University of Tulsa College of Law

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The University of Tulsa
College of Law
Univ. of Tulsa Law.png
Established1923
School typePrivate
DeanLyn Entzeroth
LocationTulsa, Oklahoma, United States
Enrollment280
Faculty28 (full-time)
USNWR ranking111th (2020)[1]
Websitewww.law.utulsa.edu

The University of Tulsa College of Law is the law school of the private University of Tulsa in Tulsa, Oklahoma. For 2021, U.S. News & World Report ranked the University of Tulsa College of Law at #111 among all law schools in the United States. It is the only law school in the Tulsa Metropolitan Area and northeastern Oklahoma.

History[]

The University of Tulsa College of Law was founded by local attorneys in 1923, during one of Tulsa's oil booms. The law school was originally known simply as the Tulsa Law School and was independent of the University of Tulsa. Initially, classes took place in the Central High School building in downtown Tulsa, while the law library was in the Tulsa County courthouse, a few blocks away. The faculty initially consisted of practicing Tulsa attorneys who taught classes at night.[2]

Tulsa Law was formally absorbed by the University of Tulsa in 1943. A pioneering Tulsa attorney named John Rogers is credited with making this association.[3] In 1949, the school moved into a downtown office building. In 1953, the school was accredited by the American Bar Association. During the 1950s and 60s, the library, classrooms and administrative offices were consolidated at a single location and full-time tenured and tenure-track research faculty were hired. The school became a member of the Association of American Law Schools in 1966. The name of the school was formally changed to the University of Tulsa College of Law.

In the late 1970s, Tulsa Law became increasingly prominent in the field of energy law and policy; during this period, the Energy Law Journal and the National Energy and Law Policy Institute were established at the law school (NELPI).[4] The National Energy Law and Policy Institute was initially led by Kent Frizzell, who had served as Assistant Attorney General of the United States from 1972–1973 and Undersecretary of the Department of the Interior from 1975–1977.[5] During this time, Frizzell also taught at Tulsa Law.

In the 1990s, Tulsa Law developed a reputation for strength in legal history, hiring legal historian Bernard Schwartz (formerly of New York University Law School) and, later, Paul Finkelman.[6]

Law School Building[]

Tulsa Law moved from downtown Tulsa to its present location on the University of Tulsa's main campus in 1973, where it was housed in what was then named John Rogers Hall.[2] The building was formally dedicated with a speech by U.S. Supreme Court Justice William Rehnquist.[7]

In May 2016, the university decided to remove the name of John Rogers from the law school's building, in response to increased controversy about Rogers' role in the founding of the Ku Klux Klan in Tulsa in the 1920s.[8]

Academic Programs and Offerings[]

TU College of Law offers Juris Doctor programs for full-time and part-time students. TU Law also grants the degree of Master of Laws, or LLM, in the areas of Native American Law, Natural Resources and Energy Law, and International Law for foreign students. Additionally, the College of Law offers two online Master of Jurisprudence (MJ) degrees in Indian law and energy law. Students have the ability to obtain joint JD/MA degrees in a variety of fields including, history, English, psychology, as well as a joint JD/MBA, joint JD/Masters in Taxation]], and joint JD/MS in geosciences, biological sciences, and finance. TU Law offers certificate programs in sustainable energy and resources law, Native American law, and health law.

The College also hosts a number of endowed lecture series which bring renowned scholars and jurists to campus:

  • The John W. Hager Distinguished Lecture in Law has brought Lawrence Lessig, William Eskridge, Michelle Alexander and Harold Koh to speak at the College of Law in recent years.
  • The Buck Colbert Franklin Memorial Civil Rights Lecture honors the pioneering attorney and early leader of Tulsa's black community (who was also the father of famed historian John Hope Franklin. This lecture series has brought Deborah Rhode, Jerry Kang and Alfred Brophy to speak at TU Law.
  • The Stephanie K. Seymour Distinguished Lecture in Law is the only lecture series in the country established by former clerks to honor the judge for whom they served. This lecture calls attention to the scholarship of an untenured law professor whose dedication and passion mirror that of Judge Seymour.

The College of Law also has study abroad arrangements allowing students to study in Dublin or London.

The University of Tulsa College of Law is a national leader in teaching scholarship and research in energy, environmental, and natural resources law and policy and Native American law.

Student-Edited Publications[]

  • Tulsa Law Review, previously the Tulsa Law Journal from 1964–2001
  • Energy Law Journal

Clinical Offerings[]

The on-campus Boesche Legal Clinic offers students real-world experience under the supervision of clinical professors while providing pro bono legal services to disadvantaged populations. Clinics include the Immigrant Rights Project and the Lobeck Taylor Family Advocacy Clinic. Previous projects have centered on among the aged, American Indians, inter alia.

In 2016, Tulsa Law launched the Solo Practice Clinic to help its students develop the skills necessary to operate their own legal practices, which is particularly common for attorneys serving rural, small business and low-income clients, among others.[9]

Employment[]

According to TU Law's ABA-required disclosures employment summary, 74.4% of the Class of 2014 obtained full-time, long-term, bar-passage-required employment nine months after graduation, excluding solo practitioners.[10] The most popular destinations for TU Law graduates are Oklahoma and Texas.

Costs[]

The total cost of attendance (indicating the cost of tuition, fees, and living expenses) at TU Law for the 2015–2016 academic year is $58,496 (full-time).[11] 100% of TU Law students received scholarships and/or tuition benefits in 2015.

The Law School Transparency estimated debt-financed cost of attendance for three years is $201,183 (however this figure does not account for merit- or need-based aid).[12]

Notable faculty[]

The notable current and former faculty of TU Law include:

Notable alumni[]

}
Alumni Class Occupation Distinction
Daniel J. Boudreau 1976 Lawyer/Appellate Judge Justice on the Oklahoma Supreme Court
Samuel H. Cassidy 1975 Politician/Lawyer Lieutenant Governor of Colorado 1994–1995, Professor at University of Denver
2001 Politician/Lawyer District Attorney in New Mexico; 2010 candidate for New Mexico Attorney General
John E. Dowdell 1981 Federal Judge/lawyer United States District Judge on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma.
Angelique EagleWoman 2004 (LLM) Scholar/Lawyer/Law School Dean Dean of Canada's Bora Laskin Faculty of Law; Scholar of Native American Law
Drew Edmondson 1979 Lawyer/Politician 16th Attorney General of Oklahoma from 1995 to 2011.
Allison Garrett 1987 Attorney/Executive/University President Walmart Vice President/Legal Counsel (1994–2004); current president at Emporia State University.
Ross Goodman 1995 Lawyer High profile criminal defense lawyer in Las Vegas
Brian Jack Goree 1989 Attorney Judge, Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals (2012-present)
David Hall [a] 1959 Politician Governor of Oklahoma (1971–1975)
John F. Heil III 1994 Federal Judge Formerly shareholder of Hall Estill; now a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma, and the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma.
Stacie L. Hixon 2002 Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals Appointed to state Civil Appeals court in March 2020; previously worked for private law practices in Tulsa.
Fern Holland [b] 1996 Human Rights Lawyer Human rights advocate and investigator known for her work with the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq
Brian Kuester 2000 Lawyer United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Oklahoma
Bill LaFortune 1983 Politician/Lawyer Mayor of Tulsa
Orville Edwin Langley [c] 1940 Federal Judge and US Attorney United States District Judge on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Oklahoma from 1961 to 1965
Robert E. Lavender [d] 1953 Appellate Judge Justice on the Oklahoma Supreme Court
Stacy Leeds 1979 Scholar/Judge/Law School Dean Dean of the University of Arkansas School of Law; scholar of Native American Law; Supreme Court Justice for Cherokee Nation
Mark McCullough 1998 Politician Oklahoma State Representative (2007–2017)
Michael Mulligan 1987 Attorney/Prosecutor Lead prosecutor in the courts-martial of Hasan Akbar and of Nidal Malik Hasan, the sole accused in the November 2009 Fort Hood shooting.
John M. O'Connor 1980 Attorney, nominated to serve as Federal Judge Shareholder of Hall Estill and a nominee to be a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma, and the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma.
Charles L. Owens [e] 1960 Judge First African-American judge in Oklahoma[15] and Supreme Court lawyer [16]
Elizabeth Crewson Paris 1987 Federal Judge Judge of the United States Tax Court and adjunct instructor at Georgetown University Law Center
Layn R. Phillips 1977 Federal Judge and attorney Former United States District Judge on the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, former United States Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma from 1984 to 1987, and former partner at Irell & Manella.
Scott Pruitt 1993 Politician/Lawyer Attorney General of Oklahoma (2011–2017); former Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
Rodger Randle 1979 Politician/Academic Mayor of Tulsa (1988–1992); President pro tempore of the Oklahoma Senate; President of predecessor to Rogers State University
John F. Reif 1977 Judge Justice on the Oklahoma Supreme Court
Clinton Riggs [f] 1954 Law Enforcement educator and inventor Law Enforcement educator and innovator, inventor of the first Yield sign
Scott J. Silverman 1981 Judge Dade County Court judge (1991–1998); circuit court judge 11th Judicial Circuit in and for Miami-Dade County, Florida (1998–2012)
Robert D. Simms [g] 1950 Attorney/ Judge Justice on the Oklahoma Supreme Court
Chad "Corntassel" Smith 1980 Politician Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation (1999–2011)
Clancy Smith 1980 Retired judge Justice of Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals (2010-2017)
Jerry L. Smith [h] 1970 Politician Oklahoma State Representative (1973–1981) and Senator (1981–2004)
Burt Solomons 1978 Real estate and construction attorney Texas State Representative from 1995 to 2013 from Denton County
Geoffrey Standing Bear 1980 Politician Principal Chief of Osage Nation (2014–Present)
Leigh H. Taylor 1966 Law professor, law school dean, and civil rights attorney Former Dean of Southwestern Law School and Dean of Claude W. Pettit College of Law at Ohio Northern University
Stratton Taylor 1982 Politician Oklahoma State Representative (1979–1981) and Senator (1981–2007)
Mike Turpen 1974 Lawyer and politician Attorney General of Oklahoma (1983–1987), chair of Oklahoma Democratic Party
Jane Wiseman 1973 Appellate Judge Judge on Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals
Harry M. Wyatt III 1980 Military Director, Air National Guard, the Pentagon, Washington, DC (2009–2013)X
Hugh Coleman 1994 Lawyer/Politician County Commissioner Precinct One, Denton County Texas (2009–2020)

Notes[]

  1. ^ Deceased
  2. ^ Deceased
  3. ^ Deceased
  4. ^ Deceased
  5. ^ Deceased
  6. ^ Deceased
  7. ^ Deceased
  8. ^ Deceased

References[]

  1. ^ "University of Tulsa".
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b The University of Tulsa College of Law: History of the College of Law." Accessed April 25, 2012 [1]
  3. ^ ".TU website "History of TU." Accessed February 24, 2011". Archived from the original on March 17, 2011. Retrieved March 24, 2011.
  4. ^ Tulsa County Bar Association (2003). Building Tulsa: Lawyers at Work. Tulsa: Hawk Publishing. p. 112.
  5. ^ "Kent Frizzell (1972–1973)". United States Department of Justice. 2015-04-14. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  6. ^ Saxon, Wolfgang (26 December 1997). "Bernard Schwartz Dies at 74; Legal Scholar and Historian". New York Times. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  7. ^ Rhenquist, William (1974). "LEGAL EDUCATION: A CONSUMER'S POINT OF VIEW". Tulsa Law Journal. 10: 9. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
  8. ^ Laura Bult, "University of Tulsa law school to remove founder's name after discovering his affiliation with the Ku Klux Klan", New York Daily News, May 5, 2016.
  9. ^ Martin, Miriam (1 November 2017). "Legal perspective: TU's Solo Practice Clinic helps students prepare for life after law school". Tulsa Business & Legal News. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  10. ^ "Section of Legal Education, Employment Summary Report" (PDF).
  11. ^ "JD Tuition and Fees".
  12. ^ "University of Tulsa Profile, Cost". Law School Transparency. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
  13. ^ "Brian Leiter Most Cited Law Professors by Specialty, 2000–2007". Leiterrankings.com. Retrieved 2016-01-04.
  14. ^ "Kent Frizzell (1972–1973)". United States Department of Justice. 2015-04-14. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  15. ^ "Bartlett Appoints First Negro Judge :: TULSA AND OKLAHOMA HISTORY COLLECTION". cdm15020.contentdm.oclc.org. Retrieved 2018-06-11.
  16. ^ "Charles Owens '60". University of Tulsa. Retrieved 30 July 2018.

External links[]

Coordinates: 36°09′16″N 95°56′38″W / 36.15444°N 95.94389°W / 36.15444; -95.94389

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