Michael A. Scaperlanda
Professor of Law
Gene and Elaine Edwards Family Chair in Law
B.A., University of Texas, 1981
J.D., University of Texas, 1984
- Email: mscaperlanda@ou.edu
- Link: Course Syllabi and Handouts
- Blog: Mirror of Justice (opens in a new window)
After graduating from the University of Texas School of Law with High Honors in 1984, Scaperlanda spent one year clerking for the Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court and four years practicing law in Washington, D.C. and Austin, Texas. Since joining the University of Oklahoma College of Law faculty in 1989, he has served as Associate Dean for Research and as Chair of numerous committees including the University's Campus Tenure Committee, the College's elected executive committee, the College's Appointments Committee, the Law Library Director Search Committee, and the College's Self-Study Committee. Additionally, he worked in the provost's office coordinating the University's self-study, leading the University through the North Central Association reaccreditation process.
In recognition of his scholarly accomplishments, Scaperlanda was named the Gene and Elaine Edwards Family Chair in Law in 2000. His latest book, published in 2009 by the Federal Judicial Center, is Immigration Law: A Primer. Earlier books include Recovering Self-Evident Truths: Catholic Perspectives on American Law, co-edited by OU law graduate, Professor Teresa Collett. Scaperlanda's articles have appeared in a number of journals, including the Connecticut Law Review, the Georgetown Immigration Law Journal, the Iowa Law Review, the Stanford Law and Policy Review, the Texas Review of Law and Politics, and the Wisconsin Law Review.
Scaperlanda's current public service commitments include serving as a member of the Oklahoma Advisory Committee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights, as a member of the Board of Advisors to St. Gregory's University, and as a Scholar Participant in the Hispanic Cultural Institute of Oklahoma City and Norman. He has also served as chair of the Association of American Law School's Immigration Law Section, as chair of the Law Teacher's Section of the American Immigration Lawyers' Association, and as a member of the Oklahoma Bar Association's Legal Ethics Committee.
At OU, Scaperlanda teaches Constitutional Law, Immigration Law, a Jurisprudence seminar, and Professional Responsibility.