United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma
About This Court
The Western District of Oklahoma is one of three federal judicial districts in Oklahoma and is part of the Tenth Circuit. The district covers the western and central portions of the state, including Oklahoma City, which serves as the seat of the court. The district encompasses a broad geographic area that includes urban, suburban, and rural counties spanning much of the state's interior and western regions.
The court handles the full range of federal civil and criminal matters, including cases arising under federal statutes, constitutional claims, and disputes involving the United States government. Given Oklahoma City's role as the state capital and a major metropolitan center, the docket reflects a mix of complex civil litigation, federal criminal prosecutions, and administrative law matters.
As part of the Tenth Circuit, decisions from this court are reviewed by the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, based in Denver, Colorado. The court operates under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and its own local rules governing practice and procedure.
Proceedings are governed by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, and Federal Rules of Evidence, along with the court's local rules. Bankruptcy cases are handled by the companion Bankruptcy Court, Western District of Oklahoma.
Caseload
The Western District of Oklahoma handles a significant volume of federal criminal cases, including drug trafficking and firearms offenses, as well as civil cases involving federal agencies and constitutional claims. The district also sees cases related to Native American law given Oklahoma's substantial tribal presence.
Bar Admission
Attorneys must be admitted to practice before the Western District of Oklahoma by applying to the court's bar, which generally requires membership in good standing with the Oklahoma Bar Association or another state bar and compliance with the court's local rules.
Clerk's Office
200 NW 4th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73102
(405) 609-5000
Active Judges 11
| Name | Appointed By | Confirmed | Law School |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne Alley | Ronald Reagan | 1985 | Stanford Law School |
| Robin Cauthron | George H.W. Bush | 1991 | University of Oklahoma College of Law |
| Timothy DeGiusti | George W. Bush | 2007 | University of Oklahoma College of Law |
| Jodi Dishman | Donald J. Trump | 2019 | University of Oklahoma College of Law |
| Stephen Friot | George W. Bush | 2001 | University of Oklahoma College of Law |
| Charles Goodwin | Donald J. Trump | 2018 | University of Oklahoma College of Law |
| Joe Heaton | George W. Bush | 2001 | University of Oklahoma College of Law |
| Bernard Jones | Donald J. Trump | 2019 | Notre Dame Law School |
| Vicki Miles-LaGrange | William J. Clinton | 1994 | Howard University School of Law |
| Scott Palk | Donald J. Trump | 2017 | University of Oklahoma College of Law |
| Patrick Wyrick | Donald J. Trump | 2019 | University of Oklahoma College of Law |
Local Rules
116 local rules extracted from this court's published rules. See the court's official website for the authoritative text.