Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Founded: 1907
Joined AALS: 2003
Dean: David Holt
Established in 1907, Oklahoma City University School of Law is located in the vibrant heart of downtown Oklahoma City, OK. Their campus is surrounded by culture, entertainment, and unparalleled opportunity. Flanked by courthouses, government agencies, and hundreds of law offices – externships, licensed legal internships, and more await right outside the steps of the law school. OCU Law offers a world-class education not only in the classroom to their 150 first-year JD students but also in the real world through a multitude of experiential learning opportunities.
At OCU Law, students graduate prepared to practice because of the practical knowledge and skills they gain in clinics, externships, moot court competitions, and more. OCU Law offers more than 90 placement sites for externships – many within walking distance. OCU Law provides its students with opportunities to network within the legal community because of the range of classes taught by local alumni, active judges, and even a current State Supreme Court Justice, providing them with a unique perspective of the legal system.
OCU Law is home to several clinics that provide an opportunity for students to work on real cases and make the transition from legal theory to legal practice. OCU Law takes pride in the fact that their clinics provide free legal services to clients who could not otherwise afford to hire an attorney, all while building our students’ real-world legal skills.
The American Indian Wills Clinic at OCU Law allows students to provide wills and estate planning services under the supervision of a faculty clinician to American Indians owning trusts or restricted property in Oklahoma. OCU Law is shaping the next generation of Indian Law professionals. OCU Law is at the forefront of Indian Law work in more ways than just this – in 2023, OCU Law became the new host of the Sovereignty Symposium. The Sovereignty Symposium is a premier symposium for legal and artistic issues in Indian Law that the Oklahoma Supreme Court has hosted for more than 30 years.
OCU Law is also home to Oklahoma’s only Innocence Project, which gives students the opportunity to identify and rectify wrongful convictions. Students in this clinic work with experienced attorneys to review case files, analyze evidence, and conduct interviews, all with the goal of exonerating innocent individuals who have been wrongfully convicted.
The Norick Municipal Law Research Clinic gives students the opportunity to explore and research municipal law through a partnership with the City of Oklahoma City’s Municipal Counselor’s Office, and students present their findings to the city.
In 2023, OCU Law launched two exciting new clinics. The Collaborative Law Clinic for Business and Innovation, in partnership with the Academy of Contemporary Music at the University of Central Oklahoma and local lawyers, offers students the opportunity to work with experienced attorneys and entertainment industry professionals, providing them with hands-on experience in drafting contracts, negotiating deals, and advising clients on legal issues related to their businesses. The Housing Eviction Legal Assistance Program, which was launched at OCU Law in 2018, is now a full in-house legal clinic and continues to provide legal assistance to tenants facing eviction in Oklahoma County.
“OCU Law is known for our inclusive and supportive environment, which means you’ll never worry about fitting in or asking for help,” said David Holt, Dean and Professor of Law. We also prepare you to practice and to lead. Our location in the heart of America’s 20th-largest city means you are literally blocks from virtually every experiential learning opportunity you could desire. When you graduate, you’ll be immersed in the doctrinal aspects of the law, you’ll be prepared to practice, and you’ll have access to career opportunities.”
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