NEWS
NORMAN, Okla. – Thanks to support from the Chickasaw Nation, the University of Oklahoma College of Law has announced the continuation and expansion of the Chickasaw Nation – Henry Family Lecture Series. Under the new name, the event will continue to showcase thought-provoking discourse surrounding the rule of law to audiences at OU’s law school on its Norman campus.
Kevin K. Washburn, an OU graduate and leading expert in American Indian and Indigenous Peoples law, will headline the event on Feb. 12, 2026, with the talk “The Tribal Nations Renaissance (as Viewed Through Recent Supreme Court Decisions).” He is a professor of law at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, and was previously the dean of the University of New Mexico College of Law and the University of Iowa College of Law.
Among his many accomplishments, Washburn served as assistant secretary of Indian Affairs at the U.S. Department of the Interior from 2012 to 2016 and served as chair of the Board of Trustees of the Law School Admission Council. He is a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation who was inducted into the Chickasaw Hall of Fame in 2017 for his contributions to Indian law.
“We are excited to kick off our expanded lecture series with one of our country’s most prominent experts in Indian law, a field of great importance to our local and state communities,” said OU Law Dean Anna Carpenter. “The Chickasaw Nation’s generous gift will help us continue this event for years to come.”
The recent gift continues the Chickasaw Nation’s history of support for OU’s success. The College of Law established the Chickasaw Nation Native American Law Chair in 2013 through a gift from the tribe, allowing the university to attract and retain leading scholars in American Indian and Indigenous Peoples law. Another gift from the Chickasaw Nation supported OU’s creation of an endowment for the Native Nations Center for Tribal Policy Research, located in the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences.
“The Chickasaw Nation is proud to build on our partnership with OU in ventures that strengthen knowledge and research about Indigenous topics,” said Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby. “We look forward to renewed success of the Chickasaw Nation – Henry Family Lecture Series.”
Previously known as the Henry Lecture Series, the College of Law speaker event was established in 2000 by members of the Henry family to inspire and educate future scholars, lawyers and public servants. The event has brought many notable speakers to OU Law such as Chief Justice John Roberts, retired Associate Justice Stephen Breyer and retired Associate Justice Sandra Day O’Connor with the U.S. Supreme Court.
“Our goal for the lecture series has been to support future generations of the legal community, and we’re encouraged that its legacy will be extended,” said Judge Robert H. Henry, former Chief Judge of the Tenth Circuit and U.S. Representative. “The Chickasaw Nation have been key partners throughout this endeavor, and we thank them for their support.”
“The OU College of Law is a pivotal institution for shaping the leading lawyers and scholars of tomorrow, and the Chickasaw Nation – Henry Family Lecture Series complements its reputation,” said former Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry. “We are grateful for this collaborative initiative with OU Law and the Chickasaw Nation.”
Additional details, including how to RSVP for February’s lecture, will be available in December at law.ou.edu.
About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. For more information about the university, visit www.ou.edu.
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