When the newest graduates of The University of Tulsa’s College of Law took their oaths at the Oklahoma Bar ceremony, the moment marked not the beginning of their work but an important milestone in it. Each had already been contributing to the legal community, and now, as licensed attorneys, they are stepping fully into the roles for which they have been preparing.
For Trent Siever, George Myring and Karly Fisher, the occasion underscored what UTulsa Law represents: a close-knit, hands-on education that equips graduates to serve with skill, purpose and professionalism.
Siever said the transition from student to federal law clerk felt natural. “Interning for Judge Frizzell and Magistrate Judge Jayne was pivotal,” he said. “It sparked a curiosity about the federal courts in me.”
That curiosity has now come full circle. Siever now serves as a term law clerk to U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell in the same chambers where he once observed as a student. “I learned how to write at UTulsa Law from excellent professors like Lori Twomey, Leslie Weeks and Matt Lamkin,” he added. “Legal writing has been essential in my current role.”
Learning the Law by Practicing It
For Myring, real-world experience wasn’t a bonus, it was the foundation. His time in UTulsa Law’s Reproductive Rights Practicum and Public Defender Clinic shaped his perspective long before graduation.
“Clinics place students into the trenches and onto the firing lines of legal practice,” he said. Now an attorney with Boeheim | Freeman in Tulsa, Myring focuses on family law, a field where compassion and composure matter as much as argument. “UTulsa Law gave me the tools to create myself in the Tulsa legal community,” he said. “The staff provided the opportunities, but it was up to me to take them.”
At Foster Garvey PC, Fisher is able to focus on tribal law. “UTulsa’s Indian Law program gave me a strong foundation and a deep understanding of the legal issues facing Native communities,” she said. Courses such as Tribal Governments with Judge Charles Tripp inspired her commitment to advocacy. “I want to be a respectful, informed advocate who listens to the needs of the communities I serve,” she said.
Different paths, different passions and one shared thread: Each attorney credits UTulsa Law’s experiential learning and mentorship as the bridge between theory and practice.
As they continue their work in courts, firms and communities across Oklahoma, their journeys reflect the strength of a UTulsa Law education, one grounded in skill, integrity and purpose. “It doesn’t just teach you how to be a lawyer,” Siever said. “It teaches you how to care.”