Oklahoma City University School of Law lost a great teacher, friend and colleague earlier this year. J. William Conger died at his home on New Year’s Day. He was 67 years old.
Bill, as he was known, had a distinguished legal career spanning more than 40 years. He practiced in a variety of capacities before he and friends Larry Hartzog and Len Cason founded the Oklahoma City firm of Hartzog Conger & Cason, later becoming Hartzog Conger Cason & Neville. He practiced primarily in the area of business litigation, and his clients’ interests took him all over the world.
In 2003, he became of counsel for the firm and began teaching at the law school where he was a beloved instructor and mentor. Bill taught trial practice, introduction to legal practice, civil procedure and complex litigation and was an inspiration to the future lawyers he enjoyed teaching. He was so cherished by our students that in 2005 he received the professor of the year award, an honor voted on by the students.
“Bill was a force, not only for his clients whom he represented with enthusiasm and passion, but also for the hundreds of students who were fortunate to learn the values of the legal profession from his perspective,” said Oklahoma City University School of Law Dean Valerie K. Couch. “He was a longtime and very dear friend of mine and there are no words to describe his loss to me personally or to our law school that he loved. Bill touched people, and he will be deeply missed.”
Bill Conger will be greatly missed by everyone at Oklahoma City University School of Law.
