Vol. 6 No. 38 | Sept. 23, 2026
Courts
Supreme Court of Oklahoma
Court of Criminal Appeals
No published opinions this week.
Court of Civil Appeals
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
Register Now for the Oct. 2 Women in Law Conference
The 2026 OBA Women in Law Conference and Mona Salyer Lambird Spotlight Awards Luncheon will be held Friday, Oct. 2, at the Petroleum Club of Oklahoma City. This year’s guest speaker is Helen Wan, a media and IP lawyer, author and educator. Register today – seating is limited!
New OBA Website is Now Live!
The OBA has launched a new website designed to make it easier for members to find the information, resources and services they need. The redesigned site features a more streamlined layout, improved navigation and a more user-friendly experience across desktop and mobile devices. Whether you’re looking for CLE opportunities, member benefits, section and committee information, news or professional resources, the new website makes it easier to find what you need.
The new website is part of the OBA’s effort to improve the online experience for members and make frequently used resources easier to access.
Animal Law | Why Oklahoma Should Care About USDA’s Pork Line-Speed Proposal
"After Upton Sinclair’s 1906 novel, The Jungle, exposed the brutality and unsanitary conditions of Chicago’s early 20th century meatpacking industry, public distrust of industrial slaughterhouses helped spur the passage of the Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA). More than a century later, regulators, advocacy groups, and the public are debating how fast the slaughter line can move before oversight itself begins struggling to keep pace. The current debate revolves around a pending USDA regulatory proposal that would accelerate the pace of modern pork slaughter while redefining the role federal inspectors play in keeping up with it."
Bar Foundation News | Oklahoma Bar Foundation Court Grants at Work
"Across Oklahoma, judges are confronting courtroom challenges that most people never realize exist. At least one district court is relying on a borrowed karaoke system for sound because it has no operating audio equipment; Some are using failing audio and video technology from the 1960s, requiring parts that can no longer be replaced; and others even lack an on-site court reporter. Requests to the Oklahoma Bar Foundation for grants to address these actual situations have been submitted by Oklahoma judges to deal with the daily realities facing them.
These requests speak to a broader infrastructure crisis that directly affects the administration of justice. Judges can’t move cases along swiftly and efficiently. Lawyers can’t take advantage of the technological advances in trial practice devices. Juries, witnesses, and the public can’t adequately view evidence or hear testimony."
Notice of Budget Hearing
Pursuant to Article VII, Section 1 of the Rules Creating and Controlling the Oklahoma Bar Association, Jana L. Knott, president-elect and Budget Committee chairperson, has set a public hearing on the 2027 Oklahoma Bar Association budget for 4 p.m., Monday, Oct. 12, 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 https://www.okbar.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/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
Don’t Automate the Human Connection with Clients
By OBA Management Assistance Program Director Julie Bays
A new survey caught my attention last week. According to research commissioned by LEX Reception and conducted by OnePoll, 89% of consumers said they would rather speak with a real person than AI when contacting a law firm. One-third said they would hang up if connected to AI.
A word of caution about those numbers: LEX Reception provides human receptionist services to law firms, so it obviously has an interest in the subject. Still, the survey included 6,000 respondents, and I think the larger point is worth considering.
Sometimes people just need to talk to another human being.
Think about someone making that first call to a lawyer. They may have been served with divorce papers, arrested, injured, lost a job or a parent or received a letter they do not understand. They may feel frightened, embarrassed, angry or overwhelmed. That first conversation is not merely an intake transaction.
The same principle applies after someone becomes a client. Technology can make communication more efficient. Appointment reminders, online scheduling, client portals, automated status notifications and electronic forms can all make a law practice easier for both the lawyer and the client.
There are times when the best thing a lawyer or staff member can do is pick up the phone, listen and let the client explain what is worrying them. A two-minute conversation may resolve something that would otherwise generate six emails. More importantly, it may reassure a client who simply needed to know that someone was paying attention.
Your staff matters here, too. The receptionist, legal assistant or paralegal who answers the telephone may create a client’s first impression of the entire firm. Courtesy, patience and empathy are not just nice qualities. They are part of good client service.
Law firms should use technology for the repetitive administrative work it handles well: sending appointment reminders, collecting routine information and scheduling meetings.
Then use the time it saves for the things people still do better. Listen. Explain. Reassure. Ask another question. Pay attention to what the client is really trying to tell you.
Those human interactions strengthen the lawyer-client relationship and can improve the quality of the legal services we provide.
The goal is not less technology, but more time for clients.
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.