Meet the Alumni
Tricia Everest (JD ’03)
Tricia Everest (JD ’03) has dedicated her career to public service, philanthropy, and strengthening communities across Oklahoma. A native of Oklahoma City and fourth-generation Oklahoman, Everest currently serves as Oklahoma’s Secretary of Public Safety, overseeing more than 55 state agencies and entities related to public safety, emergency management, law enforcement, and corrections.
After earning her bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University and her Juris Doctor from the University of Oklahoma College of Law, Everest began her legal career as an assistant attorney general for the State of Oklahoma. She later shifted her focus toward building public-private partnerships and nonprofit initiatives designed to create pathways for stronger families and communities.
Everest is the founding chair of ReMerge, a nationally recognized program that diverts mothers from prison and helps women build healthy foundations for themselves and their children. She also played a leading role in launching Palomar, Oklahoma City’s Family Justice Center, which helps remove barriers for victims of domestic violence and abuse seeking services and support.
In addition to her public service work, Everest has held leadership roles with numerous civic and nonprofit organizations, including Allied Arts, the YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City (where she became the organization’s first female chair in its 128-year history) and several community foundations and boards.
Her contributions to Oklahoma have earned widespread recognition, including induction into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, the Order of the Owl from OU Law, and an honorary doctorate from Oklahoma City University. Throughout her career, Everest has remained committed to collaboration, service, and creating opportunities that strengthen Oklahoma communities.
You’ve spent much of your career building partnerships and initiatives that strengthen Oklahoma communities. What first inspired your commitment to public service and philanthropy?
My strongest memories of my childhood, include how excited my mom would be when she would return from volunteering and/or working on projects and programs. I remember my dad studying for law school and the Bar. He practiced law only a handful of years before going into his own business and serving leadership roles on boards and commissions. His law school education is still apparent in the way I witness his approach to business and decisions.
I knew three sets of my great-grandparents, from that generation to mine, the common tapestry includes creating better tomorrows through innovation and service. I started law school when I turned 30, by then I could see first hand some of the impact from my family’s varied investments into the community in healthcare, education, innovation and more. I intentionally chose to pursue my law degree at OU to give me greater leverage, critical thinking and greater access to opportunities for strengthening and advancing systems and communities.
How did your time at OU Law help shape the way you approach problem-solving, consensus-building, and public leadership today?
OU Law taught me that complex problems rarely have simple solutions. Legal education challenged me to examine issues from multiple perspectives, think critically about consequences, and understand the importance of thoughtful analysis before action. Whether developing public policy, leading statewide initiatives, or bringing together stakeholders with different viewpoints, I rely on the skills I developed at OU Law to find common ground and build consensus.
Throughout my second year I participated in the Interdisciplinary Training Program with OU Children’s, specializing on the prevention of child abuse and neglect. This training is the crux to the success of building successful collaborations, like ReMerge and Palomar. Working with Kim Garrett-Funk, MSW to build Palomar convinces me when lawyers and social workers team up anything is possible. We wanted similar visions, yet our approaches often were in conflict, leading to better thought out decisions.
In my position as Secretary of Public Safety, I am not serving as a lawyer for any agency, yet I have never thought more like one in making critical (at times life effecting) decisions for the welfare and safety of all Oklahomans and the people charged with serving and leading.
Was there a professor, mentor, or experience during your time at OU Law that had a lasting impact on you professionally or personally?
Dean Stan Evans was the first classmate I met and remained a solid foundation and mentor since. Kent Myers and Don Nicholson invited me into the newly created Oklahoma Lawyers for Children, too many influential touchstones front that beginning to include.
A non-exclusive list of impactful professors includes Katheleen Guzman, Steve Gensler, and Lindsay Robertson. As well as the three semesters working under Amy Pepper and the late Cindy Foley through the legal clinics. When I had the privilege of working as an assistant attorney general, lessons learned from each of these people proved invaluable and are still unfolding.
Throughout your career, you’ve brought together leaders from different backgrounds and perspectives to tackle difficult issues. What advice would you give current law students or young alumni about building relationships and leading effectively in their communities?
Life is a marathon, not a sprint. One lesson I have learned is that every person we meet may play a role in our lives later, even if we don’t realize it at the time. Looking back, I can see conversations, volunteer opportunities, introductions, and experiences that seemed insignificant at the time but later became pivotal to opportunities and accomplishments I never could have predicted.
Lawyers are a part of nearly every important change in society. Whether it is a business innovation, public policy reform, community initiative, or personal challenge. Once you graduate from OU Law, you become part of a lifelong network of alumni and fellow attorneys who are invested in your success.
Perhaps the most important phrase I have learned to say is, “I don’t know.” I thought leadership meant having all the answers. Over time, I learned that “I don’t know” is a powerful bridge. It invites collaboration, encourages learning, and builds trust. The best leaders are not those who know everything; they are those who are willing to learn from others and bring people together to solve problems.
What you do with the privileges of this profession and the education you have received is ultimately what defines you. Your degree opens doors, but your character, your willingness to serve, and the way you use your talents to improve the lives of others will determine the impact you leave behind.
As someone who has dedicated so much time to serving others, what motivates you to continue investing in the next generation of OU Law students and graduates?
One observation I have made over the years is that the most successful people I know all have a purpose outside of themselves. I have benefited tremendously from mentors, colleagues, and leaders who invested in me throughout my career. Looking back, I can now see how many opportunities, lessons, and relationships help shape my journeys. Many of those moments seemed ordinary at the time, but proved to be transformational.
Success is rarely achieved alone. The relationships we build, the people who guide us, and the willingness to help others are often what make the greatest difference over the course of a lifetime. What we do with the privileges of our education and profession ultimately defines us, and the greatest fulfillment comes when we use those gifts in service to something larger than ourselves.
Dr. Scott Ellner (MLS ’24)
Dr. Scott Ellner, M.L.S. 2024, is a nationally recognized physician executive, healthcare strategist, and speaker who currently serves as Chief Physician Executive at INTEGRIS Health, one of the state’s largest health systems. With a career spanning frontline trauma surgery, executive leadership, and healthcare law, Dr. Ellner brings a unique perspective shaped by two decades of experience caring for patients while leading complex healthcare systems through transformation.
A California surfer turned trauma surgeon and healthcare executive, Dr. Ellner earned his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Western University of Health Sciences and completed his general surgery residency at the University of California, San Diego. He later earned a Master of Healthcare Management from Harvard University and a Master of Legal Studies in Healthcare Law from the University of Oklahoma College of Law.
Throughout his career, Dr. Ellner has held senior leadership roles across major health systems, including serving as CEO of Billings Clinic and President of employed physician groups for Common Spirit Health, AdventHealth, and Trinity Health. He has led organizations through periods of significant operational transformation, quality improvement, and strategic growth.
Dr. Ellner is widely recognized for his work in physician leadership, quality and safety, physician well-being, and artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare. He is a frequent national speaker on topics including communication and leadership, AI in medicine, and the creation of resilient physician cultures. In 2015, he received the Roger Schenke Award from the American Association for Physician Leadership for outstanding leadership.
He is also the author of Wipe Out, Rise Up, a book focused on leadership, pushing past limits, and sustaining health. In 2025, Dr. Ellner was a speaker at TEDx Mountain Ave on the topic of antifragility.
After spending much of your career in medicine and healthcare leadership, what motivated you to pursue OU Law’s Master of Legal Studies in Healthcare Law program at that point in your career?
As my responsibilities in healthcare leadership expanded, I realized that many of the most important decisions in healthcare are deeply connected to legal and regulatory frameworks. Whether navigating physician employment agreements, compliance matters, quality reporting, value-based care arrangements, payer contracts, or governance issues, healthcare leaders increasingly need a sophisticated understanding of the legal environment.
I pursued the OU College of Law Master of Legal Studies program because I wanted to strengthen my ability to lead thoughtfully and responsibly in an increasingly complex healthcare environment. The program provided me with a much broader perspective on risk management, regulatory oversight, contracts, and medical malpractice.
What stood out to me about OU Law was how practical and applicable the education was for physician executives. I was able to immediately apply concepts from the lecture hall to real-world leadership challenges involving quality, physician credentialling, coding and billing, and payor dynamics.
The experience also reinforced the importance of approaching leadership decisions with both operational discipline and ethical responsibility. In healthcare, the stakes are incredibly high, and understanding the legal implications of decisions helps leaders better protect patients, physicians, and organizations.
How has your legal education influenced the way you approach healthcare leadership, particularly in areas like compliance, AI, patient safety, and organizational decision-making?
My legal education fundamentally changed the way I think about decision-making and risk. It reinforced that strong leadership is not simply about operational performance — it is about creating structures that are ethical, sustainable, transparent, and aligned with patient-centered care.
One area where my legal education has been especially valuable is artificial intelligence in healthcare. AI has tremendous potential to improve patient outcomes, operational efficiency, and clinical decision support. At the same time, it raises important questions about bias, governance, privacy, liability, and informed decision-making. As care delivery evolves, for example, through digital representations or AI-enabled extensions of physicians—it also raises questions about the standard of care and accountability. My legal studies helped me better understand how emerging AI-enabled capabilities are advancing faster than the regulatory frameworks intended to govern them.
The program also strengthened my perspective on patient safety and quality. In healthcare leadership, there is often pressure to focus only on short-term operational metrics. My legal education reinforced the importance of building systems that prioritize accountability, continuous improvement, and risk reduction while maintaining trust with physicians, caregivers, and patients.
Additionally, the program improved my ability to think critically through complex organizational challenges such as a difficult patient outcome with the potential for long-term legal, ethical, and reputational implications.
Throughout your career, you’ve emphasized physician well-being, culture, and leadership. What lessons have you learned about leading people effectively in high-pressure healthcare environments?
One of the biggest lessons I have learned is that culture matters more than strategy alone. Healthcare is a high-pressure environment filled with uncertainty, emotional intensity, and rapidly changing expectations. Organizations succeed when leaders create cultures where people feel supported, heard, challenged, and connected to purpose.
As both a trauma surgeon and healthcare executive, I have seen firsthand the emotional toll healthcare can take on physicians and caregivers. Many clinicians entered medicine to help people, yet they often find themselves overwhelmed by administrative burden, regulatory complexity, staffing shortages, and financial pressures.
Effective leadership requires authenticity, communication, humility, and visibility. People want leaders who are willing to listen, engage directly, and work alongside teams during difficult moments. I have also learned that resilience alone is not enough. In today’s environment, organizations need to become “antifragile,” meaning they learn, adapt, and grow stronger through adversity.
This philosophy has become central to my leadership approach. I believe organizations improve when they embrace feedback, foster psychological safety, encourage innovation, and create systems that continuously learn from challenges rather than simply reacting to crises.
Was there a course, faculty member, or experience during your time at OU Law that had a particularly meaningful impact on you?
Several courses had a meaningful and practical impact on my work as a physician executive.
Professor Michael Granston’s course on Fraud and Abuse was particularly impactful because physician employment agreements, compensation structures, compliance oversight, and organizational risk mitigation are a significant part of my leadership responsibilities. Understanding the implications of the Stark Law and the False Claims Act has been extremely meaningful and directly relevant to my work managing the INTEGRIS Health physician enterprise and navigating complex healthcare relationships. The course strengthened my understanding of how healthcare organizations must thoughtfully balance strategy, physician employment, compliance, and ethical accountability.
I also greatly enjoyed Professor Teresa Williams’ course on the Regulation of Private Insurance, Managed Care, and the Affordable Care Act. Her course provided valuable insight into the complexities healthcare entities face when working with commercial payors and navigating the rapidly evolving payor landscape. As healthcare organizations continue transitioning toward value-based care and increasingly complex payor arrangements, the knowledge from her course has been highly applicable in helping me better understand regulatory dynamics, contract structures, and “reimbursement” or payment challenges.
More broadly, one of the most meaningful aspects of the OU Law experience was learning alongside professionals from diverse healthcare and legal backgrounds. The collaborative environment challenged me to think differently and broadened my understanding of how legal issues impact every aspect of healthcare. The thoughtful discussions among my peers in Professor Elise Brennan’s course about the ethical and legal considerations of artificial intelligence and the physician-patient relationship were stimulating and spurred my interest to further pursue this area of focus.
I especially appreciated how the faculty connected legal principles to practical, real-world healthcare scenarios, including a Department of Justice investigation, were incredibly valuable because they directly aligned with the challenges healthcare leaders face every day.
The program also reinforced the importance of intellectual curiosity and lifelong learning. Even after decades in medicine and executive leadership, the experience reminded me that growth occurs when we intentionally place ourselves in environments that challenge our assumptions and expand our perspective.
For healthcare professionals or executives considering continuing their education later in their careers, what advice would you give about balancing leadership responsibilities with lifelong learning?
I would encourage them not to underestimate the value of continuing to learn and evolve. Healthcare is changing rapidly, and leaders who remain intellectually curious are better positioned to navigate complexity and lead meaningful transformation.
Balancing education with leadership responsibilities is certainly challenging, especially while managing operational demands, family responsibilities, and the unpredictability of healthcare. However, continuing education creates opportunities to think differently, challenge your own assumptions, and strengthen your leadership capabilities.
My advice would be to pursue education with purpose. Choose programs that align with your values, expand your perspective, and have practical relevance to the work you are doing. For me, the OU Law experience strengthened not only my understanding of healthcare law but also my confidence as a leader navigating an increasingly complex industry.
Most importantly, lifelong learning demonstrates humility. It sends a message that no matter how much experience we have, there is always room to grow.
Looking back on your OU Law experience, what stands out most to you, and why has staying connected to OU remained important in your professional journey?
What stands out most to me is the quality of the people and the shared commitment to advancing healthcare and leadership through thoughtful education. The OU Law community created an environment where professionals from different disciplines could engage in meaningful conversations about the future of healthcare, ethics, law, and leadership.
Staying connected to OU remains important to me because the institution represents a commitment to service, excellence, and lifelong learning. The relationships, experiences, and perspectives I gained through the program continue to influence how I lead today.
I also believe strongly in supporting future healthcare leaders and helping bridge conversations between medicine, law, technology, and healthcare operations. As healthcare continues to evolve, interdisciplinary collaboration will become increasingly important. OU Law helped strengthen that perspective for me, and I remain grateful to be part of that community.
In many ways, the program reinforced a belief that has guided much of my career: the best leaders never stop learning, adapting, and investing in others.
Brie Miller (JD ’24)
Brie Strickland Miller (J.D. ’24) is a commercial litigation associate at Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C. in Dallas, where her practice includes business dispute, environmental, entertainment, intellectual property, real estate, securities, and trade secrets litigation.
At the University of Oklahoma College of Law, Brie earned her J.D. with honors and distinguished herself as both a scholar and leader. She was inducted into the Order of the Coif and Order of the Barristers and received numerous honors, including the Federal Bar Association’s Robert A. McNew Scholarship, the Reid E. Robison Litigation Scholarship, and multiple American Jurisprudence Awards.
During law school, Brie served as Operating Editor for the Oil and Gas, Natural Resources, and Energy Journal, where her article on corporate climate-related disclosures was selected for publication. She also competed on the National Moot Court Team and the John J. Gibbons Criminal Procedure Moot Court Team.
Brie was deeply involved in student leadership, serving as President of the Federal Bar Association’s OU Chapter and co-founding Law Students of Texas. She also earned a certificate in Business & Transactional Law and graduated with pro bono distinction honors.
Before joining Munsch Hardt full time, Brie served as a summer associate with the firm, completed a judicial internship with the Honorable Rebecca Rutherford of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, and worked as a Sustainability Legal Extern focused on ESG and climate-related compliance matters for SLB (formerly Schlumburger).
Prior to law school, Brie earned her bachelor’s degree magna cum laude from Southern Methodist University and worked in communications and brand marketing for a major U.S. airline.
Today, Brie remains actively involved in the legal and civic communities through organizations including as Membership Co-Chair and Leadership Class member of the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers, Silent Auction Committee Member for Attorneys Serving the Community, and OU Law Young Alumni Board.
Looking back on your time at OU Law, is there a particular memory, experience, or moment that still stands out to you today?
My 1L year OU football staged a generational comeback against UT at the Red River Rivalry. A group of us from law school had seats only six or so rows up and we rushed the field after the winning, only to then be threatened with trespassing charges and left wondering how we would explain that to bar examiners for character and fitness. A little more related to OU Law specifically, my moot court team experiences stand out for not only shaping me professionally but forging some of my greatest friendships. My 2L Nationals partner and I will still message each other every time our prompt from that year comes up in the real world.
Were there any professors, mentors, or opportunities at OU Law that especially influenced the way you approach your work and professional relationships now?
Absolutely. Too many to count probably. Professor Alex Pearl has deeply influenced not only my practice (I still pull out my 1L Property outline every now and then!) but also my professional moral compass and love for pouring into the profession through mentorship and building opportunities for others. I can still hear “Gensler-isms” in my head when I’m navigating civil procedure matters and Professor Gensler’s treatise is one of my top visited pages on WestLaw. I also can’t forget Professors Shaner and Richter, who I continue to strive to be like in so many ways as brilliant and strong women in the profession. Finally, nothing prepared me for the fast pace and chaos of filing deadlines, along with juggling redlines and various documents versions, quite like being on moot court teams.
What has surprised you most about practicing law since graduating?
How imperfect the practice and its people can be. The best medicine for imposter syndrome has been to realize everyone, I mean everyone, makes mistakes. Relatedly, there is a unexpected sense of peace with accepting and respecting my your own limits and knowing that on any given day you can’t make everyone happy. The best attorneys I’ve met to date are the ones who persevere through that disappointment or adversity. It’s their humility (not ego) that makes them exceptional.
You’ve gotten involved early as a young alum by serving in a number of civic organizations and with your alma mater. What motivated you to say “yes” to staying getting engaged in your communities and what have you gained from it so far?
Practicing law is a privilege; one that I try to never take for granted. My involvement is rooted in that gratitude as well as a belief that this profession is only as good as when people who endlessly pursue its excellence and evolution, including investing in the next generation. Plus, attorneys are some of the most interesting people and you can meet the best of the best by getting involved. That sense of community and connection keeps me energized.
What’s one piece of advice you would give to current OU Law students or recent graduates as they begin building their careers and professional networks?
Your two greatest pieces of currency are your reputation and your community. It’s important not to lose sight that the practice of law is the practice of people so taking the time to meet a friend for coffee or help a former classmate says more about your character than any courtroom or boardroom win. Be the kind of person who shows up and people will remember that. So much of my success to date is because I have peers to learn from, mentors to encourage me, and friends to celebrate me in good times and talk me through the not-so-great ones.