Vol. 3 No. 18 | May 3, 2023
Courts
- 2023 OK 50: IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF PARKER
- 2023 OK 51: TERRAL TELEPHONE CO. v. OKLAHOMA STATE BD. OF EQUALIZATION
- 2023 OK 52: HERRERA-CHACON v. STATE
- 2023 OK 53: STATE ex rel. OKLAHOMA BAR ASSOCIATION v. LITTLEFIELD
No published opinions this week.
- 2023 OK CIV APP 13: MAGEL v. NUVEEN
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.
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Awards Nomination Period is Open
The nomination period for OBA Awards and Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher Diversity Awards is open! For several decades, the Oklahoma Bar Association has proudly recognized lawyers who represent the best of the best in the legal profession and organizations that support our members and communities. The OBA Awards Committee and OBA Diversity Committee invite you to nominate individuals and entities to honor during the 2023 Annual Meeting, to be held Nov. 1-3 at the Skirvin Hilton Hotel in Oklahoma City. The deadline to submit general OBA Awards nominations is 5 p.m. Friday, June 30. The deadline for Diversity Awards nominations is Tuesday, Aug. 1, at 5 p.m. All nominations and supporting materials must be received by their corresponding deadlines. Submissions or supporting material received after the deadlines will not be considered.
The May Oklahoma Bar Journal focuses on the topic of "Oklahoma Legal History." The print version will arrive in your mailboxes soon. Check out the online publication now, featuring the following articles related to legal history in Oklahoma:
Injustice in Choctaw County: How a Largely Forgotten Oklahoma Trial Set Thurgood Marshall on a Path to Power
By Michael J. Davis
Skinner v. Oklahoma: How Two McAlester Lawyers Derailed Criminal Sterilization in America and the U.S. Supreme Court Invented ‘Strict Scrutiny’ as a Result
By Michael J. Davis
The Rediscovery of Indian Country in Eastern Oklahoma
By Conor P. Cleary
From the Ashes of Scandal Came Court Reform
By Bob Burke
The Evolution of Workers’ Compensation in Oklahoma
By Bob Burke
The History and Impact of the Oklahoma Bar Foundation
By Renee DeMoss and Bob Burke
Mental Health Awareness Month
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, nearly 1 in 5 Americans suffer from a mental illness such as mood disorders, anxiety, substance abuse or impulse control, to name a few. Attorneys and law school students are no exception. The American Bar Association published the results of a study on lawyer well-being and found 28% of lawyers and 17% of law school students suffer from depression; 19% of lawyers and 37% of law students reported having anxiety; 6% of law students and more than 11% of attorneys have had suicidal thoughts. Tulsa attorney Rhiannon K. Baker outlined why the legal profession is prone to these issues in this Oklahoma Bar Journal article.
This May, the National Alliance on Mental Illness is challenging us all to break the stigma surrounding mental health. By doing this, we create awareness and break down many of the barriers that allow us to get the support we may need. Fortunately, several resources are available for those who are struggling with any mental health issues, including Lawyers Helping Lawyers, NAMI Oklahoma and Mental Health Association Oklahoma. If you or someone you know are struggling with mental health issues or substance abuse, do not be afraid to reach out – you are not alone.
Solo Sponsor Spotlight: Oklahoma Association for Justice
The OBA Solo & Small Firm Conference welcomes the Oklahoma Association for Justice as a Bronze Sponsor of this year's conference. The OAJ is a group of plaintiff's lawyers who advocate for the judicial system in the community and at the legislative level. OAJ representatives will be available to answer your questions in the exhibitors' area at the Osage Casino. Be sure to stop by and say hello!
OAJ is hosting its own summer meeting in Tulsa that overlaps with the Solo & Small Firm Conference. On Saturday evening, June 24, OBA members are invited to attend a sponsored concert at the legendary Cain's Ballroom featuring rising country music star Corey Kent, who is a native of Bixby. Tickets are available for purchase. Contact the OAJ at 405-618-3483 for more information.
"The Oklahoma Bar Association has expanded its member benefits with the addition of three new practice management software solutions: Smokeball, Tabs3 and TimeSolv. OBA members who subscribe to these practice management services will receive discounts.
The OBA's commitment to supporting members is evident in its lineup of valuable resources at a discount, such as Smokeball, Tabs3 and TimeSolv. These new member benefits allow attorneys to enhance their practices, better serve their clients and stay organized in an increasingly competitive legal landscape. Practice management software plays a crucial role in helping attorneys streamline their practices, increase productivity and enhance client satisfaction. By providing tools for time management, organization and communication, the right software can enable law firms to operate more effectively and stay competitive."
Featured CLE
By Jim Calloway, OBA Management Assistance Program Director
Empirical data about solo law practice used to be difficult to locate. Clio, a legal practice management solution, has stepped into the breach
with its Legal Trends reports. Its 2023 Legal Trends for Solo Law Firms has been released. It uses anonymized data from Clio customers and survey data from legal professionals and consumers. Noted legal tech journalist Bob Ambrogi points out the contrast between the good and bad aspects of being a solo attorney in his post, "The Good and the Bad of Solo Practice, Per Clio’s Latest Legal Trends Report for Solos."
Here are some of his observations:
The good: Solos are able to choose where and when to work and how much work to take on.
The bad: Solos are constrained by the fact that there are only so many hours in a day, and one lawyer can only do so much.
The good: Solos are well situated to prioritize work-life balance.
The bad: They are much more likely than non-solo lawyers to work nights and weekends.
The good: Solos have lower overall costs of operation than non-solos.
The bad: Solos' hourly rates are 20% lower than those of non-solo lawyers ($269 vs. $324), and their rates are not keeping pace with inflation.
Read Mr. Ambrogi’s post for the rest of his observations and summary. The post also has a link to download the entire Clio legal trends report, and it only costs you your email address.
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.