Vol. 5 No. 28 | July 9, 2025
Courts
No published opinions this week.
- 2025 OK CR 7: SPYBUCK v. STATE OF OKLAHOMA
- 2025 OK CIV APP 21: FRYE v. JOHNSON et al
- 2025 OK CIV APP 22: WONSCH and VUNCANNON v. BOWMAN
Dispositions Other than by Published Opinions
The Supreme Court of Oklahoma Court Calendar
The Supreme Court of Oklahoma is in session year round, unless otherwise noted. The court regularly schedules conferences on Mondays and other days as needed.
Member Transitions
More
Time is running out to register online for the OBA Solo & Small Firm Conference! Join us at the brand-new OKANA Resort in Oklahoma City for three days of learning, relaxing and making connections. You can earn 12 hours of MCLE credit, including up to 2 hours of ethics for Oklahoma. The conference is worth 8.5 general and 1.5 ethics for Texas.
Don't miss out! The deadline to register online is 5 p.m. Wednesday, July 9. Walk-in registration will be available at the conference.
Update: As of 5 p.m., July 9, online registration is closed.
Bar Journal Returns in August!
The August issue of the Oklahoma Bar Journal is coming up! This issue will focus on the theme of "Labor and Employment," including articles on lessons from 30 years of employment law, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, temporary injunctions under the Uniform Trade Secrets Act and more. Be on the lookout!
Submissions are now being accepted for numerous themed topics for the 2025 and 2026 issues of the Oklahoma Bar Journal. Editors are recruiting authors to write articles in the areas of trial by jury, ethics and professional responsibility, family law and more. Submission information is available online, and the editorial calendar will connect you with the specific editor for each topic. Contact OBA Communications Director Lori Rasmussen with questions.
We know OBA members are intelligent, compassionate and dedicated to serving their communities and upholding the rule of law. We also know our members have talents that vary widely beyond the practice of law, and we love featuring your creative work in the Oklahoma Bar Journal!
Have you noticed the amazing works on Oklahoma Bar Journal covers lately? Your art or photography could be featured next! Check out the editorial calendar for ideas on themes, though submissions don't have to be law related.
Your work may also be chosen for “The Back Page.” Your submissions – anything from short articles and poems to photography and artwork – may be featured. For details on submitting your work, visit the Oklahoma Bar Journal submissions page.
Featured above: painting by Amanda Lilley and photograph by Lynn Anderson. Thanks to these talented members for sharing your creativity with us.
The Oklahoma Rules of Professional Conduct impose on each member of the bar the duty to aid in guarding against the admission of candidates unfit or unqualified because of deficiency in either moral character or education. To aid in that duty, the following is a list of applicants for the bar examination to be given July 29-30.
The Board of Bar Examiners requests that members examine this list and bring to the board’s attention in a signed letter any information that might influence the board in considering the moral character and fitness to practice of any applicant for admission. Send correspondence to Cary Pirrong, Administrative Director, Oklahoma Board of Bar Examiners, P.O. Box 53036, Oklahoma City, OK 73152.
Featured CLE
By OBA Practice Management Advisor Julie Bays
On Oct. 10, 2022, the Oklahoma Supreme Court approved changes to Rule 1.15 of the Oklahoma Rules of Professional Conduct, which governs the safekeeping of client property. These changes went into effect in 2023. Under the revised rule, lawyers may only hold IOLTA (Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts) deposits in financial institutions that have been certified as approved institutions by the Oklahoma Bar Foundation and approved by the Oklahoma Bar Association Office of the General Counsel.
These institutions meet the interest rate comparability and reporting standards of Rule 1.15. Lawyers can confirm whether their bank is an approved institution by visiting the OBF IOLTA page.
This rule change is an administrative update designed to ensure consistent compliance and oversight. It does not modify the primary responsibilities of lawyers regarding client or third-party funds, but this is a good time to review your IOLTA trust account practices.
For example:
- IOLTA trust accounts are for client or third-party funds that are nominal in amount or held for a short duration.
- These pooled accounts must be interest-bearing, with interest remitted to the OBF to support legal aid and justice initiatives statewide.
- Client funds that can earn substantial net interest for the client must be placed in a separate, interest-bearing trust account using the client’s tax identification number.
- Attorneys must complete an IOLTA compliance statement when opening or modifying a trust account and notify the OBA of any changes within 30 days.
If you need a refresher on the broader principles of trust accounting, my 2019 Oklahoma Bar Journal article “Trust Accounting Basics” is still a helpful resource. Just remember the update regarding approved institutions when reviewing your current practices.
The Oklahoma Bar Journal is a publication of the Oklahoma Bar Association. All rights reserved. Copyright© 2025 Oklahoma Bar Association. Statements or opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Oklahoma Bar Association, its officers, Board of Governors, Board of Editors or staff. Although advertising copy is reviewed, no endorsement of any product or service offered by any advertisement is intended or implied by publication. Advertisers are solely responsible for the content of their ads, and the OBA reserves the right to edit or reject any advertising copy for any reason. Legal articles carried in The Oklahoma Bar Journal are selected by the Board of Editors. Information about submissions can be found at www.okbar.org.