OU Law Freedom of Speech Night

Join us for OU Law's Freedom of Speech Night! The event starts with a cocktail hour followed by a panel discussion featuring Oklahoma attorneys and judges Devraat Awasthi, Emily Virgin, Trevor Pemberton and Thomas Gray. The group will discuss recent Supreme Court cases and will take questions from the audience.

5 p.m. Reception in David L. Boren Atrium
6:30 p.m. Panel Discussion in Bell Courtroom

RSVP here.

Learn more about the panelists:

Devraat Awasthi is a Legal Fellow at the ACLU of Oklahoma. He earned his law degree from the University of Oklahoma and his undergraduate degree in mathematics and philosophy from King’s College London. Raised right here in Oklahoma, he has spent his career in proud public service to the protection of civil rights and civil liberties.

Emily Virgin serves as Human Rights for Kids’ Director of Advocacy & Government Relations. Prior to joining HRFK, Emily served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. She was elected to the state legislature in 2010 and reached her term limit in 2022. During her legislative tenure, Emily was elected by her peers to be the House Minority Leader. During her time in the House of Representatives, Emily received awards and honors from Freedom Oklahoma, ACLU of Oklahoma, the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, the Oklahoma Bar Association, and the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy. Emily attended the University of Oklahoma for both her undergraduate degree and law degree. She graduated magna cum laude from OU in 2009 with a degree in political science and a minor in criminology. Emily was also selected as a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She graduated with distinction from OU Law in 2013 and was also a member of the Oklahoma Law Review.

Trevor Pemberton most recently served as general counsel to the Oklahoma Governor, Kevin Stitt from 2021-2024. Prior to being selected as general counsel, Pemberton was serving the state, through the governor’s appointment, as a judge on the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals. In addition, Pemberton has served as chief district judge of the Oklahoma County Juvenile Division beginning in May 2019. He was a district judge for Oklahoma County from January 2018 to May 2019 and a special district judge for Oklahoma County from May 2017 to January 2018. Before taking the bench, Pemberton was in private practice from 2008 to 2017 and worked at firms including: Foliart, Huff, Ottaway & Bottom; Mulinix, Ogden, Hall, Andrews & Ludlam; and Hayes Magrini & Gatewood.

Dr. Thomas Gray is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Texas at Dallas. He earned his Juris Doctorate from Western New England University and his PhD from the University of Virginia prior to beginning his career in education. He focuses his research on American Political Institutions and has contributed to many conversations on institutions, policy, and the judicial system.