Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice John Reif will retire at the end of April. He has been on the state’s highest court for almost 12 years.

Reif was appointed to the Supreme Court of Oklahoma on October 19, 2007 by Governor Brad Henry, a liberal Democrat. He served as chief justice in 2015 and 2016. He also served as the Supreme Court appointee for the Oklahoma Court on the Judiciary, Appellate Division, from March 1, 2011, through March 1, 2013 and again from March 1, 2017 through March 1, 2019.

Prior to his service on the Supreme Court, Reif served 23 years on the Court of Civil Appeals as a judge for the Court of Appeals District 2, Office 1. He was appointed to the court in May 1984, by Governor George Nigh, a liberal Democrat. Reif started judicial service in February 1981 as a special district judge for the Fourteenth Judicial District in Tulsa County.

Reif began his legal career in 1977 with the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office, where he worked as an assistant district attorney for the late  S.M. “Buddy” Fallis. Before practicing law, he provided planning and grant assistance to law enforcement agencies in the Tulsa area through the Indian Nations Council of Governments from 1974 to 1977. Reif also served as a full-time and part-time police officer for the City of Owasso from 1973 to 1975.

Reif was inducted into the University of Tulsa College of Law Hall of Fame in 2015. In 1995, Reif was the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from Oral Roberts University for his teaching at ORU. Reif will go on senior status upon his retirement.