John Graves
Mr. Graves received his undergraduate degree magna cum laude from the University of Oklahoma and continued his education at the University of Oklahoma College of Law, graduating in 2003. While pursuing his legal education John was an active member of many national award-winning moot court and mock-trial teams; in addition, he interned in the chambers of the Honorable Stephen P. Friot, Federal District Judge for the Western District of Oklahoma. Upon graduation John was selected as a member of the prestigious Order of the Barristers, recognizing him as the top ten percent of his class in trial skills.
Mr. Graves represents private, tribal government, and institutional clients on a wide range of issues; from business concerns to bankruptcy representation, and from real estate issues to representation before regulatory agencies. John represents many clients in Cleveland County and throughout the state in divorce, guardianships, and other family and domestic issues. In his family law practice, John has successfully settled, mediated, and tried to the Court a wide range of financial and custody issues. John prides himself on quality representation of family law matters with a view toward accomplishing client goals efficiently, economically, and respectfully. He maintains a general practice, but focuses on litigation, business, and tribal law matters. John has successfully litigated and settled matters in both state, federal court, and tribal courts.
John is a member of the Cleveland County (elected to lead the Young Lawyer's Division in 2006-2007) and Grady County Bar Associations, serving as the President of the Grady County Bar from 2005 to 2008. He has been asked to speak to civic groups and students at the University of Oklahoma College of Law on a wide range of topics and was appointed an adjunct instructor at the University of Oklahoma College of Law's Paralegal Program to instruct on bankruptcy and insolvency law. John currently serves as a hearing officer for the State Department of Education's Dispute Resolution Center. He is a member of the National Association of Hearing Officers and serves on its Rules and Bylaws Committee. John is the past Chairman of the Gaming Board of the Apache Tribe of Oklahoma. He has represented tribal governments, tribal business interests, and tribal members in transactions and in federal, state, and tribal courts. He is admitted to practice before all Oklahoma state courts, the courts of the Chickasaw and Muskokee (Creek) Nations, and to the Federal Courts of the Western District of Oklahoma and the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. He is involved in many community groups and is proud to be a committee member of the Cleveland County Family YMCA's Minority Achiever Program, a member of the Oklahoma Bar Association's Access to Justice Committee, and his service as the Budget Officer for the Bar's Alternative Dispute Resolution Section.
Mr. Graves is a lifelong resident of Oklahoma.