Jessie V. Pilgrim is a highly esteemed attorney with thirty-four years of legal practice, holding membership in good standing with the Oklahoma Bar Association. He is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, Oklahoma Supreme Court, Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, and all federal district courts in Oklahoma. Notably, during 1997 and 1998, he served as an approved defense counsel for indigent suspects and accused before the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.

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Mr. Pilgrim’s legal practice is primarily focused on civil litigation at both trial and appellate levels in state and federal courts, with a specialization in environmental and oil and gas matters. He also represents clients in commercial law, property law, contract law, and tort law. A graduate of the University of Tulsa College of Law (1984), Mr. Pilgrim also holds a BS degree from Oklahoma State University (1981).

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In addition to his practice in Oklahoma, Mr. Pilgrim frequently consults with international organizations, providing legal opinions or reviews across a wide range of countries, including Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liberia, Macedonia, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Romania, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Kingdom, USA, UN-administered Kosovo, Uzbekistan, and Zimbabwe.

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Mr. Pilgrim has contributed to numerous publications as an author or editor, including:

• Principal author of "Guidelines for Reviewing a Legal Framework for Elections" (Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, Warsaw 2001)

• Contributor to "Election Obligations and Standards" (The Carter Center, Atlanta 2014)

• Contributor to "Guidelines on Political Party Regulations" (Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, Warsaw 2011)

• Contributor to "Handbook for European Union Election Observation" (European Commission, Brussels 2008)

• Contributor to "Existing Commitments for Democratic Elections in OSCE Participating States: A Progress Report" (Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, Warsaw 2003)

• Contributor to "Guidelines to Assist National Minority Participation in the Electoral Process" (Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, Warsaw 2001)

• Author of "Manual for Drafting Election Legislation" for the Bipartisan Committee on Election Reform in Albania, Parliament of Albania (2003)

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Mr. Pilgrim also has an extensive background in public service as a former member of the Oklahoma Legislature, where he served in the 42nd, 43rd, and 44th Oklahoma Legislatures (1989-93). He held the position of Chairman of the Judiciary Committee during the 43rd and 44th Legislatures and was a member of numerous standing and special committees, including Judiciary, Economic Development, Revenue and Taxation, Energy, Environment and Natural Resources, and several others. His national committee memberships included roles with the National Conference of State Legislatures, Council of State Governments, Southern Legislative Conference, South/West Regional Energy Council, and Energy Council. Mr. Pilgrim was the principal author or co-author of three hundred legislative measures.