Meet the Admissions Staff

Associate Dean for Admissions

LAURIE JONES
405.208.5354
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Associate Dean for Admissions Laurie W. Jones served as a judicial intern at the Oklahoma Supreme Court during law school, was a shareholder and partner at an Oklahoma City insurance defense civil trial and appellate litigation firm, and was a founding member of the law firm of Welch, Jones and Smith. She attended the University of California at Davis and graduated from Oklahoma State University with her B.A. in 1977.  She received her J.D. from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 1984, where she was a member of the ABA National Moot Court Team. With more than twenty-five years of trial and appellate experience, she has litigated cases at all levels of state and federal courts, including the United States Supreme Court. She is admitted to practice in the United States District Courts for the Western, Eastern, and Northern Districts of Oklahoma, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court.

She combines her passion for the law and for teaching writing skills to future lawyers with her interest in developing community service and volunteer opportunities for those future lawyers at Oklahoma City University School of Law.  She teaches Legal Research and Writing, served as the Pro Bono and Public Interest Law Coordinator at the law school for six years, and coaches the Frederick Douglass Moot Court team.  She joined the faculty at Oklahoma City University School of Law in 1999 and became the Associate Dean for Admissions in 2012.

Assistant Director of Admissions

Director of Diversity Initiatives

LORENZO BANKS
405.208.5840
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Lorenzo Azar Banks is a native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, but currently resides in Oklahoma City.  He originally moved here to attend college and had plans of pursing a career in education. After obtaining his undergraduate degree in math from the University of Central Oklahoma, he promptly entered graduate school to study applied mathematics; taking another step closer to his ultimate educational goal of becoming a doctor of mathematics.

While pursuing his graduate studies, his life changed dramatically when he was named a defendant in a frivolous lawsuit. At that time, he had no means of hiring an attorney to defend him, so he took on the task of defending himself. After getting the plaintiff to dismiss the case, the foundations for his destiny became firmly laid. He decided to begin applying to law schools and was admitted to Oklahoma City University School of Law. He graduated, passed the bar, and soon became the founder and owner of Minority Report Law PLLC, a law firm that provides legal services in the state of Oklahoma. His main goal with starting the firm was to make sure that no one ever felt as hopeless as he did in their own legal battles.  He lives his dream everyday, fighting for those who can’t fight for themselves.

Assistant Director of Admissions

RAMONA FREELS
405.208.5354
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Ramona joined the Admissions Office in 1996.  With more than 15 years of experience, she oversees the efficient processing of applications and is responsible for collecting, maintaining, reporting and analyzing admissions and recruiting systems data for approximately 1200 applicants each year.  In addition to producing much of the office’s written communications with prospective students, Ramona also assists in counseling prospective students though the admissions process and serves as the Admissions Office liaison to the Law School Admissions Council.

Administrative Assistant

DAWN GIBSON
405.208.5354
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Dawn Gibson currently serves as the Administrative Assistant for Law Admissions. She received her undergraduate degree in History and Political Science from Oklahoma City University in 2002, and is currently working toward a Master of Education degree in Applied Behavioral Science. Her primary loves in life are animals, the piano, a good book and great weather.

Student Ambassadors

JUSTIN BLUMER
Justin Blumer is originally from Holbrook, Pennsylvania and came to Oklahoma City University on a wrestling scholarship. He graduated with a degree in business administration and is currently pursuing a joint JD/MBA.  Justin is involved in many student organizations that Oklahoma City University School of Law has to offer. In addition to being a student ambassador, he is also a merit scholar and the law district representative for the Student Government Association.

CHELSEA KLINGLESMITH ESTES
Chelsea graduated with academic distinction from the University of Oklahoma in 2010 where she majored in Public Relations.  While at OU, Chelsea was a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority and sat on the University’s Student Superior Court as Vice Chief Justice.  She then came straight to Oklahoma City University School of Law in the fall of 2010 where she has since become a member of the school’s National Trial Team and the Holloway Inn of Court.  She was honored to be named a Holloway Scholar for the 2012 school year.  Chelsea is currently serving as the President of the Federal Bar Association and is a clinical student at the Oklahoma Innocence Project.  One of her most memorable work experiences since being in law school was with the Capital Habeas Unit at the Federal Public Defender’s Office for the Western District of Oklahoma.  Chelsea chose Oklahoma City University School of Law for its reputation of being connected with the state’s most prestigious professionals.

TAREN LORD-HALVORSON
Taren Lord-Halvorson is a graduate of the University of Colorado where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History.  Her interest in pursuing a law degree sparked after working with a Juvenile Magistrate in Boulder County, Colorado.  She is a Resource Editor for the Oklahoma City University Law Review, a student member of the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Inn of Court, a Licensed Legal Intern, a Merit Scholar, and a member of the Phi Delta Phi Legal Fraternity.  She is a recipient of the Dean’s Pro Bono and Public Interest Law Fellowship for her work at the United States Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Oklahoma.  Currently she works as an intern for the Public Protection Unit of the Office of the Oklahoma Attorney General and mentors a first grader at Stanley Hupfeld Academy.  At her Dean’s Preview, she fell in love with the Oklahoma City University School of Law because of how ‘at home’ she felt when speaking with Professors and the Administration.  She was impressed with the quick response she received from the Admissions Office and the scholarship opportunities available from the law school.  She is looking forward to graduating in May of 2013 and feels confident that Oklahoma City University School of Law prepared her for a successful career in the legal community.

SARAHBETH HANCE
Sarahbeth graduated from Southern Nazarene University with a degree in Mass Communications and Psychology. She is a Merit Scholar, a Law Review editor, and an officer in the Federal Bar Association. Sarahbeth mentors a second grade student at Stanley Hupfeld Academy and volunteers weekly at Infant Crisis Services. When deciding which law school to attend, Sarahbeth was impressed by the quick response and scholarship offered by Oklahoma City School of Law. Her decision to attend has only been affirmed in the past two years, especially because of the opportunities offered by the school. Last spring, she externed for the Honorable Shon T. Erwin, a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the United States District Court of the Western District of Oklahoma, and attended the National Conference of Law Reviews in Rhode Island. This year, she is participating in the Oklahoma Innocence Clinic to help exonerate wrongful convictions. Sarahbeth is grateful for the quality education she has received and looks forward to representing Oklahoma City University School of Law as alumni next year.