Vol. 4 No. 3 | Jan. 17, 2024
Courts
No published opinions this week.
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
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The Oklahoma Legislature reconvenes in February, and hundreds of bills will be prefiled – many of them potentially affecting your practice or the administration of justice. Join the OBA Legislative Monitoring Committee at 9 a.m. Friday, Feb. 2, at the Oklahoma Bar Center as they identify top bills of interest to the OBA and your practice area. Register now to attend either online or in-person.
"Nearly 68 million Americans speak a language other than English at home, according to the U.S. Census Bureau in 2019. In Oklahoma, 2019 census records report that more than 10% of the population aged 5 years or older speaks a language other than English at home – an increase of more than 26% between 2010 and 2019. According to the Migration Policy Institute, as of 2021, nearly 140,000 Oklahomans (ages 5 and up) speak English 'less than very well.' In addition, an estimated 194,000 Oklahomans have hearing disabilities, many of whom use American Sign Language (ASL) as their mode of communication.
These statistics indicate that for 200,000 to 300,000 Oklahomans, true access to justice hinges on the ability to bridge a language barrier by way of competent and readily available interpretation. Without a skilled interpreter (and an attorney who ensures the interpretation is correct and consistent), this huge sector of our state’s population simply cannot exercise its legal rights and responsibilities as residents of this state."
“'Treat objections as requests for further information.' – Brian Tracy
Law schools across the country teach objections from an academic view. The evidentiary basis is explained at length. However, no one explains the practical side. What are objections? How do they really work in trial? Why are they even there? How are they properly made? This article provides a 'real-world' look into objections and their use at trial."
"Decades ago, I assumed that technology would soon advance to the point where automated document assembly would be fully incorporated in most law offices across the country. While great strides have been made in law office technology tools, and tools for automatically generating documents are much improved over what was available decades previously, many law firms still have not fully embraced automated document assembly.
Why is that? I can speculate."
Don't forget! The deadline for students to submit Law Day art and writing entries is Friday, Jan. 19. If you know an Oklahoma student who loves to write, draw or create, encourage them to enter their work! Have a teacher in your life? Feel free to forward the information to them to share with their students. This year, the theme is "Voices of Democracy."
The annual OBA Law Day Art and Writing Contest is designed to stimulate discussion and understanding of the law among young Oklahomans. Categories include art and writing for grades pre-K through 12th, with cash prizes up to $500 and plaques for winners, plus participation certificates to honor every student's hard work.
In addition to the annual Law Day student contest, the OBA Law Day Committee will celebrate Law Day by producing educational videos that can be viewed on the OBA's social media. In the spring, hundreds of Oklahoma lawyers will also donate tens of thousands of dollars in legal services by giving free legal advice to the public for Ask A Lawyer. The date for the 2024 celebration of Law Day will be May 1!
The application period for Oklahoma Bar Foundation court grants is now open. Through these grants, the Oklahoma Bar Foundation helps improve the administration of justice in district and appellate court rooms across Oklahoma. Grants may be used to fund courtroom technological equipment such as interactive display boards, audio systems or video equipment. Courts can apply now through March 4.
For lawyers' professional liability, Oklahoma Attorneys Mutual Insurance Co. is the only insurer owned by OBA members. OAMIC offers several policies for practicing attorneys. In addition to insurance, OAMIC offers a broad range of court bonds and makes purchasing court bonds as simple for Oklahoma attorneys as possible. Visit www.oamic.com to learn more.
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
By OBA MAP Director Jim Calloway
Scanning documents in the law office is a common law office operation these days. Paper documents are often scanned so they can be digitally transmitted or filed in the digital client file. That wasn’t true when I first wrote about scanners for the Jan. 25, 1998, Oklahoma Bar Journal calling scanners “today’s newest indispensable piece of law office equipment.” But today, scanning is routine in most law offices.
Today, we may need to scan when we are outside of the office. A lawyer may handle a will execution at a frail client’s home or in a hospital room, for example. Scanning with an app on your mobile phone works well for a page or two, but is harder to manage for a more lengthy document like a will. Your law firm might consider investing in a portable scanner that lawyers can check out when needed out of the office. PC Magazine recently published "The Best Portable Scanners for 2024," which is packed with useful information on scanner features. For another set of portable scanner reviews, see "Top 6 Portable Scanners for Easy Scans on the Go" from maketecheasier.com. The Fujitsu ScanSnap line is being rebranded as Ricoh, its parent company.
Here's an important tip: Create a complete set of instructions that accompanies the scanner and deals with possible contingencies. Is an internet connection required? Using your phone for a hotspot may be warranted rather than trusting the client’s home WiFi setup. Is the goal to leave the client a digital copy or to scan an original that you leave with the client? If you wish to scan and create a physical copy for the client, a portable printer may also be needed.
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.