
Media Contact:
Mackenzie A. Dilbeck
(405) 325-2227
mdilbeck@ou.edu
NORMAN — Assistant Dean of Students for the University of Oklahoma College of Law, Scott Palk was nominated to the federal bench by President Donald J. Trump. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Palk will serve as a U.S. district court judge for the Western District of Oklahoma.
“Everyone at the OU College of Law is very proud of our friend and colleague, Scott Palk,” said OU Law Dean Joseph Harroz Jr. “He is incredibly deserving of this nomination, and I know would serve as a fair and honorable judge for the Western District of Oklahoma.”
Palk was previously nominated in 2015 by then-President Obama, however, his confirmation did not receive a full vote on the Senate floor.
Palk joined the OU College of Law as assistant dean of students in 2011 after serving nearly 20 years as a state and federal prosecutor. He was assistant district attorney for Cleveland County where he prosecuted a variety of crimes and death penalty cases; coordinator for the Multi-County Drug Task Force, directing wire interception drug investigations culminating in the successful prosecution of a significant multi-county methamphetamine distribution organization; an assistant U.S. attorney, prosecuting violent crimes, gangs and domestic terrorism; and deputy criminal chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
He has received a number of honors for his work including Prosecutor of the Year awards from The Association of Oklahoma Narcotics Enforcers and the Oklahoma Gang Investigators Association; the Executive Office of the U.S. Attorneys Director’s Award for Superior Performance; the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Certificate of Appreciation for Outstanding Contributions in the Field of Drug Law Enforcement; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Director’s Certificate of Appreciation for Assistance to the Joint Terrorism Task Force.
More News & Media
News
OU Law Students Selected as Stevens
NORMAN, OKLA. – Six OU Law students have been awarded the prestigious Justice John Paul Stevens Public Interest Fellowship. Each will receive $6,000 for summer public interest work in...

News
OU Law Alumnus Samuel Merchant Selected as Supreme Court Fellow
Samuel Merchant,’16, University of Oklahoma College of Law alumnus and Oklahoma City native, has been selected as a 2022-2023 Supreme Court Fellow, according to an announcement by the Supreme...

News
OU Law to Honor Five Outstanding Alumni at Order of the Owl Hall of Fame Ceremony
The University of Oklahoma College of Law will honor five outstanding alumni at its annual Order of the Owl Hall of Fame Ceremony, Thursday, March 12. The Order of the Owl recognizes OU Law graduates who demonstrate leadership and service through outstanding accomplishments in their legal careers.