Oklahoma City University School of Law

Oklahoma City University School of Law, also known as OCU Law, is one of the professional graduate schools of Oklahoma City University. OCU Law is located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and was founded in 1907. OCU Law is located in the Sarkeys Law Center on the southwest side of the Oklahoma City University campus.

The Oklahoma City University Law Library, located in the historic Gold Star Memorial Building, houses a collection of over 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.^[6][7]

The 2010 edition of US News and World Report's Best Law Schools ranked OCU Law as a 4th Tier Law School among ABA accredited schools.^[8][9] OCU Law was also listed under the outstanding category in the 2010 edition of the Princeton Review's best law schools release.^[10] OCU Law was also ranked #104 overall according to the 2010 ranking by the AALS.^[11] 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 #178 overall, in its ranking of law schools, based upon the 57.2 percentage of prospective applicants who are accepted.^[12][13]

History

The law school is renowned for educating a multitude of highly esteemed judges, political figures and founders of prestigious private law firms. Due to its long tradition of providing evening education, the college has also produced highly successful business leaders, particularly in the real estate, engineering, and oil and gas industries, who are non-practicing attorneys. 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 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, 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 30 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.^[14]
• Oklahoma Tribal Court Reports
• The Gavel^[15]
• Conference on Consumer Finance Quarterly Report

Academics

The School of Law offers Juris Doctor programs for full-time and part-time students. Oklahoma City University School of Law also offers students the ability to obtain a joint J.D./M.B.A. and to study abroad in China, Argentina, Spain and the Netherlands.

Programs

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.

Native American Legal Resource Center

The Native American Legal Resource Center provides services to tribal governments in the State of Oklahoma and those across the United States.

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 offers a Government Law Externship program that provides extensive opportunities for students to gain practical experience in the practice of public law.

Notable alumni and students

References

• Homepage