Vol. 3 No. 45 | Nov. 8, 2023
Courts
No published opinions this week.
- 2023 OK CIV APP 41: DALTON v. DALTON
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
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Oklahoma Bar Center Closed in Observance of Veterans Day
The Oklahoma Bar Center will be closed this Thursday, Nov. 9, beginning at 2 p.m. and Friday, Nov. 11, in observance of Veterans Day.
"Nov. 11 is the day we celebrate Veterans Day in the United States. Not a day should go by that we forget the incredible sacrifices members of our military have endured to protect our freedoms. Each one of us needs to take every opportunity to thank them for their service. However, it appears that just thanking these outstanding individuals does little to help them with some of the suffering they face.
Those veterans who did so much for us often find great difficulty, both while in the service and in the years that follow. Low pay and benefits, along with both physical and mental challenges, leave many of our finest homeless or without sufficient funding to provide for their needs. One should ask themselves, 'What can I do to help these people who have done so much for me?'"
The Oklahoma Bar Association announced its 2024 officers and new Board of Governors members on Friday, Nov. 3, during the OBA’s 119th Annual Meeting in Oklahoma City at the Skirvin Hilton.
Oklahoma City attorney Miles T. Pringle will serve as the Oklahoma Bar Association’s 2024 president, following a year as president-elect. He will lead the OBA’s 17-member Board of Governors, which meets monthly and governs the association.
D. Kenyon Williams Jr. of Tulsa will serve as president-elect for 2024, and Amber Peckio Garrett of Tulsa will serve as vice president. Kay and Noble County district attorney Brian T. Hermanson, who served as the 2023 OBA president, will remain on the Board of Governors for one year as the immediate past president.
Also elected to the OBA Board of Governors to represent their respective Supreme Court judicial districts are William Ladd Oldfield of Ponca City, Philip D. Hixon of Tulsa and Chad Alexander Locke of Muskogee. They will serve three-year terms. Jeffery D. Trevillion Jr. of Oklahoma City will also serve a three-year term as a member at large. Laura Talbert of Oklahoma City will serve a one-year term as OBA Young Lawyers Division chairperson.
New officers and Board of Governors members will take office Jan. 1, 2024. They will officially be sworn into office Jan. 19, 2024. OBA leadership roles are voluntary positions in which lawyers serve while continuing to practice law.
"A member of the United States military, upon completion of his or her required term of service, is entitled to draw retired pay. Federal law allows the states to treat 'disposable retired or retainer pay either as property of the member or as property of the member and his spouse in accordance with the law of the jurisdiction of such court' under the Uniformed Services Former Spouses Protection Act. Oklahoma has, in turn, squarely decided that military retired pay may be divided as marital property in a divorce action. When the division is handled in an offhand manner, such as stating in the decree that, 'Wife is awarded her marital share of the Husband’s military retirement to be divided by Qualified Domestic Relations Order,' or something similar to this will create a lot of problems. This abbreviated approach pushes all the hard work off to the task of drafting a retirement division order, as the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) will not divide the military retirement based on that language in the decree. In fact, such an approach is deficient in more ways than one and a poor way to handle the retired pay, which may start before the military member reaches 40 years old."
Member Dues Are Due
Member dues statements are available online. In an effort to save money and cut down on the cost of printing and postage, the OBA Membership Department has posted member dues statements online in MyOKBar. As a follow-up, a paper statement will be mailed around the first of December to members who have not yet paid. Please help the OBA in this effort by paying your dues today! Members can pay their dues by credit card online at MyOKBar or by mailing a check to the OBA Dues Lockbox, P.O. Box 960101, Oklahoma City, OK 73196. Dues are due Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024.
Submissions are now being accepted for numerous themed topics for the 2024 issues of the Oklahoma Bar Journal. Editors are recruiting authors to write articles in the areas of Indian law, natural resources law and real property. Submission information is available online, and the editorial calendar will connect you with the specific editor for each topic. Contact OBA Communications Director Lori Rasmussen with questions.
Featured CLE
ABA TECHSHOW 2024 – The Best Place to Learn About Legal Tech Innovations
By OBA Practice Management Advisor Julie Bays
As a legal professional, you should understand the importance of staying up-to-date with the latest technologies in your field. That’s why I’m excited to invite you to ABA TECHSHOW 2024 – the premier legal technology event of the year!
ABA TECHSHOW will take place Feb. 14-17, 2024, at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. As a member of the OBA family, you are entitled to an exclusive discount code EP2403 that will allow you to save $100 on your registration fees.
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As a co-vice chair of ABA TECHSHOW, I am excited to invite you to join us for four days of legal tech magic at ABA TECHSHOW 2024! Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to connect with experts, network with peers and discover the latest innovations to take your law practice to the next level. Visit www.techshow.com for more information and register today.
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.