The mission of the University of Oklahoma's Student Legal Services (SLS) program is to provide quality legal services to students to ensure their ability to focus on achieving academic success.
In the 2015 Fall semester, representatives of OU's Student Government Association attended the Big XII Student Government Conference and learned of student legal services programs at other universities. After much research and connecting with experts at peer institutions, the two decided to create an OU SLS program, and made the creation a fundamental element of their successful campaign. Once elected, the creation of an OU SLS program became a focus for the 2015-2016 SGA administration.
In the first calendar year, SLS served 85 student-clients. The number of students served continued to grow year by year, and in 2020, SLS served 236 students. In recognition of the need for legal services on campus for students, SLS became a department within the Division of Student Affairs in 2021, and is now staffed on a full-time basis.
Tracey grew up here in Norman, Oklahoma. She earned her B.A. from the University of Oklahoma, College of Arts and Sciences. After completing her undergraduate degree, she worked as an Event Coordinator for a large hotel and convention center. The challenges she faced there inspired her to pursue her original dream of becoming a lawyer. She attended the Oklahoma City University School of Law and began volunteering at the Oklahoma County Public Defender's office, where she began her legal career after graduating in 2004. After representing hundreds of indigent clients who would otherwise have no voice in the criminal justice system, Tracey went into private practice in 2007, and continued to work primarily in the areas of family and criminal law, as well as probate and general civil litigation.
Tracey continued her work as a solo-practitioner until November of 2016, when she came back to OU and accepted the position of Student Legal Services Director. As a born and bred Sooner, Tracey was thrilled to join the professional community at the University of Oklahoma and to have the opportunity to give back by providing free legal services to OU students.
Tracey lives with her family in Norman. When not working she enjoys doing “nerdy” activities with her daughter (her words), who loves all things Marvel and Harry Potter, snuggling with her son, discussing dinner options with her husband, attempting to keep the dogs off the couch, and just generally seeking to better appreciate the simple joys of everyday life.
"The SLS office at OU did so much for me and my roommates. We had so many questions and concerns but, being a student, we had very little resources — until we found Tracey and the SLS office. It was so easy to reach out, explain our situation, and figure out the next steps. I had been worrying about my issue for weeks, but the day I left the SLS office I was able to resolve it and finally start focusing on school instead of stressing over my situation. Usually legal issues are hard on my bank account and mental health, but the OU SLS office was able to take all of that away and help me get the resources I need."
"When I heard about SLS during my senior year at OU I was thrilled. I had been searching for ways to resolve my issue and file for my expungement but all were to either too complicated to handle myself or too expensive for a college student to hire an attorney to solve (I was quoted $2500+ at several law firms). When I met Tracey for the first time she immediately put my mind at ease and was optimistic that we could solve my problems together and finally put the incident in my past. Each time we met she was always prepared, smiling, and happy to help. She researched the legal codes, prepared all the necessary documents, and gave me advice on everything I would need for my expungement all the way down to how to send certified mail. After several months and two court dates, the judge approved my expungement and I was finally able let go of this burden I had held for four years. I could not be more thankful for this service and everything Tracey did to help me accomplish this, all at no cost to me. Student Legal Services provided an invaluable service to me and I’m confident they will continue to do so for many students after me."
"I got two tickets from the police which required me to go to court. I was so scared and felt helpless at that time. My advisers recommended me to use SLS, and so I did. The service SLS provided was very helpful. Tracey was nice and professional. She summarized all the information I wanted to know in a short time, and for the issue that I needed more detail, she told me exactly what I wanted to know. I felt that I was respected and cared for. Tracey called the court soon after our talk, which helped me get my case canceled. This saved me a lot of troubles and made me confident and able to concentrate more on my studies. I recommend everyone I know to use SLS when they are in need. As an international student, there are a lot of confusions regarding the differences between the laws in the US and the laws in our home country, and the language barrier makes things worse. SLS truly gives us a hand and makes our lives much much easier. Thank you!"
"Student Legal Services is a great program offered on OU’s Campus. The SLS attorney was able to answer all my legal questions and was very knowledgeable on the subjects. Having the ability to speak to an attorney regarding my issue so easily on campus gave me ease and allowed me to be able to fully focus on my academic studies. As a student I would not have been able afford to pay a lawyer to get the help I needed, and otherwise wouldn’t have been able to resolve my legal issues as I was able to do with SLS’s help. I would recommend the service to any member of the OU community that needs legal advice."
"I was tricked into lending money to someone I thought was a friend. However, as time passed I realized that this friend was lying about needing help and didn’t intend to pay me back the money. As an international student, I’m not familiar with the U.S. legal system. I was really in need for advice on how to collect the loan. Yet, I couldn’t afford a private attorney with my scholarship. Fortunately, SLS guided me through the process of Small Clams Court. Not only did I receive help filling out forms, but also was provided insight into the in court procedures and strategies on presenting evidence so that I can defend myself. Without the SLS's guidance, I couldn’t even reach this step. Thank you!"
"As a non-traditional student here at OU, I have life experience that many of my fellow classmates have yet to achieve. One of these hurdles was divorce, which re-directed my focus and distracted from my academics. I heard about the Student Legal Services through an OU email and reached out via email describing my situation. At the initial appointment, SLS was straightforward about what services could be provided including an estimate on how long the documents could take to sort through and prepare in an empathetic and non-diminishing way. I successfully submitted my legal documents prepared by Student Legal Services in Divorce Court and walked away a happily divorced woman. I was able to divert my concentration back to my studies. I was confident in the work provided by Student Legal Services and am eternally thankful for their presence and services to OU students."
The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this site are for general informational purposes only. Information on this website may not constitute the most up-to-date legal or other information. This website contains links to other third-party websites. Such links are only for the convenience of the reader, user or browser; SLS does not recommend or endorse the contents of third-party sites. SLS reserves the right to modify the program, with or without notice.
The SLS program is a department within the Division of Student Affairs.
