Vol. 6 No. 45 | Nov. 11, 2026
Courts
Supreme Court of Oklahoma
- 2026 OK 79: DIAZ v. PREMIER FRANCHISE MANAGEMENT, LLC et al.
- 2026 OK 80: STATE OF OKLAHOMA, ex rel., OKLAHOMA BAR ASSOCIATION, v. KEITH
- 2026 OK 81: McVAY et al., v. LEPAK and DRUMMOND
- 2026 OK 82: SILVERHAWK HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC. v. TAWOSE
Court of Criminal Appeals
No published opinions this week.
Court of Civil Appeals
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
Bar Center Holiday Hours
In observance of Veterans Day, the Oklahoma Bar Association will be closed for regular business on Wednesday, Nov. 11. The bar center will be open for the OBA Heroes Day legal clinic for veterans and military service members.
From the Executive Director: See You at the 122nd Annual Meeting!
"One of the greatest benefits of attending the Annual Meeting is the opportunity to earn high-quality continuing legal education while staying informed about emerging issues affecting the practice of law.
This year’s agenda features CLE programming on a wide range of timely topics, including cannabis law, environmental law, immigration law, disability law, and rural practice issues. Attendees can select programs most relevant to their practice while gaining practical insights from experienced speakers and subject matter experts. The meeting also includes a plenary session focused on the future of the legal profession and the challenges lawyers face in a rapidly changing legal landscape."
OBA CLE Highlight | Negotiation Seminar with Marty Latz
Negotiation is a skill lawyers use every day, but even experienced negotiators can benefit from a new strategy. Join nationally recognized negotiation expert Martin Latz for a practical, two-part seminar designed to sharpen your negotiation skills and give you a competitive edge on Friday, Dec. 18, in person or via webcast.
The morning session will cover proven techniques for building leverage, overcoming impasses, managing deadlines and knowing when to hold or fold. In the afternoon, explore how to harness AI to improve negotiation strategies, strengthen research and achieve better outcomes. With insights drawn from training more than 200,000 professionals worldwide, Mr. Latz offers actionable tools you can put to work immediately in your practice.
Triggering the Time To Appeal in Civil Cases: The Owens Decision
"The Oklahoma Supreme Court’s opinion in Owens v. Owens, decided in 2023, marked a profound change to the court’s jurisdictional inquiry to determine whether an appeal is timely filed. Owens effectively overruled prior caselaw used to determine timeliness.
Whether you are an aggrieved party contemplating filing an appeal, a party who prevailed in the case and are preparing and serving the appealable order, or a court clerk, judge, or other person responsible for service of an appealable order, this article is intended to provide guidance on the importance of the certificate of service requirement. First, some background of the rules and statutes which govern service of orders."
The Sovereign Virtue of the Appellate Bench: Why Ethos Outweighs Logos and Pathos in the Crucible of Appeal
"In his foundational treatise on the art of persuasion, Aristotle identified three primary pillars of rhetoric: logos, the appeal to logic and reason; pathos, the appeal to emotion; and ethos, the appeal to the speaker’s moral character, credibility, and trustworthiness. While trial advocacy frequently tolerates – and at times demands – the heightened emotional resonance of pathos to sway a jury, appellate advocacy operates within an entirely different paradigm. Appellate courts are populated by professional jurists tasked with maintaining the stability, consistency, and evolution of the law. In this technical and cerebral environment, an advocate’s credibility is not merely an auxiliary asset. It is the single most critical factor in successful persuasion."
Volunteer for Mock Trial | Call for Scoring Panelists, Coaches, Judges and More
If you are looking for ways to give back, the Oklahoma High School Mock Trial Program is seeking volunteers for the upcoming year. This program affords an excellent opportunity to be involved in a rewarding and fun learning experience for Oklahoma's high school students, but it is not possible without volunteers!
There are many opportunities to volunteer. You could serve as a scoring panelist or an attorney coach. There are also opportunities for serving on the Mock Trial Committee, helping with skills clinics or helping prepare the state championship team.
Contact Program Coordinator Mike Horn to volunteer.
Featured CLE
Law Practice Tips | Have a Question About Running Your Law Practice? Call Me!
By OBA Management Assistance Program Director Julie Bays
Every week, I share law practice management tips in Courts & More. But did you know that you can also pick up the phone and ask me about a problem or question involving your own law office?
Opening your first law office, managing an established firm or simply looking for a better way to accomplish something? I’m here to help. As director of the Oklahoma Bar Association’s Management Assistance Program (MAP), one of my primary responsibilities is helping Oklahoma lawyers with the business side of practicing law.
Maybe you’re considering new practice management software but aren’t sure which product would work best for your firm. Perhaps you have questions about Microsoft 365, artificial intelligence, trust accounting procedures, billing, client communications, marketing or improving your office workflows. These are all topics I regularly discuss with Oklahoma lawyers.
I offer free telephone consultations and can schedule more detailed 45-minute consultations at the bar center or by videoconference. For firms that need a more comprehensive evaluation, MAP also offers on-site law office “health checks” for a fee. These consultations can help identify opportunities to improve office procedures, technology and overall efficiency.
MAP also provides a library of practice management resources, educational programs such as "Launching Your Law Practice" and information about technology products and discounts available to OBA members.
You don’t have to be a solo practitioner or a new lawyer to use these services. Experienced lawyers and established firms can benefit from an outside perspective, too.
Sometimes, all it takes is a short conversation to find a solution to an issue that has been frustrating you for months.
So, the next time you have a question about managing your practice, give me a call at 405-416-7031 or email me at julieb@okbar.org. You can also learn more about the Management Assistance Program and resources available to all OBA members.
The Oklahoma Bar Journal is a publication of the Oklahoma Bar Association. All rights reserved. Copyright© 2026 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.