OU Law Assistant Dean Scott Palk Nominated for Federal Bench

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.