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Mackenzie A. Dilbeck
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NORMAN — The University of Oklahoma College of Law jumped 12 spots in the latest Blakely Advocacy Institute’s annual ranking of Moot Court Programs to No. 2 in the nation. This marks the fifth consecutive year the OU College of Law has been ranked in the top 20 schools in the country, with this year’s ranking representing the college’s highest placement in school history.
“We were thrilled to learn of this year’s Blakely Advocacy Institute’s ranking,” said OU Law Dean Joseph Harroz Jr. “At OU Law, we are committed to providing our students with a world-class legal education, and part of that includes exposing them to moot court competitions. Our students’ tenacity and drive to succeed is inspiring, and the faculty and alumni support we have for our competitions program is outstanding. We are particularly indebted to our Director of Competitions, Professor Connie Smothermon. We are incredibly proud of everyone’s efforts and grateful to have such strong representatives of OU Law.”
The No. 2 ranking qualifies the OU College of Law for the 2018 Kurth Tournament of Champions, which is reserved for the top 16 schools in the country to compete for the Moot Court National Championship. This year, 98 OU Law students participated on 34 teams traveling across the country. The college was also named a Top 20 Best Moot Court School of the Decade by National Jurist magazine.
In addition to its moot court recognitions, OU Law holds the highest ranking ever achieved by an Oklahoma law school (U.S. News & World Report); is an eight-time Best Value Law School (National Jurist); and is No. 18 in the nation for first-time bar passage (U.S. News Academic Insights).
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