Volume 2 No. 18 | May 4, 2022
Courts
- 2022 OK 40, CONTINENTAL RESOURCES v. WOLLA OILFIELD SERVICES
- 2022 OK 41, IN THE MATTER OF APPLICATION OF THE ODFA
- 2022 OK 45, COATES v. PROGRESSIVE DIRECTIVE INSURANCE CO.
- 2022 OK 44, SCAD-2022-21, RE REVOCATION OF CERTIFICATES OF CERTIFIED SHORTHAND REPORTERS
- 2022 OK 43, SCAD-2022-20, RE RESINSTATEMENT OF CERTIFICATES OF CERTIFIED SHORTHAND REPORTERS
- 2022 OK 42, SCAD-2022-19, RE REVOCATION OF CREDENTIALS OF REGISTERED COURTROOM INTERPRETERS
No published opinions this week.
UPCOMING ORAL ARGUMENTS
05/02/2022
119,143 - Gary Snow as Court Appointed Personal Representative of the Estate of Wanda Perry and Gary Snow as Court Appointed Personal Representative of the Estate of A.P., a deceased Minor Child vs TravelCenters of America LLC d/b/a TA Sayre # 152, TA Operating LLC d/b/a TravelCenters of America d/b/a TA Sayre #152, Shelby Nicole Sandoval (an employee of TravelCenters of America, LLC), Jasmine Thomasina Noemi Foote (an Employee of TravelCenters of America, LLC) and Auntra Lawan Edmonds.
Pursuant to rule 1.36(h) and Rule 1.176 of the Oklahoma Supreme Court Rules, this captioned case is set for oral argument on May 10, 2022, at 1:00 p.m. in the Courtroom of the Tulsa Divisions of the Court of Civil Appels, 201 W. 5th, Suite 600, Tulsa, Oklahoma.
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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UPDATE: SJR 43 Passes Oklahoma House, Returned to Senate
Last week, OBA members received a message from President James R. Hicks regarding SJR 43, a measure that affects the regulation of the practice of law and quality of legal services to the public. After removing the “therefore clause,” the House last week passed SJR 43 with strong indications that, without substantial changes, it would likely meet strong opposition if it returned to the House for final passage. The measure, if passed, would ultimately go to a vote of the people.
The bill now will return to the Senate, where title and the enacting clause must be restored. Should the Senate continue to seek passage, absent extraordinary waiving of rules, it would next go to a conference committee where agreed-upon language must be accepted by conferees from both chambers. If the conferees agree on final language, it would go back to each chamber for a final vote.
The OBA will continue to keep members updated as the measure makes its way through the legislative process.
Click here to read President Hicks' message.
Click here to review SJR 43 bill information.
The Energy Law Issue
The May Oklahoma Bar Journal features several articles reflecting the Energy Law theme and will arrive in mailboxes soon. Until then, flip through the pages online in the interactive digital edition.
OBA President Jim Hicks says this issue is about the future of energy law and how emerging topics and trends are fundamentally changing energy law practices.
"The practice of environmental, energy and resources law has been evolving as practitioners refocus their practices and innovate to better address their clients’ changing needs," he said.
Theme article authors:
- Chuck Knutter and Brady L. Smith
- Chaille G. Walraven
- Jennifer Castillo
- Kraettli Q. Epperson
- Zachary J. “Zac” Foster
- Jason L. Callaway and Trevor Hughes
Oklahoma Board of Bar Examiners Chairperson Robert E. Black announces that 54 applicants who took the Oklahoma Bar Examination Feb. 22-23 were admitted to the Oklahoma Bar Association on Tuesday, April 26 or by proxy at a later date. See the list of new admittees here.
Featured CLE: Mental Health
By Jim Calloway, OBA Management Assistance Program director
"40 wellness tips to help lawyers cope with job pressure" was a recent feature in the American Bar Association Journal. Oklahoma lawyers will note that one of the tipsters is Laura Mahr, who taught several seminars on wellness for us in 2020. This is an interesting collection from a diverse group, ranging from wellness professionals to law firm associates. See which tips you can apply to your life.
A common response to feeling overwhelmed is to push harder to get things done. Neuroscience research shows that instead of motivating us, self-criticism switches our nervous system into a reactive, stressed state. In this state, we are less able to problem-solve and feel less optimistic about—and therefore less apt to try—creative solutions; in a reactive state, we will likely struggle even more to bill hours. The next time you feel anxious, pause. Say something helpful to yourself like “I’ve got this,” or “I’m almost there.” —Laura Mahr, resilience coach, Conscious Legal Minds
Draw and keep clear lines around communication, work and personal. Make yourself available during business hours and unavailable at all other times, absent exigent circumstances. Keep your email address for business separate from your personal email address(es). Do not give your personal email address to clients or work colleagues, and discourage friends and family from using your business email address. Make it known to everyone possible that you can be reached by email during business hours for work (at your work email address) and during nonbusiness hours for nonwork (at your personal email address). Re-frain from reading work email after hours and on weekends, and if the temptation becomes too much, refrain at all costs from responding until first thing the following workday morning. —Richard Wilson, owner, Richard A. Wilson P.C. Law Offices
Take two-minute breaks between tasks to give your brain a reset and refresh your focus. Our brains are not designed to focus 100% of the time, so building in “mini-moments of well-being” that allow your brain to go offline and reset helps you come back to a task with greater concentration. The more you focus, the less you procrastinate, the more hours you can bill in less time. Try these high-caliber mini-moments: Stretch for a few minutes to release tension in your neck and shoulders while waiting for a meeting to start; look out the window instead of checking social media when you notice you’re losing focus; think of three things you’re looking forward to doing after work while taking a drink of water; recall the best moments in your day instead of ruminating about work when you wake up in the middle of the night. —Laura Mahr