Noma Gurich
Encyclopedia
Noma D. Gurich is an American
attorney
and judge
who is currently serving as a Justice on the Oklahoma Supreme Court
. Gurich was appointed the State's highest court by Governor of Oklahoma
Brad Henry
in 2010 and assumed office on February 15, 2011. Gurich was appointed to the Court following the death of long-time Justice Marian P. Opala
. Gurich is the third woman in State history to be appointed to the Supreme Court.
. She received a bachelors degree in political science in 1975 from Indiana State University
and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Oklahoma College of Law
in 1978. She began her private law practice in Oklahoma City
until 1988. In 1988, Republican
Governor of Oklahoma
Henry Bellmon
appointed Gurich as Judge of the Oklahoma Workers' Compensation Court. She was reappointed for a second term to the Court by Democratic
Governor David Walters
in 1994.
In July 1998, Republican Governor Frank Keating
appointed Gurich as Judge of the District Court for Oklahoma County, a position she was then reelected to in 2002, 2006, and 2010. While serving as a District Judge, Gurich served as the Presiding Judge of both the 11th and 12th Multi-County Grand Juries (2007-2008 and 2009-2010) by order of the Chief Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court. In January 2011, following the death of long-time Justice Marian P. Opala
, Democratic Governor Brad Henry
appointed Gurch to the Oklahoma Supreme Court
.
Gurich is married to John E. Miley, General Counsel for the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission
. Justice Gurich and her husband have been married for 17 years.
in Terra Haute, Indiana. She graudated with a major in Political Science and a minor in History, receiving a B.A. Degree Magna Cum Laude
. She furthered her education by attending the University of Oklahoma
College of law in Norman, Oklahoma
, receiving a Juris Doctorate with distinctions in 1978.
While in law school
, Gurich was selected by a vote of her peers to receive the Professional Responsibility Award, and served as a student judge on the University of Oklahoma Superior Court. She also served as a Research Editor for the American Indian
Law Review.
for the Western District of Oklahoma
, working under acting U.S. Attorney John E. Green.
on October 13, 1978. Initially, Gurich was employed as an associate attorney with the law firm of Cheek and Cheek in Oklahoma City
. In 1982, she joined the firm of Abowitz & Welch, in OKlahoma City, with whom she became a partner. Her private practice
experience included the defense of negligence and tort
cases, product liability
cases, anti-trust cases, securities fraud
cases, contract cases, workers' compensation
and general practice.
In 1988, Gurich was appointed to serve as a Judge on the Workers' Compensation Court by Oklahoma Governor
Henry Bellmon
. While sitting on the Workers' Compensation Court, Gurich was designated by Governor Bellmon to serve as Presiding Judge for two terms: January 1989 - December 1992. Gurich was re-appointed to the court for a six-year term by Oklahoma Governor David Walters
. She remained in this position until being nominated to serve as judge in the District Court
of Oklahoma County.
and formally appointed by Governor Frank Keating
to fill the remaining term of a retiring district judge.
Following the appointment, Gurich was elected in 1998 to remain in her position as a District Judge for Oklahoma County. She was re-elected in 2002, 2006 & 2010 without opposition. In this capacity, Gurich hserved as the Presiding Administrative Judge for the 7th Judicial District from January of 2003 to December 31, 2004.
, following the death of Justice Marian Opala on October 11, 2010. She was official sworn in on March 31, 2011. Gurich was sworn in as to serve as the third woman on the Oklahoma Supreme Court. Justice Gurich was sworn in by fellow Justice, Yvonne Kauger.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
who is currently serving as a Justice on the Oklahoma Supreme Court
Oklahoma Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Oklahoma is one of the two highest judicial bodies in the U.S. state of Oklahoma and leads the Oklahoma Court System, the judicial branch of the government of Oklahoma....
. Gurich was appointed the State's highest court by Governor of Oklahoma
Governor of Oklahoma
The governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma...
Brad Henry
Brad Henry
Charles Bradford "Brad" Henry was the 26th Governor of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected governor in 2002...
in 2010 and assumed office on February 15, 2011. Gurich was appointed to the Court following the death of long-time Justice Marian P. Opala
Marian P. Opala
Marian Peter Opala was a Polish-American lawyer and jurist who served as a Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court for thirty-two years. Opala was appointed to the State's highest court in 1978 by Governor of Oklahoma David L. Boren...
. Gurich is the third woman in State history to be appointed to the Supreme Court.
Biography
Gurich was born in South Bend, IndianaSouth Bend, Indiana
The city of South Bend is the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total of 101,168 residents; its Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 316,663...
. She received a bachelors degree in political science in 1975 from Indiana State University
Indiana State University
Indiana State University is a public university located in Terre Haute, Indiana, United States.The Princeton Review has named Indiana State as one of the "Best in the Midwest" seven years running, and the College of Education's Graduate Program was recently named as a 'Top 100' by U.S...
and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Oklahoma College of Law
University of Oklahoma College of Law
The University of Oklahoma College of Law is an ABA-certified law school located on the University of Oklahoma campus in Norman, Oklahoma. Currently, the College of Law has an enrollment of 527 law students....
in 1978. She began her private law practice in Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
until 1988. In 1988, Republican
Oklahoma Republican Party
The Oklahoma Republican Party is a political party affiliated with the United States Republican Party . Along with the Oklahoma Democratic Party, it is one of the two major parties in Oklahoma politics.-Voter base:...
Governor of Oklahoma
Governor of Oklahoma
The governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma...
Henry Bellmon
Henry Bellmon
Henry Louis "Harry" Bellmon was an American Republican politician from Oklahoma. He was a member of the Oklahoma Legislature, the 18th and 23rd Governor of Oklahoma , and a two-term United States Senator.-Service in World War II:Bellmon was born in Tonkawa, Oklahoma and graduated from Billings...
appointed Gurich as Judge of the Oklahoma Workers' Compensation Court. She was reappointed for a second term to the Court by Democratic
Oklahoma Democratic Party
The Oklahoma Democratic Party is an Oklahoma political party affiliated with the United States Democratic Party. Along with the Oklahoma Republican Party, it one of the two major parties in Oklahoma politics....
Governor David Walters
David Walters
David Lee Walters was the 24th Governor of Oklahoma from 1991 to 1995.-Biography:Walters was born near Canute, Oklahoma. He graduated as valedictorian from Canute High School in 1969. He later graduated from University of Oklahoma in 1973 with a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering...
in 1994.
In July 1998, Republican Governor Frank Keating
Frank Keating
Francis Anthony "Frank" Keating is an American politician from Oklahoma. Keating served as the 25th Governor of Oklahoma. His first term began in 1995 and ended in 1999...
appointed Gurich as Judge of the District Court for Oklahoma County, a position she was then reelected to in 2002, 2006, and 2010. While serving as a District Judge, Gurich served as the Presiding Judge of both the 11th and 12th Multi-County Grand Juries (2007-2008 and 2009-2010) by order of the Chief Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court. In January 2011, following the death of long-time Justice Marian P. Opala
Marian P. Opala
Marian Peter Opala was a Polish-American lawyer and jurist who served as a Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court for thirty-two years. Opala was appointed to the State's highest court in 1978 by Governor of Oklahoma David L. Boren...
, Democratic Governor Brad Henry
Brad Henry
Charles Bradford "Brad" Henry was the 26th Governor of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected governor in 2002...
appointed Gurch to the Oklahoma Supreme Court
Oklahoma Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Oklahoma is one of the two highest judicial bodies in the U.S. state of Oklahoma and leads the Oklahoma Court System, the judicial branch of the government of Oklahoma....
.
Gurich is married to John E. Miley, General Counsel for the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission
Oklahoma Employment Security Commission
The Oklahoma Employment Security Commission is an independent agency of the state of Oklahoma responsible for providing employment services to the citizens of Oklahoma. The Commission is part of a national network of employment service agencies and is funded by money from the United States...
. Justice Gurich and her husband have been married for 17 years.
Education
Gurich attended Indiana State UniversityIndiana State University
Indiana State University is a public university located in Terre Haute, Indiana, United States.The Princeton Review has named Indiana State as one of the "Best in the Midwest" seven years running, and the College of Education's Graduate Program was recently named as a 'Top 100' by U.S...
in Terra Haute, Indiana. She graudated with a major in Political Science and a minor in History, receiving a B.A. Degree Magna Cum Laude
Latin honors
Latin honors are Latin phrases used to indicate the level of academic distinction with which an academic degree was earned. This system is primarily used in the United States, Canada, and in many countries of continental Europe, though some institutions also use the English translation of these...
. She furthered her education by attending the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
College of law in Norman, Oklahoma
Norman, Oklahoma
Norman is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States, and is located south of downtown Oklahoma City. It is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, Norman was to have 110,925 full-time residents, making it the third-largest city in Oklahoma and the...
, receiving a Juris Doctorate with distinctions in 1978.
While in law school
Law school
A law school is an institution specializing in legal education.- Law degrees :- Canada :...
, Gurich was selected by a vote of her peers to receive the Professional Responsibility Award, and served as a student judge on the University of Oklahoma Superior Court. She also served as a Research Editor for the American Indian
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
Law Review.
Employment
Throughout law school, Gurich maintained employment with a number of organizations. Gurich worked on campus as a student government associate, and as a member of the Student Legal Research Board. In 1976, Gurich served as a student assistant for the United States AttorneyUnited States Attorney
United States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands...
for the Western District of Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, working under acting U.S. Attorney John E. Green.
Private practice
Upon graduation from law school, Justice Gurich was admitted to the Oklahoma Bar AssociationBar association
A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both...
on October 13, 1978. Initially, Gurich was employed as an associate attorney with the law firm of Cheek and Cheek in Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
. In 1982, she joined the firm of Abowitz & Welch, in OKlahoma City, with whom she became a partner. Her private practice
Private practice
Private practice may refer to:*Practice of law*Medical practice*Private Practice , released in 1978 by Dr. Feelgood*Private Practice , a U.S.-produced medical drama...
experience included the defense of negligence and tort
Tort
A tort, in common law jurisdictions, is a wrong that involves a breach of a civil duty owed to someone else. It is differentiated from a crime, which involves a breach of a duty owed to society in general...
cases, product liability
Product liability
Product liability is the area of law in which manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, retailers, and others who make products available to the public are held responsible for the injuries those products cause...
cases, anti-trust cases, securities fraud
Securities fraud
Securities fraud, also known as stock fraud and investment fraud, is a practice that induces investors to make purchase or sale decisions on the basis of false information, frequently resulting in losses, in violation of the securities laws....
cases, contract cases, workers' compensation
Workers' compensation
Workers' compensation is a form of insurance providing wage replacement and medical benefits to employees injured in the course of employment in exchange for mandatory relinquishment of the employee's right to sue his or her employer for the tort of negligence...
and general practice.
Workers Compensation Court
Justice Gurich has the distinction of receiving nominations to fill Judicial vacancies by four separate Oklahoma Governors, with two of them being Republican and two being Democrats.In 1988, Gurich was appointed to serve as a Judge on the Workers' Compensation Court by Oklahoma Governor
Governor of Oklahoma
The governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma...
Henry Bellmon
Henry Bellmon
Henry Louis "Harry" Bellmon was an American Republican politician from Oklahoma. He was a member of the Oklahoma Legislature, the 18th and 23rd Governor of Oklahoma , and a two-term United States Senator.-Service in World War II:Bellmon was born in Tonkawa, Oklahoma and graduated from Billings...
. While sitting on the Workers' Compensation Court, Gurich was designated by Governor Bellmon to serve as Presiding Judge for two terms: January 1989 - December 1992. Gurich was re-appointed to the court for a six-year term by Oklahoma Governor David Walters
David Walters
David Lee Walters was the 24th Governor of Oklahoma from 1991 to 1995.-Biography:Walters was born near Canute, Oklahoma. He graduated as valedictorian from Canute High School in 1969. He later graduated from University of Oklahoma in 1973 with a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering...
. She remained in this position until being nominated to serve as judge in the District Court
District court
District courts are a category of courts which exists in several nations. These include:-Australia:District Court is the name given to the intermediate court in most Australian States. They hear indictable criminal offences excluding treason, murder and, in some States, manslaughter...
of Oklahoma County.
District Court
Gurich began her career as a District Judge on July 1, 1998. In accordance with Oklahoma's judicial procedure, she was nominated by the Oklahoma Judicial Nominating CommissionJudicial nominating commission
A judicial nominating commission in the United States, is a body used by some U.S. states to recommend or select potential justices and judges for appointments by state governments....
and formally appointed by Governor Frank Keating
Frank Keating
Francis Anthony "Frank" Keating is an American politician from Oklahoma. Keating served as the 25th Governor of Oklahoma. His first term began in 1995 and ended in 1999...
to fill the remaining term of a retiring district judge.
Following the appointment, Gurich was elected in 1998 to remain in her position as a District Judge for Oklahoma County. She was re-elected in 2002, 2006 & 2010 without opposition. In this capacity, Gurich hserved as the Presiding Administrative Judge for the 7th Judicial District from January of 2003 to December 31, 2004.
Supreme Court
In 2001, after receiving the commission's recommendation, Gurich was again nominated by the Oklahoma Judicial Nominating Commission to fill a vacancy in the Oklahoma Supreme CourtOklahoma Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Oklahoma is one of the two highest judicial bodies in the U.S. state of Oklahoma and leads the Oklahoma Court System, the judicial branch of the government of Oklahoma....
, following the death of Justice Marian Opala on October 11, 2010. She was official sworn in on March 31, 2011. Gurich was sworn in as to serve as the third woman on the Oklahoma Supreme Court. Justice Gurich was sworn in by fellow Justice, Yvonne Kauger.