Vol. 5 No. 13 | March 26, 2025
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 judicial system, and specifically trials in the courtroom, adversarial as they are by nature, are appropriate forums to achieve resolution of allegations of crime, personal injury and other civil matters. It is the family law cases – specifically guardianships, dissolutions of marriage, paternity, child custody, visitation cases and other matters involving intimate partners or family members – that seem out of place in the traditional courtroom trial setting. Even though we have courtrooms that look and feel very different depending on the type of docket being conducted, not every type of case needs to be decided by a judge in a courtroom. Perhaps we have all been watching too many criminal court TV cases, but did it ever seem right to call one parent a 'defendant' in a custody case?"
The March issue of the Oklahoma Bar Journal focuses on the topic of alternative dispute resolution. Check out this week's featured articles.
Oklahoma’s Agriculture Mediation Program: Specialized Statewide Farmer and Rancher Assistance
By Mike Mayberry
Early Settlement Mediation: Making Oklahoma a More Peaceful State
By Phil Johnson
"I happened across a book while searching for volumes on famous trials. You see, I’m a retired trial lawyer and incurably, irresistibly drawn to the courtroom in my head and heart. Both head and heart were impacted by Oklahoma’s Atticus by Hunter Howe Cates. Perhaps you’ve read the book, but if, like me, you missed it, I hope you’ll be inspired to pick it up. It is the Oklahoma version of To Kill a Mockingbird."
The Oklahoma Bar Association congratulates these members who reach significant milestone anniversaries in 2025.
"The Oklahoma Bar Foundation proudly announces its scholarship and award recipients for the 2024-2025 academic year, recognizing exceptional educational achievement, leadership and community service. These scholarships support students who are dedicated to advancing their legal education. Congratulations to all the recipients!"
The national and statewide celebration of Law Day is Thursday, May 1. The OBA Law Day Committee encourages every county bar to join our efforts and plan its own Law Day events – whether it’s coordinating student visits to the courthouse or giving free legal advice for at least one hour. The goodwill generated for the profession by offering this community service makes the effort worthwhile, regardless of the number of activities or calls received.
Join us in celebrating Law Day. To volunteer for Ask A Lawyer in Oklahoma City, contact Christina Drake by email or phone at 405-236-8421. To volunteer in the Tulsa area, contact Mary Clement by email or phone at 918-805-2352. If you're volunteering in other counties, find your Law Day chair info here or contact your county bar president here if your chair isn't listed.
Please email your county’s Law Day chairperson to communications@okbar.org. If you intend to answer calls as part of Ask A Lawyer, please provide your Ask A Lawyer information, including the phone number, using this form.
Featured CLE
Using a Scheduling Tool for Efficient Appointments
By OBA Management Assistance Program Director Jim Calloway
If you have a practice where you primarily represent consumers, particularly those who have never retained a lawyer before, it is as important to make scheduling appointments for new prospective clients as simple and easy as possible. Nowadays, some people avoid speaking on the telephone whenever they can. So it is important to give them the option of using a scheduling tool.
Scheduling tools are useful for existing clients as well. They appreciate picking a date and time that is good for them.
Director of the North Carolina Bar Association Center for Practice Management Catherine Reach has authored an excellent piece: "Using a Scheduling Tool for Efficient Appointments."
She notes: “Some lawyers are trepidatious about using a scheduling tool like Calendly, Accuity, or Bookings because they don’t want to share the link broadly or find themselves overbooked. The good news is that there are a lot of ways to protect your time even if you use a scheduling tool, and you can share the link with discretion.”
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.