Oklahoma Uniform Retirement System for Justices and Judges
| Oklahoma Uniform Retirement System for Justices and Judges | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
| Top official: | Jason Sutton, chair |
| Year founded: | 1968 |
| Active members: | 266 |
| Website: | Official website |
| Total assets under management | |
| 2021: | $482,800,000 |
- See also: Public pensions in Oklahoma
The Oklahoma Uniform Retirement System for Justices and Judges(URSJJ) is an Oklahoma state pension fund that provides retirement, disability, and survivor benefits to the state's justices and judges who sit on the Supreme Court of Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals, the Oklahoma Courts of Civil Appeals, the Oklahoma District Courts and the Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Court, as well as the administrative director of the courts. The Oklahoma Uniform Retirement System for Justices and Judges had $482,800,000 ($482.8 million) in total assets under management as of June 30, 2021.[1]
The management of public pension funds can indicate support or opposition to environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) investment practices. ESG investing considers the extent to which corporations align with and promote certain non-financial standards, such as net carbon emission or corporate board diversity goals. States typically hire asset management companies (AMCs) to direct pension plan investments, some of which have ESG commitments that guide their strategies.
This article features the following sections:
- Background: Information about the structure and functions of the Oklahoma Uniform Retirement System for Justices and Judges.
- Pension performance overview: Overview of the funding level and assets managed by the Oklahoma Uniform Retirement System for Justices and Judges.
- Assets and asset management: Information about the asset management companies (AMCs) that contract with Oklahoma Uniform Retirement System for Justices and Judges, including a list of contracting AMCs that are participants in the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative and the Climate Action 100+ initiative.
- Governance and accountability: Details about the Oklahoma Uniform Retirement System for Justices and Judges' oversight board, including members and selection.
Background
- See also: Public pensions
The Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System, founded in 1964, invests the assets of and provides funding for the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS) and the Oklahoma Uniform Retirement System for Justices and Judges (URSJJ) based on a formula established by Oklahoma state law. These plans—based on the employee's length of service and salary— provide retirement, disability, and survivor benefits to the state's public employees.[2]
The Oklahoma Uniform Retirement System for Justices and Judges served over 266 active members and approximately 347 retirees and beneficiaries as of June 2023.[1]
Pension performance overview
The following table features information about the funding level and assets managed by the Oklahoma Uniform Retirement System for Justices and Judges as of June 30, 2021:[1]
| Oklahoma Uniform Retirement System for Justices and Judges pension performance (June 30, 2021) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fiscal year | Percent funded | Unfunded liabilities | Total assets[3] |
| 2021 | 111.3% | $52,600,0000 | $482,800,000 |
Assets and asset management
| Environmental, social, and corporate governance |
|---|
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| • What is ESG? • Enacted ESG legislation • Arguments for and against ESG • Opposition to ESG • Federal ESG rules • ESG legislation tracker • Economy and Society: Ballotpedia's weekly ESG newsletter |
Asset management companies (AMCs) are hired to manage investment assets for state pension funds across all 50 states.
The Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative (NZAM) suspended operations in January 2025 and relaunched in February 2026 with more than 250 signatories under a revised commitment statement that removed its prior net-zero deadline requirement.[4]
As of October 2024, 391 AMCs were investor participants in the Climate Action 100+ initiative, which aims to align investor engagement with companies toward the goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.[5]
List of AMCs contracting with the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System
The Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System contracted with 15 asset management companies (AMCs) or specific funds as of June 30, 2021. Of those companies, eight were investor participants in Climate Action 100+, and eight were members of NZAM, as of 2024. The following list identifies the AMCs (and in some cases, the specific funds) contracting with the Oklahoma Uniform Retirement System for Justices and Judges:[6]
- Baillie Gifford Overseas Ltd. (NZAM, Climate Action 100+)
- Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss, Inc.
- Blackrock Financial Management, Inc. (NZAM, Climate Action 100+)
- BlackRock Institutional Trust Company (Index Fund – ACWI ex-U.S. Growth) (NZAM, Climate Action 100+)
- BlackRock Institutional Trust Company (Index Fund – ACWI ex-U.S.) (NZAM, Climate Action 100+)
- BlackRock Institutional Trust Company (Index Fund – Russell 1000 and Value) (NZAM, Climate Action 100+)
- BlackRock Institutional Trust Company (Index Fund – U.S. TIPS) (NZAM, Climate Action 100+)
- DePrince, Race & Zollo, Inc.
- Hoisington Investment Management
- Mellon Capital Management (Climate Action 100+)
- Metropolitan West Asset Management
- Mondrian Investment Partners, Ltd.
- State Street Global Advisors (NZAM)
- UBS Global Asset Management (NZAM, Climate Action 100+)
- Westfield Capital Management
Governance and accountability
This section features information about the 14-member board of trustees that oversees the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System . The board is not specific to oversight of the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System and does exercise oversight duties for other state funds.[7]
Board selection method
The board of trustees that oversees the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System is made up of eight appointed members and six designated members.[7]
Board of trustees membership
A 14-member board of trustees oversees the operation and administration of the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System. The following individuals served on the board as of May 2024:[7]
- Jason Sutton, chair
- Grant Soderberg, vice chair
- Bob Anthony
- Jari Askins
- Lynne Bajema
- Stephen Baldridge
- Andrew Boyd
- Lauren Kelliher
- Glen Mulready
- Shelly Paulk
- Edward Petersen
- Emily Roberson
- Todd Russ
- Stearling Zurley
See also
- Public pensions in Oklahoma
- Environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG)
- Arguments about environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG)
- Opposition to environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) investing
- Reform proposals related to environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG)
- State legislative approaches opposing ESG investing
- State legislative approaches supporting ESG investing
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 ‘’OPERS’’, “Uniform Retirement System for Justices and Judges Popular Annual Financial Report,” June 30, 2022
- ↑ Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System, "About Us," accessed April 11, 2024
- ↑ Note: By default, this refers to the actuarial valuation of total assets. In some cases, the total market value of assets is shown instead. See the cited source for details.
- ↑ Reuters, "Net Zero Asset Managers initiative relaunches after suspension", February 25, 2026
- ↑ Climate Action 100+, "The Three Goals," accessed June 20, 2023
- ↑ Ballotpedia, "Ballotpedia: Asset management data for state-administered pension funds across the 50 states," March 2023
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System, "Board of Trustees," accessed May 4, 2024
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