Practice Areas

Federal Indian
& Tribal Law

Tribal Government & Intergovernmental Agreements

Public Safety & Jurisdiction (including cross-deputization)

Recent Awards, Certificates, and Associations:
» Editor-in-Chief, American Indian Law Review; Outstanding Write-On Award, 2024
» National NALSA: Vice President; Area Representative
» American Jurisprudence Award — Advanced Legal Research: Federal IndianLaw
» 3L Pro Bono & Public Service Award, 2025
» Justice John Paul Stevens Legal Fellow
» Drafted and reviewed multiple tribal–state cross-deputization agreements

Mekko Factor is a citizen of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma and a descendant of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. After several years in sales following college, he was drawn to the fast-changing landscape of tribal law and pursued his legal education at the University of Oklahoma College of Law, where he earned his Juris Doctor and a Certificate in American Indian Law.  

At OU Law, Mekko distinguished himself through scholarship, leadership, and service. He served as Editor-in-Chief of the American Indian Law Review, after earning the Outstanding Write-On Award as a 2L and securing publication for his comment addressing cross-deputization agreements in Oklahoma. He also received OU’s 3L Pro Bono & Public Service Award for completing the most pro bono hours in his class during his 3L year, supported in part by his selection as a Justice John Paul Stevens Legal Fellow. Additionally, Mekko earned the American Jurisprudence Award for Advanced Legal Research: Federal Indian Law.  

Mekko’s commitment to Native advocacy is matched by sustained national leadership. He was deeply involved with NALSA at both the OU chapter and national levels, helping OU NALSA host the first post-COVID National Moot Court Competition during his 1L year. As National NALSA Vice President and Area Representative in his second and third years, he helped plan and administer the 2024 and 2025 competitions, supported coordination across chapters nationwide, contributed to NALSA’s 50th Anniversary celebration, and represented NALSA in national forums, including at FedBar.  

During law school, Mekko built a broad base of practical experience serving tribal governments and individual clients. He interned with Whitten Burrage, where he worked on issues including criminal jurisdiction and allotted land. He also served with the Office of the Attorney General for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, gaining hands-on exposure to day-to-day tribal government operations and the role of in-house counsel across civil, criminal, and juvenile divisions. Through OU’s American Indian Estates Clinic, he helped tribal citizens prepare wills and plan for land transfers—work that demanded careful attention to how applicable law may differ depending on allotment status and tribal affiliation.  

With a foundation in both rigorous scholarship and practical, client-facing work, Mekko is prepared to support clients on complex tribal matters at the organizational and individual level. He approaches each representation with steady purpose: to serve people who need help, and to do it with care, precision, and resolve. Outside of practice, Mekko follows OU football and OKC Thunder basketball and is perpetually in pursuit of the next great barbecue spot