Vol. 5 No. 52 | Dec. 24, 2025
Courts
No published opinions this week.
- 2025 OK CR 25: NAPOLEON v. STATE
- 2025 OK CIV APP 39: PETERSON and ERBAR v. WOLF, 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.
Member Transitions
More
Happy Holidays From the OBA!
The Oklahoma Bar Association is currently closed in observance of the Christmas holiday. We will reopen at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 29.
The OBA will also be closed Jan. 1-2 in observance of the New Year's Day holiday.
New Educational Series To Launch in 2026: Host or Attend in Your Local Area!
New for 2026! The OBA announces “In Case You Missed It (ICYMI),” a new, traveling CLE roadshow designed to keep judges, court staff and lawyers up to date on the latest changes in law and court forms. This lunch-and-learn (or breakfast!) series will bring timely updates directly to communities across Oklahoma. Each year, ICYMI will focus on a different topic critical to the bench and bar. Year one kicks off in early 2026!
Judges who attend will earn mandatory judicial CLE (MJCLE) credit, and attorneys will receive MCLE credit. Sessions are designed to be practical, interactive and convenient because we know your time is valuable! Lunch (or breakfast) is provided, and we’ll bring the updates to you. Don’t miss this opportunity to stay current and connected!
Interested in hosting or attending in your local area? Email info@okaccesstojustice.org for more details or to schedule a session! This series is co-sponsored by the OBA Bench and Bar Committee, the OBA Access to Justice Committee and the Oklahoma Access to Justice Foundation.
"From time to time, around our own dinner table, my wife – with her particular brand of bluntness – will ask, 'Why did you take that case if your client is clearly crazy?' The question is a fair one with the benefit of hindsight. But at the beginning of a case, what looks like one problem can turn into another.
My answer is that in family law, it is not unusual for a client to seem irrational in the beginning. Divorce and custody disputes often bring out the worst in people: fear, grief and anger. Most of the time, those emotions settle, and clients regain stability. But sometimes, they do not. And sometimes, what looks like temporary instability is, in fact, a deeper problem. In those cases, the question is no longer just about difficult personalities. It becomes about the limits of client autonomy, the boundaries of lawyer judgment and the ethical responsibilities that fall on us when a client’s capacity is uncertain."
"Last year, Oklahoma lawyers and judges identified areas of primary legal needs facing Oklahomans and areas of the state hardest hit by those needs. By partnering with its grantee organizations, the OBF seeks to respond to and address the wide spectrum of issues affecting Oklahoma individuals and families. These include protecting the elderly and those in danger of losing their homes, providing services to victims of domestic violence by ensuring they have the necessary resources to escape abusive environments and find safety, supporting refugees and immigrants who face legal uncertainties and need resources to navigate our complex legal system and funding pretrial diversion programs that aim to provide alternatives to incarceration for individuals involved in the criminal justice system. Grants for organizations providing these services help eliminate barriers to justice and offer lifelines to individuals and families who would otherwise face overwhelming challenges without proper legal representation or guidance."
DUES ARE DUE | Member dues statements are available online in MyOKBar. Members can pay their dues by credit card online at MyOKBar or by mailing a check to the OBA Dues Lockbox, P.O. Box 960101, Oklahoma City, OK 73196. Due to the New Year's holiday, please pay your dues by Monday, Jan. 5, 2026.
MCLE DEADLINE APPROACHING | Dec. 31 is the deadline to earn any remaining MCLE credit for 2025 without having to pay a late fee. The deadline to report your 2025 credit is Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. Not sure how much credit you still need? To access your MCLE information, log in to MyOKBar and click "MyMCLE." Still need credit? Check out great CLE offerings at ok.webcredenza.com. If you have questions about your credit, email mcle@okbar.org.
With all of December's hustle and bustle, we know things can get a little hectic! As you wind down to the end of the year, don't forget to earn the rest of your CLE hours. OBA CLE has dozens of online CLE programs to choose from through WebCredenza.
Just visit the website to access online OBA CLE programs, available anywhere – and even better, on your own time. You can even search the webpage to discover topics most relevant to you.
Featured CLE
By OBA Management Assistance Program Director Julie Bays
With the holidays here, it’s a good time for a little reflection. Don’t think about billable hours or resolutions just yet. Instead, consider whether your law office tech habits landed you on the nice list or the naughty list this year.
NICE LIST
You’ve made a conscious effort to keep your law practice secure and efficient through smart technology choices. By using strong, unique passwords and enabling two-factor authentication, you’re actively protecting sensitive client information from unauthorized access. Storing client documents in secure, encrypted systems rather than relying on email attachments helps safeguard confidential data and makes retrieval more reliable.
Your willingness to try out AI tools shows you’re open to innovation, but you don’t take shortcuts. You consistently verify citations, review AI-generated drafts with a critical eye, and always prioritize client confidentiality. Regularly backing up your data ensures that if technical issues arise, you’re prepared to restore files quickly and continue working with minimal interruption. You’re not just using technology, you’re managing it responsibly – making your practice resilient in the face of unexpected challenges.
NAUGHTY LIST
Convenience sometimes wins out over security: Reusing passwords may save time, but it puts your accounts at risk of being compromised. Those software update reminders that get postponed indefinitely mean your systems might be vulnerable to bugs or cyberattacks that could have easily been prevented. If you copy and paste AI-generated text without checking sources, you risk sharing inaccurate information or even breaching ethical standards.
Relying on a single digital calendar without a backup exposes you to the possibility of missed deadlines or appointments if something goes wrong. And if your internet connection fails, lacking a contingency plan could leave you unable to access important files or communicate with clients, essentially grinding your work to a halt until the problem is fixed. These habits may seem minor, but addressing them now can save you a lot of trouble in the new year.
The good news? Most lawyers land on both lists at separate times. The end of the year is simply a chance to notice where minor changes could make your practice more secure, more efficient and easier to manage in 2026.
If you’re not sure where to start, the Oklahoma Bar Association’s Management Assistance Program (MAP) is here to help. MAP offers free 45-minute consultations for OBA members by Zoom, phone or in person. Whether you want to talk through technology, office systems, billing practices or AI use, a short conversation can help you move a few items from the naughty list to the nice list before the new year begins.
Warm wishes for a safe and restful holiday, and here’s to a tech-smart start to 2026.
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.