Vol. 5 No. 15 | April 9, 2025
Courts
- 2025 OK 22: IN RE: N.A.; STATE OF OKLAHOMA vs MALDONADO et al
- 2025 OK 23: MILLS vs J-M MFG. CO., INC. et al
- 2025 OK 24: IN THE MATTER OF THE REINSTATEMENT OF LUCERO
No published opinions this week.
No published opinions this week.
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
"Oklahomans love their casinos. We have more than any other state – 143 offering slots, blackjack and off-track betting. They don’t take bets on U.S. Supreme Court decisions, but as attorneys, wouldn’t it be great to know odds? Part of our work is playing the odds. We strategize based on factors like controlling precedent or persuasive case law and what we know about the judge’s prior decisions. I’m not setting odds on constitutional questions before the Supreme Court, but I wondered: If we look at the court’s decisions on religion in schools, what trends might stand out? What characteristics of the cases and the court could be generalized so that correlations among them might help explain how the court has decided cases in the past and possibly predict how it’ll decide the cases currently before it? And what would that data predict about the outcome of an Oklahoma case awaiting argument before the court, the St. Isidore case, a decision that could provide public funding for private religious schools in the U.S. like never before?"
"On April 19, 1995, the United States witnessed one of its deadliest acts of domestic terrorism when a truck bomb exploded outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. The attack killed 168 people, including 19 children, and left hundreds more injured. Three decades later, the memory of those lost remains central to the nation’s collective consciousness. Honoring their lives means not only remembering their stories but also acknowledging the profound changes in law and security that followed this tragedy.
Among those lost were government employees, military personnel, children and citizens simply going about their daily lives. The impact on families and the Oklahoma City community was immeasurable.In the wake of the bombing, the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum was established, serving as a solemn tribute to the victims, survivors and first responders who risked their lives in the aftermath. The annual remembrance ceremony ensures that their stories are never forgotten and that the lessons learned continue to shape future generations. Among the victims were four Oklahoma lawyers. I encourage you to read the tributes honoring our fallen fellow OBA members."
This is a great way to network and share your product or service with Oklahoma attorneys. Please note that space is limited.
For more information on becoming a sponsor for this year's Solo & Small Firm Conference, email Gigi McCormick or call her at 405-416-7028.
The 2025 OBA Law Day Contest Awards Ceremony was held Wednesday, April 2, at the Oklahoma state Capitol.
The OBA Law Day Committee thanks Oklahoma educators, students and their families for participating in the 2025 Law Day Contest. The theme for this year’s contest was “The Constitution's Promise: Out of Many, One,” which urged us to take pride in a Constitution that bridges our differences to bring us together as a united nation.
This year, more than 1,550 students from 77 towns and more than 160 schools and homeschool groups entered the contest. This is a testament to the amazing teachers and parents we have around the state who have done a wonderful job supporting Oklahoma’s children. Thank you to all the students, parents and teachers for participating in this year's contest.
The national and statewide celebration of Law Day is Thursday, May 1! The OBA Law Day Committee encourages every county bar to join our efforts and plan its own Law Day events – whether it’s coordinating student visits to the courthouse or giving free legal advice for at least one hour. The goodwill generated for the profession by offering this community service makes the effort worthwhile, regardless of the number of activities or calls received.
If you intend to answer calls as part of Ask A Lawyer, please provide your Ask A Lawyer information, including the phone number, using this form. To volunteer for Ask A Lawyer in Oklahoma City, contact Christina Drake by email or phone at 405-236-8421. To volunteer in the Tulsa area, contact Mary Clement by email or by phone at 918-805-2352. For all other counties, contact your local Law Day chair.
We want to feature your work in the Oklahoma Bar Journal. "The Back Page" is a space for attorneys to share their creative work. Submit advice or articles related to the legal field, share something transforming or intriguing, or show off your photography skills. Email your submissions of roughly 500 words or high-resolution photos to OBA Communications Director Lori Rasmussen.
Featured CLE
The Lawyer’s Guide to Proper USB Connectors
By OBA Management Assistance Program Director Jim Calloway
Imagine you show up for a deposition or trial to find the courtroom has changed the display setup connection to something new, and you are not sure you have the correct connector. Or you are in a day-long pretrial prep “war room,” and you discover the phone charging cable that looked like the correct one when you packed before your flight isn’t correct.
Universal Serial Bus (USB) cables are ubiquitous, and we all use them. The USB-IF governing body, the official governing body that approves names, has been more interested in precision than consumer understanding. What other reason would there be for using USB 3.0, 3.1 or 3.2 all for connections that look the same? (The larger numbers mean faster data transfer.) You may have been blaming slow data transfer rates on your phone when it is really your out-of-date USB cable.
Two posts from Android Authority explain the differences between these confusing USB connectors and help you decide whether one of yours needs to be upgraded. I suggest you first read "Understanding different types of USB cables." That post links to "USB 3.0 vs 3.1 vs 3.2: What's the difference?" This is a question many of us have asked.
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.