Vol. 4 No. 2 | Jan. 10, 2024
Courts
No published opinions this week.
No published opinions this week.
- 2024 OK CIV APP 1: IN THE MATTER OF A.B.
- 2024 OK CIV APP 2: BUTTERFIELD v. TRUSTEE OF MCCOY REVOCABLE LIVING TRUST
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
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Bar Center Holiday Hours
The Oklahoma Bar Center will be closed Monday, Jan. 15, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Newly elected officers and board members will take their oaths of office on Friday, Jan. 19, at 10 a.m. at the Oklahoma state Capitol Ceremonial Courtroom. Officers to be sworn in are:
- President Miles Pringle, Oklahoma City
- President-Elect D. Kenyon Williams Jr., Sperry
- Vice President Amber Peckio, Tulsa
- Immediate Past President Brian T. Hermanson, Ponca City
Also taking oaths as members of the OBA Board of Governors are:
- William Ladd Oldfield, Ponca City, District One (three-year term)
- Philip D. Hixon, Tulsa, District Six (three-year term)
- Chad A. Locke, Muskogee, District Seven (three-year term)
- Jeff D. Trevillion, Oklahoma City, Member at Large (three-year term)
- Laura R. Talbert, Oklahoma City, Young Lawyers Division Chairperson (one-year term)
OBA leadership roles are voluntary positions in which lawyers serve while continuing to practice law. Learn more about the volunteers who guide your association in this month's Oklahoma Bar Journal.
"The beginning of a new year is a natural time for reflection and goal setting. For lawyers, it offers a unique opportunity to approach our practice with renewed purpose and positive intentions. As legal professionals embark on a fresh chapter, setting good intentions can pave the way for a more fulfilling and successful year in this demanding profession.
Cultivating a mindset of empathy and understanding is a powerful intention for any lawyer. In a profession often characterized by rigorous arguments and intricate legal strategies, it's easy to lose sight of the human element. This new year, legal practitioners can resolve to approach each case with empathy, acknowledging the unique challenges and emotions of their clients. By prioritizing compassion, lawyers not only enhance their client relationships but also add professionalism and civility to the profession."
Meet 2024 OBF President Allen Hutson, attorney at Crowe & Dunlevy. Mr. Hutson graduated from the OCU School of Law in 2010, choosing to follow in his uncle's footsteps.
"Being a lawyer has its good days and bad days. But you will never have a bad day when you are using your skills as a lawyer to help someone who needs it. Some of your most gratifying cases will be the ones where you get a hug and a thank you at the end."
"I have some very strict views about ethics and professionalism, and as an old, retired justice, I continue to voice them. I believe the license to practice law is a public trust. Admission to the bar should be strict, strenuous and exacting. Discipline for ethical violations should have one goal: strict, unbending protection of the public and our system of justice.
Your law license is not a business license. Your admission to the practice of law is not a commercial opportunity – it is a sacred public trust granted upon your oath before the Supreme Court that allows you to walk inside the bar of courtrooms all over this state to represent clients during some of their most difficult times. You hold a public trust. You are an officer of the court. Your law license is granted with one primary mission, and that mission is to uphold the rule of law."
"For many civil practitioners, the world of criminal law can be strange and intimidating. Different rules, different issues, different clients, different stakes. But even for litigators with an entirely civil practice, criminal law issues can and do arise. Nowhere is this more common than with issues concerning the Fifth Amendment. So what are you, the civil practitioner, supposed to do when in the lead-up to your client’s deposition, you realize the responses to the other side’s questions might incriminate your client? How does your client invoke the privilege? What are the pros and cons of doing so? Who decides whether your client’s invocation of the privilege is justified? What standard applies in making that determination? And what are the potential strategies for navigating these issues while minimizing the potential risk for your client, both civilly and criminally?"
The list of applicants for the Feb. 27-28, 2024, bar exam has been published online.
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.
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
If you haven’t tried the side panels in these browsers, you’re missing out on some features that can make your browsing easier and smarter. Both have something unique to offer. Google Chrome has many features including a search function that also highlights the main points in articles using AI. Microsoft Edge has CoPilot, also known as Bing AI, which integrates an AI-powered assistant into the browser. Let’s look closely at these features and see how they can make your browsing better.
Google Chrome
Chrome’s recent update has enhanced the user experience with its side panel, introducing a set of convenient features. First, there’s the Reading List – a handy tool for those who stumble upon interesting articles but lack the time to read them immediately. By adding these to the Reading List, users can revisit them at their leisure, ensuring they don’t miss out on valuable content.
Additionally, the side panel offers quick access to Bookmarks. This ends the need to open a separate manager, allowing lawyers to organize and revisit their favorite websites. It’s a real time-saver, especially for those who frequently refer to specific sites.
The Oklahoma Bar Journal is a publication of the Oklahoma Bar Association. All rights reserved. Copyright© 2024 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.