Marquis Who's Who Millennium Magazine

MILLENNIUM

A ccording to the American Bar Association, in 1963 there were a total of 294,372 licensed lawyers. One of those 294,372 was Andrew Montgomery Coats. Like many of his counterparts, Mr. Coats wanted to right the wrongs of the world and bring justice where injustices flourished. To achieve this goal, he went on to pursue a career in law. He received a bachelor’s degree and Juris Doctor at the University of Oklahoma. Soon after graduating, Mr. Coats embarked on a career that would cement his place in legal history. He began as an associate for Crowe & Dunlevy Attorneys at Law from 1963 to 1967. Proving to be a force in the legal field, Mr. Coats was promoted to partner in 1967. He remained in that role until 1976 and later served as senior trial partner from 1980 to 1996. Determined to

Andrew Montgomery Coats Law Educator University of Oklahoma College of Law Norman, OK

make changes within his community, he subsequently served as mayor of Oklahoma City from 1983 to 1987. One of Mr. Coats’ campaign promises was to start the process of implementing urban enterprise zoning in some areas of the northeastern sections of Oklahoma City. After making headway as mayor, Mr. Coats decided to teach and inspire the minds of other like-minded, upcoming attorneys who wanted to make positive changes in law. He became a full-time professor at the University of Oklahoma College of Law, then a dean, achieving emeritus status in 2010. Mr. Coats has experienced many achievements, one of which was being named an Outstanding Lawyer in Oklahoma in 1977. His greatest honor, however, was having one of the law buildings at the University of Oklahoma College of Law named after him in 2005. It was only befitting that a year later he would be inducted into Oklahoma’s Hall of Fame. His goals of making changes and teaching others with similar mindsets are what have made Mr. Coats the educator he is today.

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