Vol. 3 No. 22 | May 31, 2023
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
More
"Court reform proposals approved by voters more than a half-century ago have worked well. No scandal has touched members of the state’s highest courts. The judges selected, from district judges to Supreme Court justices, have furthered the goal of judicial independence. Since we converted to a nonpartisan, merit-selection Judicial Nominating Commission system, more than 300 trial and appellate judges have been appointed. The judiciary has proved it can manage its own house. Several judges have resigned when requested to do so, and one judge was removed from office because of mental issues."
"Will Rogers’ most famous saying is, 'I never met a man I didn’t like.' I can hear someone say, 'Yes, but Will Rogers never worked in the legal profession.' It is true – his father was a Cherokee attorney and judge, but Will did not follow in his father’s footsteps. I submit to you, however, that even if he had, he still would have been able to say that he never met anyone he didn’t like. One reason why is the experience and wisdom he acquired from his Cherokee heritage while growing up in Indian Territory."
"The OBA Young Lawyers Division was established in 1966 to provide an avenue for Oklahoma’s young lawyers to work on bar-related and public service-related projects. While the term 'young' is in the division name, the YLD encompasses any lawyer who has been in practice for fewer than 10 years, regardless of age. Ten years just refers to your 'practice age.'
In writing this article to explain our division’s history, I reviewed articles going back more than a decade to see how the YLD has changed and evolved. I found that no matter who the chair was, what 'hot issues' were buzzing around or how time passed, the YLD never swayed from being the 'service arm' of the bar. Here are just a few examples of the amazing work of YLD leadership."
The Nominating Petition deadline for Judicial Nominating Commission candidates was 5 p.m. Friday, May 19. Ballots will be mailed June 2, 2023, to active attorneys in good standing in Congressional District 1.* Ballots must be received at the Oklahoma Bar Center by 5 p.m. June 16, 2023. The nominee for District 2 is an uncontested candidate, therefore, no ballots will be mailed. Ballots must be received at the Oklahoma Bar Center by 5 p.m. June 16, 2023. Ballots will be tabulated on June 19, 2023, and election results will be posted June 21, 2023.
It is important to the administration of justice that the OBA members become informed on the candidates and cast their votes.
ABOUT THE COMMISSION
The Judicial Nominating Commission (JNC) consists of 15 unpaid volunteer members. Of the 15 members, only six members are lawyers. Lawyer commissioners are elected by their fellow Oklahoma Bar Association members, each representing one of six congressional districts across the state, as they were in 1967 when the commission was established.* They each serve a 6-year term. Elections are held each odd-numbered year for members from two districts.
June 5 is the early registration deadline for the OBA Solo & Small Firm Conference. Register now to take advantage of discounted pricing on a wide range of substantive law and law practice management CLE sessions that focus on tools for and frequent challenges encountered by small firm lawyers. You'll also enjoy social events and time to meet with your friends and colleagues from across the state in a relaxed and casual resort setting.
The OBA Solo & Small Firm Conference welcomes Lippard Real Estate and Auction as a Bronze Sponsor for this year's conference. Lippard Auctioneers sells property throughout Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas and Texas, as well as abroad. Its team of auctioneers, real estate professionals, communications experts and project managers is equipped to handle any type of auction in today’s marketplace. Be sure to stop by their booth at the Solo Conference to learn how their services can assist your legal practice!
Featured CLE
By Jim Calloway, OBA Management Assistance Program Director
I must confess that, although the Attorney at Work website is one of my top resources, I’ve rarely cared for some posts by Analog Attorney. Call it “digital bias” if you wish. But sometimes the pieces seem to strain to do something the traditional way, even when digital methods are preferable.
That is noted because I want to encourage you to read "Run Your Practice More Mindfully on a Legal Pad" from Attorney at Work. It is informative and even entertaining to those of us who have spent a large part of our lives writing on legal pads. I know when I had to go to the office supply store to buy legal pads, my favorite brands were "Sale" and "Reduced." But the writer’s collection of the six best legal pads for your firm demonstrates an impressive range of styles, including a wide landscape style pad. If you are often cramming handwritten notes into the margins, this may be the tool for you. But I’m not sure how the Analog Attorney will file those extra wide pages in the paper client file without having to turn it sideways to read the pages.
For attorneys using digital client files, remember that it is fine to take notes on legal pads. Just don’t forget to scan them into the digital client file.
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.