Vol. 5 No. 34 | Aug. 20, 2025
Courts
No published opinions this week.
No published opinions this week.
- 2025 OK CIV APP 30: IN THE MATTER OF M.R.P., PHILLIPS v. HAMPTON, et. al.
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.
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The August bar journal features several articles on the topic of labor and employment law, including:
What To Expect When Navigating the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act
By Eric Di Giacomo and Lacey Pogue
"The road to equal protection for working mothers continued along a nonlinear trajectory, as mothers faced discrimination in their employment benefits through exclusion from health insurance plans and seniority accrual due to pregnancy. In the 1974 case of Geduldig v. Aiello, the Supreme Court upheld a California workers’ compensation law (for nonwork injuries) that permitted the denial of insurance benefits for work loss resulting from a normal pregnancy. The court reasoned that excluding pregnancy from the list of compensable disabilities was not sex-based discrimination and did not violate the 14th Amendment."
The Employment Law Landscape in a Post-Loper World
By Byrona J. Maule and Stassi M. Vullo
"The Supreme Court’s decision in Loper Bright marked a significant shift in administrative law. For 40 years, courts have employed the Chevron standard, deferring to an agency’s interpretation of statutory text when that text was ambiguous. In Loper Bright, the Supreme Court overruled this long-held precedent, marking a seismic shift in the administrative branch. In a 6-3 decision, the court held that courts 'must exercise independent judgment in determining whether an agency has acted within its statutory authority.' The court overruled Chevron deference, rejecting the idea that statutory ambiguities inherently delegate interpretive authority to agencies.”
The annual Legislative Debrief is an opportunity for OBA members to hear the latest updates on legislation that may impact their legal practices. This year's agenda will include a legislative panel as well as the always informative "60 Bills in 60 Minutes" session featuring updates on legislation impacting legal practice in Oklahoma. There is no cost to attend, and 3 hours of MCLE credit are available. Walk-in registration will be available.
"The countdown is on for legal professionals relying on outdated technology. Law firms have just over two months left before Microsoft officially ends support for Windows 10 on Oct. 14. That date marks the end of security updates and patches for one of the most widely used operating systems in the legal profession. If your office is still running Windows 10, especially on older machines that can’t be upgraded to Windows 11, then now is the time to act. Continuing to use unsupported systems after the deadline poses serious risks to client confidentiality, cybersecurity compliance and ethical obligations."
"When it comes to increasing access to justice in Oklahoma, there’s no substitute for listening. Listening to the stories, obstacles and opportunities that exist in our state. The Oklahoma Bar Foundation recently completed its 2024 Promoting Access to Justice Survey. The survey was wide-reaching and designed to identify and understand the most pressing legal needs across the state. Drawing on data from all 77 counties and insights from more than 1,000 Oklahoma attorneys, the survey report sheds new light on where gaps in legal services persist and what solutions hold the most promise."
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.
Members have FREE access to HeinOnline! View, print or save any article or issue of the Oklahoma Bar Journal, dating back to 1930. Easy search tools allow you to find the article, topic or author you're looking for with ease. Access it now by clicking the red HeinOnline link on your main MyOKBar page.
Featured CLE
By OBA Management Assistance Program Director Julie Bays
For years, law offices ran almost exclusively on Windows PCs. Now, more lawyers, especially those just out of law school, are walking in with MacBooks and making them part of their daily practice. For many, it’s simply the final piece in an Apple ecosystem they already use with their iPhones and iPads.
The trend isn’t just anecdotal. The ABA’s Legal Technology Resource Center reported Mac usage among lawyers rising from 5.8% in 2014 to 8.1% in 2015, with solo practitioners leading at 15.5%. By 2023, a Legal Talk Network podcast estimated 15-20% of lawyers were Mac users, and that number has likely grown as hybrid work and cloud tools have reduced platform constraints.
Brett Burney, an expert in integrating Macs into law firms, has a wonderful primer, "Setting Up An All-Mac Law Office." It was recently updated to include current technology.
Catherine Sanders Reach also wrote an excellent post, "Resources for the Mac Attorney," for the North Carolina Bar Association. It’s a practical guide for lawyers who use a Mac or are thinking about switching to a Mac. From essential tools to workflow tips, it’s a valuable resource for anyone integrating Apple products into their practice.
Whether you use Windows or Mac, the Oklahoma Rules of Professional Conduct remind us in ORPC 1.1, Comment 6 that maintaining competence includes keeping current with “the benefits and risks associated with relevant technology.” Understanding how different platforms fit into your practice is part of that obligation.
For anyone navigating the shift to Apple products within the legal field, these guides serve as reliable companions throughout the transition and beyond.
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.