Lori Walkley

Lori recently received the Oklahoma Bar Association Criminal Law Section’s top distinctions when she was awarded the Donald L. Deason Judicial Award for Outstanding Service in Criminal Law. In addition, as a sitting judge, Lori was one of the preeminent civil and family law judges in the State. In 2021, she was awarded the Mona Salyer Lambird Spotlight Award in recognition of her legal achievements over her career.

During her 20 years on the bench, Lori has had a very distinguished career. She was appointed to the bench in 2003 by Governor Brad Henry and was re-elected in 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022. As a District Judge, Lori Walkley was President of the Presiding Judges Assembly, a state-wide assembly of all the administrative zones in the State of Oklahoma. She served two terms as Presiding Judge of the South Central Administrative Zone and six terms as Chief District Judge in the 21st Judicial District. She is also a Past President of the Oklahoma Judicial Conference and an active member of the Conference, having also served as the Judicial Education Chair, the Bench Book Revisions Chair and Vice-President of the Conference. As a District Judge, Lori served as an executive board member of the Dispute Resolution Advisory Board, helping to administer the state-wide dispute resolution program for the Supreme Court of Oklahoma for over a decade.

Lori was also the Chief Judge of the Oklahoma Court on the Judiciary, Trial Division and Vice-Presiding Judge of the Court on the Judiciary, Appellate Division. Until her retirement, she served as Chairman of the Council on the Interstate Compact on Adult Offender Supervision and a member of the Task Force on Criminal Costs and Fines. She also had the very rare distinction of being appointed as a Special Judge to the Court of Criminal Appeals and a Special Justice to the Oklahoma Supreme Court to serve as an appellate judge in instances necessitated by recusals in those courts. Lori has taught judicial and legal education seminars throughout the state, is a faculty member of the National Judicial College and consults with courts around the country regarding appropriate case management and the criminal justice system.

Prior to becoming a judge, Lori graduated from the University of Oklahoma with an undergraduate degree in Political Science and obtained her Juris Doctorate from the University of Oklahoma. She practiced civil litigation and family law for Durbin, Larimore & Bialick firms in Oklahoma City, Bernstein & Walkley and Benedum, Benedum & Walkley in Norman, Oklahoma. While in private practice, Lori served as a Commissioner on the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education Commission for the Oklahoma Bar Association, Editor of the Oklahoma Bar Journal, President of the Cleveland County Bar Association and Commissioner for the Norman Children’s Rights Commission. She also served as the Center for Children and Families board member.

Upon her retirement from the bench, Lori was invited to become a panel member with Dispute Resolution Consultants (DRC), a statewide organization of mediators, arbitrators and special masters. She will be helping to resolve civil and family law cases using her years of experience on the bench. To learn more about her work with DRC, click the ADR link in our practice areas.

Lori has a wealth of experience and excellent relationships that she has formed with judges, district attorneys, lawyers, law enforcement, service providers and community members. She has conducted complex litigation as an attorney and judge and is an outstanding addition to the firm.