Our final highlight of an epic trip was to the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma in order to attend a tour of OU College of Law. This law school sets itself apart instantly just by the size of the building. It is by far the largest of the three we visited while on this trip, with the courtrooms alone being some of the largest in the nation!
Before getting into the tour, the Director of Admissions, Maddie Ferris, took the time to sit with us and discuss where we are in our respective pre-law journeys and was a resource for all of our burning questions.
This was especially kind, and we greatly appreciate her time. As first-generation students, we are heading into the law field with a lot to learn, and the time with her was very helpful.
We also had a wonderful tour, led by OU Law student Candalyn Lyons. We had the chance to view their beautiful library while gaining insight on the various amenities, opportunities, and the culture of OU Law. We were given an awesome tour, and we learned a lot about the virtues of OU Law.
Located less than three hours from Dallas, the school’s last incoming class had a median LSAT of 159 and GPA of 3.71. With in-state tuition less than $23,000 annually, the school offers various clinics and boasts a first-time bar-passage rate of greater than 90 percent. As an added bonus, the school is located in pretty Norman, Oklahoma, a college town of moderate size, which is, in turn, about thirty minutes from the much-larger Oklahoma City.
Just that morning we had seen Oklahoma City, and we spent a bit more time that afternoon looking around OU’s campus–which is beautiful!
We saw numerous pieces of art work by James Surls, Jesus Moroles, a piece by Allan Houser, and we also saw our first “LOVE” sculpture by Robert Indiana.
We were perhaps most impressed by the University’s reading library, which resembles something out of a Harry Potter movie!
This was a great end to a great trip, with much learning about art, the law, architecture, food, and the outdoors.
This trip, a microcosm of the LEAP program’s offerings, cannot be defined nor summarized with an all-encompassing statement, or at least, not in a manner that truly does them justice. However, this tour allowed Cinthia and I to experience a plethora of things that we likely would not have done if not for the amazing opportunities the LEAP Center provides.
In just 8 days, we had 7 dishes with green chili, stayed in 6 different hotels, heavily familiarized ourselves with 5 artists from each of the 4 states we drove through, toured 3 law schools, got stuck in the snow 2 times, and had 1 amazing time doing it all! It was a great trip, full of learning, and we were very grateful to end it on such a high note amidst the friendly hospitality of the Oklahoma prairie.
Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics 