Notable Alumni & Awards

This honor is awarded to a law firm who has a history of (a) hiring OCU Law alumni, (b) serving or mentoring OCU Law students, (c) participating in externship programs for OCU Law students, or (d) contributes monetarily or otherwise to the success of the Oklahoma City University School of Law. The recipient firm has attained prominence in the community through support of its worthy endeavors in education, government or accomplishments impressive to the citizens of Oklahoma.
1999-2000: McKinney & Stringer
2000-2001: Dunlap, Codding & Rogers
2001-2002: McAfee & Taft
2003-2004: Crowe & Dunlevy
2004-2005: Norman & Edem
2005-2006: Scoggins & Cross
2006-2007: Phillips, McFall, McCaffrey, McVay & Murrah
2007-2008: Hartzog Conger Cason & Neville
2008-2009: Hall, Estill, Hardwick, Gable, Golden & Nelson
2009-2010: No event, no award
2010-2011: Gable Gotwals
2011-2012: Hall Estill
2012-2013: Derryberry & Naifeh
2013-2014: Pierce Couch Hendrickson Baysinger & Green, LLP
2014-2015: Williams Box Forshee & Bullard, P.C.
2015-2016: Calvert Law Firm
2016-2017: Fellers Snider
2017-2018: No award given
2018-2019: Riggs Abney
2019-2020: DeWitt, Paruolo and Meek
2022: Phillips Murrah P.C.
This award is bestowed upon an individual or organization whose service has made a substantive and positive community impact and is committed to the common good through service to the community or dedication to education. In addition, the recipient has exhibited significant advancement in the area of public service and has demonstrated a sustained interest in the law school over a significant number of years.
2003-2004: William F. Shdeed, Jr.
2004-2005: Yvonne Kauger
2005-2006: M. Susie Magaw-Viele
2006-2007: Nona M. Lee
2007-2008: Ross A. Plourde
2008-2009: Cathy Christensen
2009-2010: No event, no award
2015-2016: The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum
2016-2017: Ron Norick
2017-2018: No award given
2018-2019: Elaine Turner
2019-2020: Tamya Cox-Touré
2022: Susan Carns Curtiss
This award honors a younger alumnus with significant achievements at an early stage of his/her career (1-10 years out of school or by age 35) in the practice of law, the judiciary, public service, government, education, business, or commerce.
2000-2001: Linda Samuel-Jaha
2001-2002: D. Renee Hildebrant
2003-2004: Leslie L. Lynch
2004-2005: Raymund C. King
2005-2006: Keri C. Prince
2006-2007: Abdul Zindani
2007-2008: Christina E. Murray
2008-2009: Donna Suchy
2009-2010: Angela Morrison Uhland
2010-2011: Brandon Long
2011-2012: Beau Patterson
2012-2013: Tynan Grayson
2013-2014: The Honorable TW Shannon
2014-2015: Lieutenant Governor Todd Lamb
2015-2016: Rachel Pappy
2016-2017: Senator David Holt
2017-2018: No award given
2018-2019: Monica Ybarra
2019-2020: Elizabeth Isaac
2022: Tiece I. Dempsey
This award honors a prominent alumnus who has an exceptional career record and who has achieved distinction through contributions to the legal profession on an international, national, state, or community level. The recipient is someone who has performed outstanding public service throughout his or her career as an attorney. Relevant contribution(s) may occur in a single year or over a span of years preferably extending in the year of selection.
1998-1999: Douglas Sanders, Jr.
1999-2000: Charles D. “Buddy” Neal, Jr.
2000-2001: Ronald Howland
2001-2002: M. Joe Crosthwait, Jr.
2003-2004: Michael D. Brown
2004-2005: Earl D. Mills
2005-2006: Patricia D. MacGuigan
2006-2007: Bob Burke
2007-2008: Tom Quinn
2008-2009: Richard Coulson
2009-2010: No event, no award
2010-2011: Robert Ravitz
2011-2012: Christina Murray
2012-2013: Barry Grissom
2013-2014: Vicki Z. Behenna ‘84
2014-2015: Gilbert K. Squires
2015-2016: President Andy Benton
2016-2017: Janie S. Hipp
2017-2018: No award given
2018-2019: Sandra Mitchell
2019-2020: Garvin Isaacs
2022: Naureen Hubbard
This award is named in honor of Justice Marian P. Opala, a 1953 graduate of Oklahoma City University School of Law who served on the Supreme Court of Oklahoma for 32 years. This award was created in 1999 to honor someone whose career, personal achievements and contributions to Oklahoma City University School of Law and society have distinguished him/her as a pillar of the legal community and who has reached or maintained a level of career excellence over his/her lifetime.
1992-1993: T. Douglas Stump
1999-2000: Justice Marian Opala
2000-2001: Richard F. McDivitt
2001-2002: Judge Fred Daughtery
2003-2004: Judge William J. Holloway, Jr.
2004-2005: William G. Paul
2005-2006: Judge Reta M. Strubhar
2006-2007: Alvin Harrell
2007-2008: John Green
2008-2009: William Burkett
2009-2010: No event, no award
2010-2011: Judge Carol Hansen
2011-2012: Judge Niles Jackson
2012-2013: J. William Conger
2013-2014: William F. Shdeed ‘65
2014-2015: Judge Vicki Miles-LaGrange
2015-2016: Ray Potts
2016-2017: Justice Steven Taylor
2017-2018: No award given
2018-2019: Justice James Winchester
2019-2020: Danné L. Johnson
2022: Justice Douglas L. Combs