Dean Emerita Valerie Couch and Judge Timothy DeGiusti, both Life Fellows, were announced as part of this year’s class of distinguished alumni being inducted into the University of Oklahoma College of Law Order of the Owl Hall of Fame.
Dean Couch spent 16 years in private practice as a trial lawyer with the Oklahoma City law firm Hartzog, Conger & Cason and then in 1999 transitioned to the federal courts when she was appointed to serve as a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Western District of Oklahoma, where she served for 13 years. In 2012 she became the 13th dean of the Oklahoma City University School of Law and taught law school courses in Professionalism & Ethics, Evidence, Mediation, and Trial Practice. She currently serves as Chair of the nine-member Oklahoma City Human Rights Commission and is also on the Oklahoma Free Speech Committee.
Judge DeGiusti is currently the Chief United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma and the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court judge. He practiced at Andrews, Davis, Legg, Bixler, Milsten & Price. He also co-founded Holladay, Chilton & DeGiusti PLLC and was a prosecutor in the United States Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps for 7 years. In 2003 he retired from the Oklahoma Army National Guard after 22 years of combined active and reserve service. Judge DeGiusti was an adjunct professor of law at the OU College of Law from 1998 to 2003 and serves on the OU College of Law Board of Visitors.
Read more here.