ABOUT Bob jackson
MEET BOB JACKSON
Bob is originally from Houston, Texas, and went to college at the University of Texas at Austin, graduating in 2008. He earned a degree in economics and minor in government. After college, Bob moved to Oklahoma and took a job working for a classic auto parts manufacturer and retailer. Not long after moving to Oklahoma, Bob fell in love with the state and its relaxed way of life. He decided to make Oklahoma his permanent home and attended law school at the University of Oklahoma. Bob graduated from OU Law in 2008 with a juris doctorate degree.
Bob's legal career began while in law school as a volunteer clerk at the Oklahoma Indigent Defense System in its Capital Post-Conviction Division. It is here that Bob began to develop his passion for criminal defense work and began to hone his skills defending prisoners on death row. All prisoners on death row have been convicted of first degree murder. Bob's career continued as a licensed legal intern in the University of Oklahoma Criminal Defense Clinic. As a licensed intern, Bob was permitted to practice law under the supervision of an attorney. His dedication to his clients and record of success garnered Bob the Clinic's Distinguished Student Award.
Also while in law school, Bob completed an externship with the Federal Public Defender for the Western District of Oklahoma. Bob was assigned to the office’s Capital Habeas Unit which provides federal legal representation to indigent prisoners on Oklahoma's death row. As an extern, Bob helped the Habeas Unit attorneys with legal writing and research projects. Bob had the privilege of working under some extremely experienced and very impressive attorneys at the Federal Public Defender's Office. This experience gave Bob a profound appreciation for defending those who cannot afford an attorney and especially for defending the condemned.
After law school, Bob worked as a law clerk for a small general law practice firm in Oklahoma City. While working at this firm, Bob was exposed to many areas of the law. He gained experience in, among others, the multi-county grand jury act, civil appeals, municipal court practice, landlord-tenant disputes, statutes of limitations for bail bondsmen, federal criminal practice, and state motion practice. The most important thing Bob learned from the general practice firm is that all clients matter, no matter how big or how small, and that all clients deserve the utmost dedication and respect from their attorney. Bob has incorporated this lesson in all his client relationships.
Upon obtaining his law license, Bob was hired as a writing and research attorney at the Federal Public Defender's Office. After only three months in that position, he was promoted to be a full-fledged Assistant Federal Public Defender. As an Assistant Defender, Bob filed petitions for writs of habeas corpus on behalf of Oklahoma death row inmates. That's just a fancy way of saying, Bob filed a lawsuit on behalf of his clients arguing their convictions and sentences were unconstitutional. At the Federal Defender's office, Bob worked with and was mentored by some of the finest criminal defense attorneys in the country.
Bob has pursued habeas corpus cases in all three of Oklahoma's federal districts courts, argued in front of the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, and drafted petitions for certiorari to the United States Supreme Court. In light of his death penalty litigation expertise, Bob has trained other attorneys on the topics of representing intellectually disabled clients and executive clemency.
Bob has represented multiple clients seeking executive clemency in front of the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board. This is the formal process where a death row inmate can request the governor lessen his sentence to life without parole. Bob has twice been on defense teams which have received favorable clemency recommendations from the Pardon and Parole Board. And, Bob has twice argued for clemency relief in front of the Governor of Oklahoma. Along with other attorneys, Bob was able to successfully persuade the Governor to commute a client's sentence to life without parole.
As a private practice lawyer, Bob enjoys helping his clients with their problems, whatever those may be. Private practice has afforded Bob the opportunity to expand his practice including defending those faced with criminal charges and pursuing direct appeals in state and federal court. Bob thrives on the variety of cases he receives as a solo practitioner. In addition to private cases, Bob is a member of the Criminal Justice Act panels for the Western District of Oklahoma and the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals where he accepts appointments to assist those who could not otherwise afford to hire a lawyer. Whatever your situation, give Bob a call.
EDUCATION AND COURT ADMISSIONS
EDUCATION
University of Oklahoma - College of Law (2008)
Juris Doctorate
Awards: Amjur - Legal Writing &Research
Criminal Clinic - Distinguished Student Pro Bono Service Award
University of Texas at Austin (2003)
Bachelor of the Arts in Economics
Professional Associations and Memberships
-Federal Bar Association
-National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
-Oklahoma Criminal Defense Lawyers Association (2007-Present)
-Oklahoma County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association (2013-Present)
-Oklahoma County Bar Association (2013-Present)
Board of Directors (2017-2019)
Young Lawyers Division Board of Directors (2013-2018)
-Criminal Justice Act Panel;
Western District of Oklahoma
10th Circuit Court of Appeals
-Criminal Justice Act Panel Attorney District Representative (2025- 2028) Western District of Oklahoma
-Oklahoma Innocence Project Volunteer Counsel
Court Admissions
Mr. Jackson is admitted to practice law in the following courts:
Supreme Court of Oklahoma and all other courts in the state, including the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals, all district courts, and all municipal courts
United States Supreme Court
United States Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals
Western District of Oklahoma - federal district court
Northern District of Oklahoma - federal district court
Eastern District of Oklahoma - federal district court
