The University of Tulsa’s College of Law officially reopened the Utsey Family Native American Law Center Reading Room on April 2, marking the completion of renovations and reaffirming its position as a national leader in Native American legal scholarship.
The facility, located in the Mabee Legal Information Center, is supported by the Utsey Family Endowment for Library Acquisitions in American Indian and Indigenous Law. Established in 2007 by Howard and Paula Utsey and their son Judge Brian Utsey (J.D. ’05, LL.M. ’06), the endowment has enabled sustained growth of the college’s Native American law collection.
Today, the collection is recognized as one of the most comprehensive academic resources in the country. It supports legal research, education and practice in federal Indian law and tribal legal systems.
“We, as the only law school located on the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, have an obligation to be good stewards of this land,” said Interim Dean Marc Roark. “That starts with building opportunities for our students to learn about tribal history, culture and how we engage with one another.”
Brian Utsey, who serves as chief judge of the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, cut the ribbon to officially reopen the space.
Nicholas Mignanelli, assistant dean and director of the Mabee Legal Information Center, emphasized the scope and national impact of the collection. He noted that the collection has been built and sustained over nearly two decades through the Utsey Family Endowment.
The collection serves not only UTulsa Law students, but also scholars and practitioners nationwide. In some cases, it holds materials not readily available in other major law libraries, reinforcing its role as a key resource for Native American legal research.
Mignanelli also emphasized that access to and preservation of legal information by and about tribal nations is essential to supporting tribal sovereignty and advancing legal scholarship.
During the event, the college announced the creation of the Native American Legal Information Forum, a partnership between the Mabee Legal Information Center and the Native American Law Center. The forum will support programming, publications and research initiatives focused on Federal Indian and Tribal sources of law and legal materials.
The reopening reflects continued investment in academic resources that position UTulsa Law as a leading center for Native American legal research and education.