Stitt nominates his second judge
Gov. Kevin Stitt announced the appointment of Dustin P. Rowe to the Supreme Court of Oklahoma.
This is Stitt’s second appointment to the state Supreme Court.
Rowe’s appointment fills the vacancy for District 2 created by former Justice Patrick Wyrick’s appointment to become a federal judge on the United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma. Rowe was one of three applicants provided by the Judicial Nominating Commission for the governor’s selection.
“Mr. Rowe is an accomplished lawyer and dedicated Oklahoman who has an impressive legal background,” said Gov. Stitt. “His proven record in both his private practice and as a tribal court judge speaks to his qualifications to join the highest court in Oklahoma. Rowe’s reputation of fairness, passion for the legal system, and heart for his community is evident. I am confident he will serve our state with integrity in order to support and defend the state’s constitution and uphold the rule of law.”
“I am honored and humbled by the trust Governor Stitt has placed in me,” said Rowe. “I will work diligently on the Oklahoma Supreme Court to uphold the constitution of our great state.”
Rowe has practiced law in Tishomingo since 2001, where he owns and manages Rowe Law Firm. Rowe has represented thousands of Oklahomans, and has practiced in more than 25 of Oklahoma’s district courts. Rowe served as special judge of the Chickasaw Nation District Court from 2005 to 2011, and has served as District Judge of the Chickasaw Nation District Court from 2011 to present, where he has presided over more than ten thousand cases, including hundreds of child welfare cases and adoptions.
Rowe is chairman of the Johnston County Bar Association. He is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the Oklahoma Supreme Court, the Chickasaw Nation Supreme Court, and the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Oklahoma.
Rowe is a lifelong resident of Tishomingo. He earned his B.A. with honors from East Central University in 1998 and his Juris Doctor from The University of Oklahoma College of Law where he was named a Lee B. Thompson Scholar in 2001. He is an alumnus of the National Judicial College in Reno, Nevada, and maintains active participation in continuing legal and judicial education. Rowe and his wife, Nicole, have two grown children and live in Tishomingo.
In April 1994, at the age of 18, Rowe was elected mayor of Tishomingo while still a senior in high school. He served two terms as the state’s youngest mayor.