Vol. 5 No. 41 | Oct. 8, 2025
Courts
- 2025 OK 65: BEVERLY THOMPSON, Next Friend of CHARLENE HUGHES, an Individual v. HEARTWAY CORPORATION
- 2025 OK 66: STATE OF OKLAHOMA ex rel OBA v. ZAHL
- 2025 OK 67: STATE OF OKLAHOMA ex rel OBA v. LOVELL
- 2025 OK 68: WHITE AND WADDELL v. STITT
- 2025 OK 69: OKLAHOMA ex rel. STATE BOARD OF EXAMINERS OF CERTIFIED COURTROOM INTERPRETERS v. ALVARADO
- 2025 OK CR 16: BU v. STATE
- 2025 OK CR 17: BU v. STATE
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
On Thursday, Oct. 2, new bar members took their Oath of Attorney at St. Luke's Methodist Church in Oklahoma City. The oath was administered by Chief Justice Dustin P. Rowe. More than 250 new attorneys were among a group who passed the bar exam this past July. Following the swearing-in, individuals signed the roll of attorneys before joining their friends and families for photos. The Oklahoma Bar Association is proud to welcome this group of new attorney members!
The OBA encourages these new attorney members (and all members sworn in for the first time within the last 10 years) to get involved with the Young Lawyers Division. All members of the Oklahoma Bar Association in good standing who were first admitted to the practice of law in the past 10 years are automatically YLD members, regardless of age.
The voting period for 2026 YLD leadership opened Oct. 3. A contested election is being held for the secretary position. Be sure to check your email for your ballot and cast your vote. Election results will be announced at the Young Lawyers Division November meeting to be held in conjunction with the OBA Annual Meeting in Oklahoma City Nov. 6-7 at the Sheraton Oklahoma City Downtown Hotel.
"Understanding the intricacies of immigration court proceedings is essential for immigration attorneys representing clients in Oklahoma, a state with a growing immigrant population. This article aims to demystify the two primary types of hearings in immigration court – master calendar hearings and individual hearings – and provide practical insights for practitioners whose clients' cases are assigned to courts outside Oklahoma, primarily the Dallas Immigration Court."
"I want to begin with a simple observation: In the legal profession, our tools are words, our word is our bond, and our currency is trust.
But the way we wield those tools – the tone we choose, the respect we show, the spirit with which we engage – often determines whether our work builds bridges or burns them.
Civility, professionalism, and collaboration are sometimes dismissed as “soft skills.” But, in reality, they are vital for success. They allow us to get more done, with fewer wasted motions – and with reputations intact."
Pursuant to Article VII, Section 1 of the Rules Creating and Controlling the Oklahoma Bar Association, Amber Peckio, president-elect and Budget Committee chairperson, has set a public hearing on the 2026 Oklahoma Bar Association budget for 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 14, at the Oklahoma Bar Center, 1901 N. Lincoln Blvd., in Oklahoma City. Budget details are available online.
The purpose of the OBA is to engage in those activities enumerated in the Rules Creating and Controlling the Oklahoma Bar Association (the “Rules”) and the OBA Bylaws (the “Bylaws”). The expenditure of funds by the OBA is limited both as set forth in the Rules and Bylaws and by OBA policy in compliance with Keller v. State Bar of California, 496 U.S. 1 (1990). If any member feels that any actual or proposed expenditure is not within such purposes of, or limitations on the OBA, then such member may object by following the procedures set forth at www.okbar.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/OBA_KellerPolicy_March-2020.pdf
In accordance with the Keller policy, an independent auditor will review and certify the “opt out” amount for legislative activity. That will be reflected on the annual dues statement, and the certification and pro rata calculation will be listed at MyOKBar prior to the budget hearing.
Featured CLE
By OBA Management Assistance Program Director Julie Bays
Thinking about opening your own firm or giving your practice a fresh start? Join us on Tuesday, Oct. 21, for Launching Your Law Practice: A Hands-On Workshop. This free, one-day program is designed to help you build a solid foundation for your practice, whether you are brand new to law or just ready to retool how you work.
You will be learning from some of the best. Kenton Brice, director of the OU Law Library and associate professor of law, will kick things off by showing you how to design a client-centered law firm from the ground up. Then, Sean Harrington, OU’s director of technology and innovation, will demonstrate how AI prompting can streamline your research, drafting and everyday workflows.
Phil Fraim, president and CEO of Oklahoma Attorneys Mutual Insurance Co. (OAMIC), will cover the essentials of malpractice insurance and risk management. Later in the day, Katie Ogden from the OBA Office of the General Counsel will join me for a hands-on trust accounting workshop. Together, we’ll walk you through reconciliation and help you build confidence with client funds.
We will wrap up with a business planning lab, where you can pull all of the day’s lessons together and begin drafting your own blueprint for success. It is practical, interactive and built to send you home with real tools you can put into practice. Breakfast and lunch are included, thanks to our sponsor, OAMIC.
Registration is required. Reserve your spot by contacting Nickie Day at 405-416-7050 or by email at nickied@okbar.org.
This is a fun, fast-moving day full of practical ideas you can put to work right away. If you are launching, relaunching or just need a boost, we would love to see you there.
The Oklahoma Bar Journal is a publication of the Oklahoma Bar Association. All rights reserved. Copyright© 2025 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.