It has not taken long for people to take notice of Fry & Elder trial lawyer T. Luke Barteaux’s ascension up the legal ranks. Barteaux, with Fry & Elder since 2011, became the firm’s first attorney to be sworn in as a judge after being appointed and confirmed as a Cherokee Nation District Court Judge in Tahlequah, Oklahoma on May 15, 2017.
With the appointment and new title, several Oklahoma media outlets has cast its spotlight on Barteaux and his accomplishments. He was the subject of a Muskogee Phoenix feature story, was profiled on the University of Tulsa College of Law website and also was spotlighted in the Cherokee Phoenix. Barteaux is a University of Tulsa College of Law graduate.
“It’s obviously quite an honor to be appointed and confirmed as a judge,” Barteaux said. “I have gotten a lot of support and positive encouragement from my colleagues. To have the press and my alma mater take notice is great.”
Barteaux told the Cherokee Phoenix that the appointment thus far was the “pinnacle” of his legal career. He was quoted in the article saying:
“It’s something that I never thought would happen within this amount of time, but I’m extremely honored to have been appointed by (Principal) Chief (Bill John) Baker and confirmed by the Tribal Council. I look forward to helping protect our Nation through the legal process.”
Tribal Council Speaker Joe Byrd said this about Barteaux’s appointment:
“We have an entire generation of tribal citizens who are better educated, and they will take us far in the future. Like Luke Barteaux, they are pursuing careers in law, medicine, engineering and business. You know, Bart Fite brought a level of sophistication to our courts. I believe, given time, Barteaux will do the same.”
Barteaux learned about his pending appointment as a Cherokee Nation District Judge in April and has been taking classes through the National Judicial College. He also has served as a faculty member for the Oklahoma Trial Advocacy Institute, which serves as a professional development tool for attorneys.
A four-time Super Lawyers® Rising Stars™ selection, Barteaux will continue to practice law full-time out of both the Fry & Elder Tulsa and Fry & Elder Oklahoma City offices. Barteaux served as the Oklahoma Bar Association Family Law Section Chair in 2016 and has been the subject of previous articles from other prestigious Oklahoma media outlets. Contact Fry & Elder Tulsa or Fry & Elder Oklahoma City to set up a personal consultation with Barteaux or another experienced and acclaimed Oklahoma trial lawyer.