Vol. 4 No. 20 | May 15, 2024
Courts
2024 OK 33: STATE ex rel. OKLAHOMA BAR ASSOCIATION v. BETHEA
2024 OK 34: ANAYA-SMITH v. FEDERATED MUTUAL INSURANCE CO.
No published opinions this week.
2024 OK CIV APP 15: SWAIN v. UNITED AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE CO.
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
For the first time in decades, the OBA Annual Meeting will be hosted in the summer and, for the first time in several years, it will be held in conjunction with the Oklahoma Judicial Conference. This year’s meeting, July 10-12 at the Embassy Suites in Norman, will give OBA members a chance to gather and learn in a relaxed and informal setting.
With keynote speakers such as Dr. Karen Korematsu as the plenary speaker and Chief Standing Bear who will discuss the Osage murders and Indian law, there is something for everyone. Meetings will cover a variety of topics, including "Strategies for Addressing Legal Deserts," "Advanced Fastcase Training" and the always-popular "60 Tips in 60 Minutes." Plus, don't miss the artificial intelligence portion of the meeting on Friday.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. According to this piece published on the Clio Blog, "Lawyer well-being needs to be an essential consideration for law firms, law schools, bar associations, and legal professionals."
The Lawyers Helping Lawyers Assistance Program is a member benefit that offers up to six hours of free counseling for all bar members. The service is strictly confidential.
For help with stress, burnout, depression, addiction and other personal issues, members can call the Lawyers Helping Lawyers hotline at 800-364-7866. Lawyers Helping Lawyers also offers monthly discussion groups in Tulsa and Oklahoma City, including the new women's group. See program details and group discussion information at www.okbar.org/lhl.
Calling all county bar associations! It's time to submit your local delegates to this year's House of Delegates, which willd be held July 12 during the 2024 OBA Annual Meeting at the Embassy Suites in Norman.
In accordance with OBA bylaws, the House of Delegates shall be composed of one delegate or alternate from each county of the state, who shall be an active or senior member of the bar of such county. A PDF is available online with the count of members per county and the corresponding number of delegates and alternates allowed for each county.
Contact Mark Schneidewent at marks@okbar.org for more information.
"In 1979, the Oklahoma Bar Journal published an article titled 'A Primer on Forced Pooling of Oil and Gas Interests in Oklahoma,' which detailed the intricacies and applications of the state’s forced pooling statute. Authored by Oklahoma attorney Charles Nesbitt, the article may have had an unassuming title, but its effect was anything but modest. In the years since it first appeared, Mr. Nesbitt’s primer on forced pooling has become extremely influential."
"Governmental regulation of the environment and natural resources traditionally has been described as one of 'cooperative federalism.'The federal government is the default administrator of federal environmental statutes like the Clean Air Act or Clean Water Act. But these statutes, and others like them, authorize states to step into the shoes of the federal regulatory agencies and assume responsibility for administering environmental laws. The federal government maintains a supervisory role to ensure the state meets the minimum standards of the federal environmental laws, but otherwise, the state is the primary regulatory sovereign. In this way, the federal and state governments work cooperatively to achieve the goals of federal environmental statutes."
"A major bragging right for Oklahomans is that our state is the birthplace of Law Day. Oklahoma lawyer Hicks Epton, who later served as OBA and OBF president, conceived this idea in 1951. Since its inception, Law Day has become a way to celebrate and honor the rule of law. In 1958, President Eisenhower established Law Day as a national day in the United States, and it is celebrated annually on May 1 to honor the law and its basis for our system of government. This month, many Oklahoma lawyers, county bar associations and the OBA will be promoting a deeper understanding of the legal system and its principles to the public."
"I began my tenure at the OBA on May 1, 2003. As excited as I was to assume the position, I soon learned there were some serious challenges at hand. The most pressing issues were directly related to the financial position of the association. The financial reserves were so thin that CLE collections had to be closely monitored to ensure we could meet payroll.
There were absolutely no resources to fix the leaking roof, remove 15,000 square feet of asbestos or make major technological updates. In sum, the place was broken, dirty, had years of deferred maintenance, and even the bathrooms smelled bad."
Featured CLE
The Importance of VPNs for Lawyers on the Move
By OBA Practice Management Advisor Julie Bays
Lawyers deal with confidential data that requires strong security measures, particularly when away from the office. Employing a virtual private network (VPN) is essential to protect clients' confidential information while working remotely or in public spaces, such as coffee shops, airports and hotels.
Public Wi-Fi networks are particularly vulnerable to 
security breaches. A VPN encrypts the internet connection, ensuring that all transmitted data remains secure and inaccessible to potential eavesdroppers. Moreover, it allows safe access to the firm's servers and sensitive information, maintaining the integrity of attorney-client confidentiality.
Beyond security, VPNs help bypass geographical restrictions and access resources that might be blocked in certain regions, ensuring lawyers have the information they need, no matter where they are.
Using a VPN is not just a good practice – it's a vital part of legal practice security. Here is an article that explains how to use and set up a VPN, and if you use Microsoft Edge as your browser, they recently introduced a free VPN.
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.