public law school
Dean Katheleen Guzman.
Location Norman, Oklahoma, USA
Enrollment509 [1]
Faculty31 (full-time) [2]
USNWR ranking51st (2024) [3]
Bar pass rate95% [4]
Website law.ou.edu
Andrew M. Coats Hall (2023) College of Law Front OU Sign.jpg
Andrew M. Coats Hall (2023)

The University of Oklahoma College of Law is the law school of the University of Oklahoma. It is located on the University's campus in Norman, Oklahoma. The College of Law was founded in 1909 by a resolution of the OU Board of Regents. [5]

Contents

The William J. Ross Courtyard at the University of Oklahoma College of Law. The University of Oklahoma College of Law William J. Ross Courtyard.jpg
The William J. Ross Courtyard at the University of Oklahoma College of Law.

According to OU Law's 2016 ABA-required disclosures, 83.9% of the Class of 2016 obtained full-time, long-term positions for which bar passage was required (75.5%) or for which a J.D. was an advantage (8.39%) nine months after graduation. [6]

History

The College of Law was founded by Julien C. Monnet in 1909. [5] From its beginnings of Dean Monnet, two faculty members, and 47 students, the College of Law has grown. The College of Law initially shared space in the Science Building before moving to the basement of the Carnegie Building.

In 1914, after student's extensive lobbying, the college moved into its first permanent home, Monnet Hall. The "47,000-square-foot Law Barn," as it was known, was home to the college for 62 years. As the home of the College of Law, it was witness to many events in Oklahoma history, including the admission of then-future OU Regent Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher, the first black woman admitted to the College of Law, in 1948.

Despite the additional square footage built onto the rear of Monnet Hall, the Law Center, which the College of Law and its associated entities came to be called in 1971, outgrew the building, forcing a relocation to its current home on Timberdell Road in 1976. Adding the American Indian Law Review to complement the established Oklahoma Law Review, expanding clinical legal education, and generally striving to meet the increasing demands of legal education in the late 20th century caused OU Law to once again outgrow its facilities.

College of Law (2023) College of Law Back Fountain Seal 01.jpg
College of Law (2023)

In 1992, a feminist group began a nationwide fundraising campaign and then obtained matching state funds to endow a professorship at the University of Oklahoma College of Law in honor of Hill.[ citation needed ]Conservative Oklahoma state legislators reacted by demanding Hill's resignation from the university, then introducing a bill to prohibit the university from accepting donations from out-of-state residents, and finally attempting to pass legislation to close down the law school.[ citation needed ] Elmer Zinn Million, a local activist, compared Hill to Lee Harvey Oswald, the assassin of President Kennedy.[ citation needed ] Certain officials at the university attempted to revoke Hill's tenure.[ citation needed ] After five years of pressure, Hill resigned.[ citation needed ] The University of Oklahoma Law School defunded the Anita F. Hill professorship in May 1999, without the position having ever been filled.[ citation needed ]

Andrew M. Coats Hall

In October 1999, ground was broken on a $19 million construction and renovation project which ultimately added 80,000 square feet to the facility. Named in honor of then-Dean Andrew M. Coats, the facility features the 58,000-square-foot Donald E. Pray Law Library and the 250-seat Dick Bell Courtroom. The new library features the Chapman Reading room, modeled after the reading room in Monnet Hall, with a parquet floor reminiscent of the floors in the Louvre. The Donald E. Pray Law Library, which is open to the public, boasts the largest law collection, public or private, in the state.

The Bell Courtroom has hosted appellate cases from both the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals (including a death penalty appeal) and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit, [7] as well as civil trials from the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma.

On July 1, 2010, Joseph Harroz became the 12th Dean of the University of Oklahoma College of Law and 7th Director of the OU Law Center. In May 2019, Harroz became interim president of the entire University of Oklahoma [8] and OU law professor Kathleen Guzman was appointed interim dean of the college. [9]

Digital Initiative

In August 2014, OU Law became the first law school in the nation to launch a college-wide Digital Initiative. [10] OU Law Digital Initiative is built around three core elements:

In May 2017, OU Law celebrated the Class of 2017's graduation, marking the first year an OU Law class collectively completed the school’s Digital Initiative programming, and making the college the first law school in the nation to do so. In November 2017, OU Law launched the OU Law Center for Technology and Innovation in Practice, formally bringing together and expanding the elements of the college's Digital Initiative. In January 2018, OU Law was named an Apple Distinguished School for 2017-2019 in recognition of its Digital Initiative.

Academics

OU Law enrolls more than 700 students annually in its Juris Doctor (J.D.), Master of Laws (LL.M.), and Master of Legal Studies (M.L.S.) degree programs. The University of Oklahoma Law Center is home to the Legal Assistant Education Program. [12]

Notable alumni

Notable graduates include former U.S. Senator and former OU President David L. Boren, business executive and former OU President James L. Gallogly, former Oklahoma Governors Frank Keating, Brad Henry, and Leon C. Phillips, Oklahoma State University President V. Burns Hargis, president of Oklahoma City University and former 10th Circuit Judge Robert Harlan Henry, New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez, former Congressman and Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Brad Carson, former Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Robert W. Jordan, Oklahoma attorney general Michael Hunter, Director of the Oklahoma Administrative Office of the Courts and former Oklahoma Lieutenant Governor Jari Askins, former mayor of Tulsa Kathy Taylor, Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen, civil rights pioneer Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher, and former Oklahoma state senator Gene Stipe.

Alumni serving in the judiciary include Oklahoma Supreme Court Justices Ben Arnold, David Boren, Orel Busby, Tom Colbert, Richard Darby, Denver Davison, J. Howard Edmondson, Noma Gurich, Brad Henry, Frank Keating, Steven W. Taylor, Ben T. Williams and Patrick Wyrick; Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals Judges Robert L. Hudson, [13] Gary Lumpkin, [13] and David B. Lewis; [13] Choctaw tribal judge Rebecca Cryer; and former 10th Circuit Judge Alfred P. Murrah.

Oklahoma attorney general Mac Q. Williamson also graduated from the Oklahoma University College (OUC) of Law.

Employment

The Donald E. Pray Law Library at the University of Oklahoma College of Law. Donald E. Pray Law Library.jpg
The Donald E. Pray Law Library at the University of Oklahoma College of Law.

According to OU Law's 2016 ABA-required disclosures, 83.9% of the Class of 2016 obtained full-time, long-term positions for which bar passage was required (75.5%) or for which a J.D. was an advantage (8.39%) nine months after graduation. This is above the national average of 75.5% (64.5% bar passage required; 14.1% J.D. Advantage). [6]

Pro bono and public service law

Pro Bono Pledge

Every year at orientation, OU Law asks every student in the incoming 1L class to sign a voluntary Pro Bono and Public Service Pledge. [14] Students can choose to pledge either 50 hours or 100 hours of pro bono and public service over the course of their law school career. In the Class of 2020, a record 100% of the students signed the Pro Bono and Public Service Pledge and nearly two-thirds of those students pledged 100 hours. [15]

In the 2017-2018 academic year, OU Law students completed a record-breaking 24,024 hours of pro bono and public service.

Through the OU College of Law Civil Clinic and Criminal Defense Clinic, students represent clients from Cleveland and McClain counties who would not otherwise be able to afford counsel. Operating under the close supervision of faculty attorneys, student interns face many of the same situations and practice demands they will encounter as attorneys while being directly responsible for representation of clients as licensed legal interns practicing under the Oklahoma Supreme Court Student Practice Rules. [16]

Costs

The total cost of attendance (indicating the cost of tuition and fees) at OU Law for the 2017-2018 academic year is $21,503 [17] for Oklahoma residents and $33,338 for non-residents. [3] In 2021, the cost was raised by $780 to $22,283 for Oklahoma residents and raised $1,380 to $34,718 for non-residents. [18]

Publications

Notes

  1. "University of Oklahoma College of Law Standard 509 Information Report" (PDF). Retrieved 2018-03-08.
  2. "University of Oklahoma Fact Book" (PDF). Retrieved 2018-03-08.
  3. 1 2 "The University of Oklahoma College of Law - Tuition and Fees". usnews.com. U.S. News & World Report . Retrieved 2023-04-09.
  4. "Oklahoma Board of Bar Examiners Bar Exam Statistics". Oklahoma Board of Bar Examiners. Retrieved 2018-03-08.
  5. 1 2 Long, Charles F. (September 1965). "With Optimism For the Morrow: A History of The University of Oklahoma | The Evans Years" (PDF). Sooner Magazine: A History of the University of Oklahoma. Sooner Magazine. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  6. 1 2 "2016 ABA-Approved Law School Graduate Employment Data" (PDF). American Bar Association. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  7. "OU Law to Host 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals | OU Law". www.law.ou.edu. Retrieved 2018-03-08.
  8. Staff Reports. "OU Board of Regents names Joseph Harroz interim president effective immediately". OU Daily.
  9. Kirker, Scott. "Katheleen Guzman selected as interim OU Law Dean pending OU Board of Regents approval". oudaily.com. OU Daily.
  10. "The University of Oklahoma College of Law to Produce First Class of Digital Legal Students | OU Law". www.law.ou.edu. Retrieved 2018-03-08.
  11. "OU College of Law Dedicates Inasmuch Foundation Collaborative Learning Center | OU Law". www.law.ou.edu. Retrieved 2018-03-08.
  12. "Programs | OU Law". www.law.ou.edu. Retrieved 2018-03-08.
  13. 1 2 3 "Judges – OCCA". www.okcca.net.
  14. "Pro Bono and Public Service Pledge Agreement" (PDF). OU College of Law. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  15. "Service | OU Law". www.law.ou.edu. Retrieved 2018-03-08.
  16. "Clinics | OU Law". www.law.ou.edu. Retrieved 2018-03-08.
  17. "Tuition and Fees | OU Law". law.ou.edu.
  18. "University of Oklahoma Law School" . Retrieved 8 August 2022.

35°11′46″N97°26′47″W / 35.19611°N 97.44639°W / 35.19611; -97.44639

Related Research Articles

The University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School is the law school of the University of Pennsylvania, a private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Penn Carey Law offers the degrees of Juris Doctor (J.D.), Master of Laws (LL.M.), Master of Comparative Laws (LL.C.M.), Master in Law (M.L.), and Doctor of the Science of Law (S.J.D.).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Georgia School of Law</span> Public law school in Athens, Georgia, US

The University of Georgia School of Law is the law school of the University of Georgia, a public research university in Athens, Georgia. It was founded in 1859, making it among the oldest American university law schools in continuous operation. Georgia Law accepted 14.77% of applicants for the class entering in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Maine School of Law</span>

The University of Maine School of Law is a public law school in Portland, Maine. It is accredited by the American Bar Association and is Maine's only law school. It is also part of the University of Maine System. The school's current dean is Leigh Saufley, who assumed the post in 2020. Until 1972 the School of Law was located at 68 High Street, Portland. In 1972, the School of Law moved to the University of Maine School of Law Building, which is adjacent to the University of Southern Maine's Portland campus. In 2023, the Law School moved to 300 Fore Street, on the waterfront of downtown Portland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albany Law School</span> Private law school in Albany, New York

Albany Law School is a private law school in Albany, New York. It was founded in 1851 and is the oldest independent law school in the nation. It is accredited by the American Bar Association as well as the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and has an affiliation agreement with University at Albany that includes shared programs. The school is located near New York's highest court, federal courts, the executive branch, and the state legislature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Tulsa College of Law</span> Law school of the private University of Tulsa in Tulsa, Oklahoma

The University of Tulsa College of Law is the law school of the private University of Tulsa in Tulsa, Oklahoma. For 2023, U.S. News & World Report ranked the University of Tulsa College of Law at No. 111 among all law schools in the United States. It is the only law school in the Tulsa Metropolitan Area and northeastern Oklahoma.

Elon University School of Law is an American law school located in Greensboro, North Carolina, occupying the former downtown public library building. Established in 2006, Elon Law is one of nine graduate programs offered by Elon University. It earned full accreditation from the American Bar Association in 2011 and has announced plans to introduce a part-time program for working professionals in Charlotte, North Carolina, beginning in Fall 2024.

Western New England University School of Law is a private, ABA-accredited law school in Springfield, Massachusetts. Established in 1919, Western New England Law offers both full-time and part-time programs. It is a college within Western New England University.

The University of Idaho College of Law is the law school of the University of Idaho. Its main location is in Moscow, and a second campus is in the state capital of Boise. As of the entering class of 2017–18, students may take all three years of instruction at either location. The UI College of Law was established in 1909, has been a member of the Association of American Law Schools since 1914, and has been accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) since 1925. In the 2023 rankings, U.S. News & World Report ranked Idaho Law at #142 of ABA-accredited law schools in its annual law school rankings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gonzaga University School of Law</span> Law school in Washington, U.S.

The Gonzaga University School of Law is the professional school for the study of law at Gonzaga University. Established in 1912, the Jesuit-affiliated law school has been fully accredited by the American Bar Association since 1951, and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Mary's University School of Law</span> Catholic law school in San Antonio, Texas, US

St. Mary's University School of Law is the law school of St. Mary's University, a private Catholic university located in San Antonio, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fordham University School of Law</span> Private law school in Manhattan, New York

Fordham University School of Law is the law school of Fordham University. The school is located in Manhattan in New York City, and is one of eight ABA-approved law schools in that city. In 2013, 91% of the law school's first-time test takers passed the bar exam, placing the law schools' graduates as fifth-best at passing the New York bar exam among New York's 15 law schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oklahoma City University School of Law</span> Law school of Oklahoma City University

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.

Widener University Delaware Law School is a private law school in Wilmington, Delaware. It is one of two separate ABA-accredited law schools of Widener University. Widener University Law School was founded in 1971 as the Delaware Law School and became affiliated with Widener in 1975. In 1989, it was known as Widener University School of Law when it was combined with the campus in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. In 2015, the two campuses separated, with the Harrisburg one renamed to Widener University Commonwealth Law School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher</span> Civil rights lawyer from Oklahoma

Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher was a key figure in the Civil Rights Movement in Oklahoma. She applied for admission into the University of Oklahoma law school in order to challenge the state's segregation laws and to become a lawyer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pepperdine University School of Law</span> Law school in Malibu, California, US

The Pepperdine University Rick J. Caruso School of Law is the law school of Pepperdine University, a private research university in Los Angeles County, California. The school offers the Juris Doctor (JD), and various Masters of Laws (LLM) options in Dispute Resolution, International Commercial Arbitration, United States Law, and Entertainment, Media, and Sports Law. The school also offers joint degrees with its JD and Master of Dispute Resolution (MDR) in partnership with other Pepperdine University graduate schools. The school now offers an online Master of Legal Studies program and an online Master of Dispute Resolution program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tulane University Law School</span> Law school in New Orleans, Louisiana, US

Tulane University Law School is the law school of Tulane University. It is located on Tulane's Uptown campus in New Orleans, Louisiana. Established in 1847, it is the 12th oldest law school in the United States.

The University of Dayton School of Law (UDSL) is a private law school located in Dayton, Ohio at Keller Hall. It is affiliated with the University of Dayton, which is a Catholic university of the Society of Mary. The school is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas A&M University School of Law</span> Law school in Fort Worth, Texas, US

Texas A&M University School of Law is the law school of Texas A&M University located in downtown Fort Worth, Texas. Established in 1989 as the Texas Wesleyan University School of Law, it was formerly the law school of Texas Wesleyan University until it was acquired by Texas A&M University on August 12, 2013. On August 13, 2013, fully accredited by the American Bar Association, it began operations at the same location. The law school is a member of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) and offers the Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree. Students may also pursue a Master of Laws (LL.M.) or Master of Legal Studies (M.L.S.) degree either online or in-residence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Missouri School of Law</span> Public law school in Columbia, Missouri, US

The University of Missouri School of Law is the law school of the University of Missouri. It is located on the university's main campus in Columbia, forty minutes from the Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City. The school was founded in 1872 by the Curators of the University of Missouri. Its alumni include governors, legislators, judges, attorneys general, and law professors across the country. According to Mizzou Law's 2016 ABA-required disclosures, 82 percent of the 2016 class obtained full-time, long-term, JD-required employment nine months after graduation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wake Forest University School of Law</span> Private law school in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, US

Wake Forest University School of Law is the law school of Wake Forest University, a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Established in 1894, Wake Forest University School of Law is an American Bar Association (ABA) accredited law school and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS). The current dean is Andrew R. Klein.