New York City-born Judge Charles Migliorino of Tishomingo embraced his adopted rural community, where he served as a high school history teacher, a district attorney and ultimately an associate district judge for Johnston County until his death in 2017. Photo courtesy of the family.

The May 1 celebration of Law Day gives us an opportunity to honor those in our profession whose daily practices reflect the principles we celebrate during this annual national event. Those ideals were readily apparent in one such Oklahoman, Judge Charles J. Migliorino, who served as associate district judge in Johnston County until his death in 2017.

“After graduating from high school, he came here from Brooklyn, New York, to go to college on a basketball scholarship at Murray State and never left,” said Chief Justice Dustin Rowe of the Oklahoma Supreme Court. “He fell in love with Oklahoma, and he loved this country. He joined the U.S. Marine Corps and completed four tours of duty in Vietnam. He loved small-town life in Tishomingo, where he started a family, became a teacher, went to law school at night and became a lawyer who loved the law. He was the embodiment of everything Law Day stands for.”

Reaching out to Oklahoma educators is an important component of Law Day, and it is fitting that, as a teacher, Judge Migliorino taught history and social studies for 10 years in Ardmore City Schools. In fact, sitting in his high school classroom one year was 16-year-old David Lewis, now Judge David Lewis of the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals.

“In addition to being a very effective teacher, he was a mentor and motivator,” said Judge Lewis. “As a junior in history class who felt like an outsider, he encouraged me not to accept limits. He didn’t see color or socioeconomic background. He saw opportunity. He taught me that the sky was the limit.”

Judge Lewis also said that Judge Migliorino was very involved in his community, and as a lawyer, he went above and beyond to help his community better understand the value of the law.

“Law Day is a time to celebrate the profession,” Judge Lewis said. “Charles Migliorino loved the fact that he was a lawyer. He fulfilled the mission of the Lawyer’s Creed. His word was his bond, and putting on the black robe as a New Yorker who had moved to Oklahoma was a moment of immense pride. The legal, as well as the nonlegal, community held a deep respect for him.”

His love for education was not limited to classrooms. Judge Migliorino also enjoyed training horses, teaching others how to ride and completing horse events. He also inspired his son, Nick Migliorino, who serves as superintendent of the Norman Public School District, to enter the education field.

“My father was a man of quiet strength, a New Yorker who found his home in Oklahoma, a Vietnam veteran with multiple Purple Hearts who rarely spoke of war, which I know impacted him, and a judge who believed justice required both wisdom and compassion,” said Dr. Migliorino. “His journey from Queens to Vietnam, then to Johnston County, brought him to my mother and gave me a life rich in contrasts: summers split between southern Oklahoma and New York City, lessons taught through actions, not words. He exhibited a silent confidence – on the bench, he shared with me that he looked for not just legal answers but, more importantly, the right ones, treating every case and situation with the same integrity that defined his life.”

“I grew up idolizing him. His broad depth of knowledge, his relentless work ethic and his quiet kindness impacted who I am. I miss him deeply. His legacy lives on in the lives he changed and the standard he set for me to do right by people, always.”

Ms. Clement practices in Tulsa and serves as co-chair of the OBA Law Day Committee.