Clayburn T. Curtis was born and raised in Oklahoma City. Clay attended Bishop McGuiness High School and went on to Oklahoma State University, where he received his Bachelor’s in Science in Economics while minoring in Philosophy and Sociology.  After College, Clay attended the University of Oklahoma College of Law where he graduated from in 2011. While in Law School Clay received an academic achievement award in Criminal Procedure and was on the honor roll several times. He was an active participant in the College of Law’s Criminal Defense Clinic and represented numerous individuals’ pro bono while still in school. Clay was also involved with moot court while at OU Law and enjoyed participating in virtually all intramurals offered at the college. While in school, Clay worked for Wiggins Sewell and Ogletree, a practice focused largely on medical malpractice defense. 

After School, Clay briefly did Title work before joining the Oklahoma County Public Defender’s Office. Clay considered the Public Defender’s Office his home for over six years. While there, Clay was a part of the Oklahoma County Drug Court Program and was heavily involved with Diversion programs in Oklahoma County, such as Remerge and Female Diversion. Clay became very familiar with a courtroom and has tried over 25 cases to a jury. He has numerous not guilty verdicts varying from minor felonies to Murder in the First Degree. Clay also attended and is a graduate of the Trial Lawyers College in Dubois, Wyoming. He has logged hundreds of hours in CLE credits focusing on criminal defense law and trial advocacy. Clay has also been involved with cases where the State is seeking the Death Penalty and has attended numerous seminars focused on Capital Punishment Defense as well as Mitigation. Additionally, Clay graduated from the first ever criminal defense course offered to lawyers focusing on crime scene investigation techniques by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. 

After his time in the Public Defender’s Office, Clay worked with the Buxton Law Group focusing primarily on personal injury and wrongful death as well as civil rights claims. Clay went on to form his own law firm, Clay Curtis Law PLLC, focusing primarily on criminal defense law. Clay remained at his own firm until founding both Overman Legal Group and Climb-Collective. 

Clay is a fierce advocate for his clients in a courtroom and brings both a dedication to trial advocacy, a passionate belief in justice, and the presumption of innocence. He is committed to representing his clients in such a way that he commonly thinks of them as nothing other than friends. Clay has resolved over 2500 criminal cases in his career. In 2019, his peers awarded him the Clarence Darrow Award for outstanding trial advocacy, recognizing Clay as the Criminal Defense Lawyer of the year in the State of Oklahoma.