Vol. 3 No. 49 | Dec. 6, 2023
Courts
- 2023 OK 115: STATE ex rel. OKLAHOMA BAR ASSOCIATION v. ELSEY
- 2023 OK CR 19: HAMMON v. STATE
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
Originating from the OBA’s Leadership Conference in 2007, the focus of the OBA Leadership Academy is to equip participants with the skills and network connections to become leaders within the bar and in our local communities. Participants learn about OBA governance, special considerations for attorneys in public service, networking skills and effective communication and will attend the Annual Meeting.
Applications are due Dec. 15, 2023. Requirements for applicants are as follows:
- Must be a member in good standing with the Oklahoma Bar Association
- Must be able to attend all events
- All attorneys may apply but preference will be given to those who are members of the OBA Young Lawyers Division
- Applicants should demonstrate a commitment to the profession and community impact
Complete and return application form to CLE@okbar.org by Dec. 15.
The December edition of the Oklahoma Bar Journal is now online. This issue focuses on bankruptcy and also gives highlights from the Annual Meeting, discusses upgrading your law firm and more. Take a look!
FEATURES
All Aboard the Sub V Train: Faster, Cheaper Relief for Small Businesses Facing Financial Distress
By Christina W. Stephenson
How to Protect Your Settlement in the Event of Bankruptcy
By Lysbeth L. George
Dischargeability of Taxes in Bankruptcy
By Brandon Bickle
Bankruptcy and the Automatic Stay: What Every Lawyer Should Know
By Elaine M. Dowling
"The year 2023 is coming to a close, and with it is the end of my term as OBA president. The time has flown by so fast, and this is my last president’s article for the Oklahoma Bar Journal. This is a good time to look back over the year and see all that has happened during my term as president.
There were several goals that I set forth at the beginning of this year. First and foremost, I wanted to emphasize the need for professionalism and civility in all things we do as attorneys. Our ethical standards demand that each of us meet high standards of professionalism in everything we do. With the help of the OBA Professionalism Committee under the outstanding leadership of OBA Vice President Ken Williams, the message of how important professionalism is in our daily activity has been shared with each of you. Not only has the committee shared lessons on professionalism, but they traveled the state speaking on the topic. They presented a CLE at the OBA Annual Meeting and kept the idea at the forefront of our thoughts."
Get involved in a meaningful way with your bar association by joining an OBA Committee for the upcoming year. With more than 20 active committees to choose from, OBA committees offer numerous opportunities to network and gain experience while serving your fellow bar members. Through these committees, you can help plan events, host CLEs, hold leadership roles and so much more! The time to sign up for a 2024 committee is now – don't wait, committee appointments will be made soon!
Member Dues Are Due Tuesday, Jan. 2
Member dues statements are available online. In an effort to save money and cut down on the cost of printing and postage, the OBA Membership Department has posted member dues statements online in MyOKBar. As a follow-up, a paper statement was mailed around the first of December to members who have not yet paid. Please help the OBA in this effort by paying your dues today! 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. Dues are due Tuesday, Jan. 2.
Featured CLE
By OBA MAP Director Jim Calloway
Some lawyers use Excel. Many do not use it or use it only rarely. I have to confess that, like many lawyers, I avoided Excel if I could accomplish most of what I wanted by building a table in Word. The YouTube video "These 10 Shortcuts Will Save You HOURS in Excel" has some very interesting keyboard shortcuts, most of which I had never heard of. But if you are an occasional user of Excel, many of these shortcuts do the things we most commonly need to do, for the “casual users.” Watch this 6 1/2-minute video. If you use Excel only rarely, you probably want to bookmark this link so you can review the shortcuts when you need them.
The Oklahoma Bar Journal is a publication of the Oklahoma Bar Association. All rights reserved. Copyright© 2023 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.