Professionalism
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TULSA LAWYER
In this Issue
A Message from
Jim Milton 2019-2020 TCBA President
Golden Rule Award 1st Quarter
January 2020
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Join the YLD for Bowling!
6
Trial Preparation for Paralegals By Bobbye Meisenheimer, ACP
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Judicial Dinner 2020 Make your reservations!
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Holiday Challenge - Exceeding Expectations Natalie Sears, Chair
10 Judicial Profiles: Julie Doss, Special Judge 14 Getting to the Root of Professionalism Rick White and Joe Fears 16 Lynn Miller Law Day Book Club Schedule Judge Martha Rupp Carter 18 Judicial Dinner Sponsorships Available
Judge Dawn Moody TCBA Bar Center New Hours Effective January 2, 2020 9am-5pm Monday - Friday
MLK Day - Come March with the Diversity Committee
19 Snacks Make Everything Better 20 A Win or a Loss: Your Voice and Body Language Can Give You a Competitive Edge Rena Cook 22 Lawyers Fighting Hunger 24 TCBA's Paralegal Section is Celebrating 10 Years! 25 Food Bank - Volunteers Making a Difference 26 Section News 27 Tulsa County Family Center for Juvenile Justice 28 CLE Video Replay Schedule 29 In Memory of... 30 Grapevine 31 Classifieds 32 TCBA Contacts
Tulsa Lawyer 1
A Message from the President
Jim Milton
What are Your Most Memorable Moments with the TCBA? Bar associations might change a great deal over the next fifty years. But I hope that the Tulsa County Bar Association maintains its importance to the practice of law in Tulsa and Northeast Oklahoma. Some at the legislature urge changes to the Oklahoma Bar Association, which is a mandatory association for lawyers. Litigation is pending challenging the OBA’s mandatory status. As a voluntary association, the TCBA is in a very different position. For over 115 years, the TCBA has depended on the willingness of Tulsa attorneys to join, pay dues, and become involved. We have had the benefit of a great number of members and volunteers over the years whose passion for the Association have benefited all attorneys in Tulsa and Northeast Oklahoma. The way I see it, if we keep doing that, and always question whether we are doing it right, then the TCBA will maintain its relevance to our community.
1998, when I attended a continuing education seminar at the Tulsa County Bar Association. Justice Marian P. Opala was the speaker. His seminar was entitled Summary Relief. I was in my third year as an attorney. I had spent a great deal of my first three years studying the law of summary judgments in Oklahoma. For a young lawyer excited about the law, this seminar was a big deal.
I like to think that each of our members might have a story or two as to why they view the TCBA as an important part of the community. My story began in
1
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Years later, I wrote briefly about that seminar. My co-author Travis G. Cushman and I wrote an article for the Oklahoma Bar Journal regarding the Oklahoma Legislature’s enactment of 12 O.S. 2056, and its impact on summary judgment laws in Oklahoma.1 A portion of the article dealt with the history of summary adjudication in Oklahoma, and its tilt against summary judgment and in favor of going to trial where any evidence, even a scintilla of evidence, existed that would support the nonJames C. Milton & Travis G. Cushman, What Happens Now? Weighing Section 2056, the Federal Anderson Trilogy Standard and the State Constitutional Right to Trial, 84 Okla. Bar J. 2105 (2013).
movant’s claims or defenses. Justice Opala’s opinions -- dissenting, concurring, and majority -- were critical to understanding summary judgment law leading up to Section 2056’s enactment in 2009.
Opala in three decisions adopting at least a portion of Justice Opala’s rationale, including his reliance on the Oklahoma constitutional right to trial. In the years following, Oklahoma attorneys would find themselves frequently citing these three decisions Oklahoma law had always favored the -- Shamblin v. Beasley,4 Akin v. Missouri Pacific Railroad litigants’ right to trial. This doctrine lined up with the Co.5, and Polymer Fabricating, Inc. v. Employers Workers’ “any evidence” or “scintilla of evidence” doctrines Compensation Association. that existed in many other states. But once the U.S. For a young lawyer like myself (at the time), hearing Supreme Court adopted the Anderson trilogy in 1986, Justice Opala speak on summary judgment, making reference attorneys began urging Oklahoma courts to weigh the to a case that I had worked on and a brief that I had helped evidence and serve more as a gatekeeper regarding write, was an exciting and inspiring moment. For me, now, which cases deserved trial. Between 1986 and 1998, it is all the more inspiring because the moment took place attorneys were uncertain whether Oklahoma would at the Tulsa County Bar Association, in its assembly hall follow the Anderson Trilogy2 or stick with the any- downstairs. evidence approach. 6
As explained in the article mentioned above, “[t]he first clue as to the Oklahoma Supreme Court’s treatment of the Anderson trilogy came in the form of an unpublished order issued in 1997.” The unpublished order denied certiorari in an appeal where the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals had reversed a JNOV. I had worked on the case as a young associate. The defendants’ petition for writ of certiorari directly raised the issue of whether Oklahoma would follow the Anderson trilogy. The plaintiff’s response urged the Oklahoma Supreme Court to reject Anderson and instead uphold the Oklahoma constitutional right to trial. The unpublished order said nothing about its basis, but had the effect of upholding the right to trial. This was important, of course, to the parties in that case. But in 1998, we learned that the unpublished order was important for Oklahoma summary judgment law in general. At the seminar in Tulsa, Justice Opala explained his view of the significance of the denial of certiorari on summary adjudication in Oklahoma, making specific reference to the Oklahoma constitutional right to trial. 3
In the article, Mr. Cushman and I explained that two dissenting opinions issued in 1998 revealed Justice Opala’s rationale for rejecting the Anderson trilogy. These two dissenting opinions were included in Justice Opala’s seminar materials presented at the TCBA in 1998. Later, by the end of 1998, a majority of the Oklahoma Supreme Court joined with Justice 2
My hope is that each of our members experience excitement or inspiration through participating in TCBA events and activities. My experiences tend to be a little more on the side of academics, and those who know me see that as no surprise. I enjoy reading and writing, so hearing a speaker on a topic that I have read about and written about can be a great thrill. As a trial lawyer, I also find excitement in hearing from other trial lawyers detailing their techniques or successes. I hope that each of the attorneys who attended the recent Litigation Section meeting, with Reggie Whitten as speaker, came away with memories that will impact their careers, practice of law, and love of the law. That is something that lawyers enjoy -- a good story about a turning point in litigation, or negotiating or closing a deal, or helping someone in great need. This love of the law, and of stories about the practice of law, pulls us together and forms the fabric of voluntary associations such as the TCBA. I would ask each of you to find a way to share your stories -- in an article, at a seminar, or at a social event.
Sincerely, Jim Milton TCBA President, 2019-2020 4
1998 OK 88, 967 P.2d 1200.
5
1998 OK 102, 977 P.2d 1040.
6
1988 OK 113, 980 P.2d 109.
Id. at 2017.
3 See Williams v. Tulsa Motels, 1998 OK 42, ¶ 19, 958 P.2d 1282, 1289-90 (Opala, J., dissenting); Weldon v. Dunn, 1998 OK 80, ¶ 15, 962 P.2d 1273, 1280-81 (Opala, J., dissenting).
Professionaism is not the job you do, it's how you do the job.
Golden Rule Award 1st Quarter
The Honorable Dawn Moody We are pleased to announce that the TCBA Nominations and Awards Committee has selected the Honorable Dawn Moody as its First Quarter Golden Rule Award recipient. Judge Moody was sworn in as a Tulsa County District Court Judge in January 2019, and served on the bench for 10 years immediately preceding as a Tulsa County Special Judge and Referee. Judge Moody has an amazing work ethic, and tirelessly strives to keep her docket moving. She serves our community with fairness, compassion, and honor. She and her family volunteer in several charitable organizations in the Tulsa metro area demonstrating her devotion to community service. Honest, reliable, fair, prepared, diligent, efficient, compassionate, and kind are just some of the superlatives that are frequently used to describe Judge Moody. She embodies the qualifications of the Golden Rule Award, and is someone who shines as a brilliant example of a noble jurist, most worthy of this prestigious honor. Congratulations, Judge Moody! This is well-deserved.
GOLDEN RULE 1: capitalized G&R : a rule of ethical conduct : do to others as you would have them do to you 2: a guiding principle
Award Criteria
The Golden Rule award is given to lawyers who make outstanding contributions to their profession and have the highest of ideals and are willlng to mentor to those with less experience. Criteria for Award: 1. Recognizes the ethical and professional obligations as an officer of the court as well as the spirit and intent of the Rules of Professional Conduct. 2. Practices ethically and honestly and is true to his/her word. 3. Strives for the traditional goals of moral excellence. 4. Exhibits the highest standards of fairness and integrity. 5. Sets a model example for conduct with members of the Bar and the Judiciary not only by words but more importantly by deeds.
6. Is civil, courteous and respectful towards the court and his/her opponents.
7 Is loyal to his/her client without trickery and deception and without using abusive practices or misleading the court or opposing counsel.
8 Avoids the temptation to make his/her client’s case into a personal vendetta. 9 Conducts himself/herself in a manner that improves the image of the legal profession in the eyes of the public.
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Bowling
season is just around the corner! Anyone who is interested in forming a team please contact Ephraim Alajaji (EAlajaji@Bokf.com) or Natalie Sears (nsears@ cordelllaw.com) by January 10, 2020
Tulsa Lawyer 5
Trial Preparation for Paralegals By Bobbye Meisenheimer, ACP A paralegal is faced with many challenges in his or her normal workload; however, preparing for trial can create a whole new set of obstacles. An efficient and organized paralegal, who has also learned to be flexible, is an invaluable member of a trial team as many attorneys can attest. At our November 5, 2019 paralegal section meeting, we had the privilege of gaining insight
into trial preparation by trial lawyer Shane Henry of Henry + Dow. Mr. Henry, a 2006 graduate of the University of Tulsa, College of Law, has been honored as an Oklahoma Super Lawyer, listed as one of the Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Family Law and Family Law Mediation, has an AV-Preeminent Rating by Martindale Hubbell, and is a certified Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Mr. Henry relies heavily on paralegals (or as he calls them “para-lawyers”) at his firm, who are also members of our paralegal section, Kathy Keener, Cindy Alexander, and Amy Cochran. He describes the purpose of a trial as connecting with a jury by presenting a story to them, and trial advocacy is part art and part science. An interesting aspect of his trial preparation is that he starts his cases with a theme, such as “AAA = Alcohol, Abuse and Attack,” “Actions Speak Louder Than Words,” “Easy Way Out,” and “Revenge.” He also creates chapters within his notebook related to “where are we going?” and “what do we need to get there?” and listing the sequence of events and documentation within the case that they have used to get there. He describes the role of paralegals during trial as dealing with clients; watching the judge or jury; keeping track of the exhibits and what has been offered or denied; witnesses that were admitted; and the creation of notecards. There are many systems that paralegals use in managing documents, facts, tasks and people while preparing for trial. Mr. Henry’s system works well in their firm and we appreciate him presenting it to us.
Thursday, January 9 Immigration Law presented by Marvin Lizama, Lizama Law (2nd Thursday due to New Years holiday) Thursday, February 6 10th Anniversary TCBA Paralegal Section Lunch Reception, James Milton, TCBA President, Guest Speaker Thursday, March 5 Medical Marijuana Law Updates presented by John Hickey, Hall Estill 6 Tulsa Lawyer
Platinum
s Filled
rship Sponso
2019 HOLIDAY CHALLENGE Natalie Sears, Chair Happy New Years! As we reflect on 2019 and ring in this new decade, I want to thank all who participated in the 2019 Holiday Challenge benefitting Family & Children’s Services. It was another successful year! We beat 2018 numbers, and Family & Children’s Services actually ran out of families to adopt out to us!! Another detailed report will be published in the next issues of the Tulsa Lawyer Magazine. However, I want to say a BIG THANK YOU to all who stepped up this and adopted families of ALL sizes!!!! Children & the Law Committee, Family of 3 – Team Leader: Natalie Sears GableGotwals, family of 4 – Team Leader: Doria Custer Rhodes, Hiernoymus, Jones, Tucker & Gable, Family of 4 – Team Leader: Alisa Henin Henry + Dow, Family of 4 – Team Leader: Kathy Keener
Secrest Hill Butler & Secrest, family of 6 – Team Leader: Jennifer Struble
Cordell & Cordell, Family of 3 – Team Leader: Natalie Sears
World Outreach Church, family of 7 – Team Leader: Honorable Ann Keele
Tulsa County 3 Floor Judges & Staff, family of 5 – Team Leader: Shana Grandstaff
½ Ls at TU Law, family of 3 – Team Leader: Markayla Hornung
TCBA Staff, family of 3 – Team Leader: Tami Williams
Franden | Farris | Quillin | Goodnight & Roberts, family of 6 – Team Leader: Jill Walker
rd
Robinett, Swartz & Aycock, family of 4 – Team Leader: Conni Werther The Fields Family (Rachel & Nolan Fields), family of 3 – Team Leader: Rachel Fields Sanders Law, family of 2 – Team Leader: Esther Sanders Jones, Gotcher & Bogan, family of 4 – Team Leader: Maren Lively TU Law 1Ls, family of 4 – Team Leader: Holly Hayes Steidley & Neal, family of 6 – Team Leader: Rachel Fields TU Student Bar Association, THREE families of 4 to 5 – Team Leader: Carter Fox TCBA Paralegal Section, family of 3 – Team Leader: Gloria Jones The Riter Family, family of 2 – Team Leader: Lizzie Riter The Bullock Family, family of 5 – Team Leader: Anne Sublett
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Riggs, Abney, Neal, Turpen, Orbison & Lewis, TWO large families of 6-7 – Team Leader: Kimberly Blunt Judge Jayne’s Girl Scout Group, family of 6 – Team Leader: Honorable Jodi Jayne Military Law Group, family of 3 – Team Leader: Chelsea Shields Conner & Winters, family of 6 Frederick Dorwart Lawyers, family of 4
Thank You!
For those of you who donated financially (*donations are not yet final), we cannot thank you enough: • • • • • • • • •
The Children & the Law Committee Steve Hale Jim Milton Sara Schmook, of the Schmook Law Firm Hall Estill Sheila Powers Ken Ray Underwood The Board of Directors of the TCBA Jonathan Wade
The funds raised will go to benefit the Santa Shop and adopt families in need next year, as well! The otal amount of cash raised for FCS is $1343 I would also like to say THANK you to Judge Keele’s sister for donating over 100 pairs of FITS wool socks to Family & Children’s Services to give back to those in need! Lastly, a special thank you to Dalesandro’s Italian Restaurant for their generous support, and to Ashley Webb and the TCBF Community Outreach Committee who coordinated the restaurant event. Again, a detailed report of all families that were adopted and all donations given to benefit this great cause will be in the next issue of the Tulsa Lawyer Magazine.Happy New Year!
Judicial Profiles:
Julie Doss Special Judge
By Michael P. Taubman
The Honorable Julie Doss was sworn into the position of Special Judge for the 14 Judicial District on March 4, 2019. Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Judge Doss graduated from Will Rogers High School in Tulsa. After marrying and starting a family, she began her studies in college. She holds degrees in American Sign Language, Paralegal Studies and Human Resource Management. While a single mother of 4 children, she worked as a paralegal to put herself through the University of Tulsa College of Law where she served as Articles Editor for the Law Journal before graduating Magna Cum Laude in 1999 with highest honors. th
Following law school, she spent three years handling civil cases at the law firm of Gable & Gotwals, before making a career move to become an Assistant District Attorney in Tulsa County. Doss prosecuted a variety of felonies after joining the DA’s office ultimately focusing on homicide prosecutions which she specialized in for most of her ADA career. During her time with the DA’s office, she also worked with the US Attorney’s Office as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney participating in grand juries and assisting with federal prosecutions. Before taking the bench in March 2019, Doss had served with the Tulsa Co. District Attorney’s office for 17 years. Judge Doss is married to her wonderful husband Scott Hendren and is so proud of her 4 children and 3 children-in-law, Jennifer Norris and her husband Sam, Gary Martin and his wife Kara, Kristin Martin, and Kayla Turney and her husband Brandon. She adores and may be known to spoil her 8 grandchildren, Aileen,
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Parker, Jase, Alyssa, Khloe, Riley, Kellan and Jax. She and Scott have a dog, Miles and two cats, Bowie and KiKi. You’ve been on the bench now for almost a whole year. How have you adjusted to the pace of being on the bench versus being in private practice? During my time as a prosecutor, the hours were extreme and the work load huge. That certainly prepared me for whatever this new job would entail. I have had a bit of a learning curve going from a criminal prosecution background to a family law and guardianship docket. I have spent a lot of time reading and getting myself prepared. I have enjoyed the challenge of learning something new and the pace, while very steady and busy, has been great. I am really enjoying my time on the bench and I am so lucky to have my clerk, Kacharra and my bailiff, Alex who have proven to be indispensable. How has the transition from private practice to the bench been for you? What qualities do you believe contribute most to managing the docket from the bench? As I stated above, I have enjoyed the challenge of learning a new area of the law. I think my time in the DA’s office which required time management skills as well as organizational skills has transferred nicely to a judgeship. Handling large dockets and many cases requires those same skills I used as an ADA. As a Judge I deal with a wide variety of people and situations and I
strive to do so in a timely and organized manner while inspired me and I am honored to serve in the courtroom that bears his name. treating all with respect and courtesy. You were at one time (maybe still are) the most experienced A.D.A. for handling death penalty cases. What area(s) of the practice of law do you find most interesting?
What goals do you hope to accomplish with your position as Special Judge? Is there a particular area / docket or community-based engagement you wish to pursue?
I proudly served the people of Tulsa County as a prosecutor for 17 years, most of those handling homicide cases which included death penalty cases. I truly enjoyed being a voice for those that had been silenced by violence. My heart is in service. So I am now so thankful to be able to continue to serve the people of Tulsa County as a Special Judge. I enjoy a challenge so, while criminal law is my background, I am enjoying learning new areas of the law.
My goal as a Special Judge is to do what is asked of me with honor and distinction. I want to insure that the people of Tulsa County have timely access to the courts of our county and that they are treated with respect, courtesy and compassion. I will continue to strive to be efficient and timely in my decision making. Everyone needs down time, how do you relax when you’re not working?
In addition to my husband, I am blessed with four children, wonderful children-in-law and 8 precious grandchildren. I cherish time spent with them. My Since I graduated from law school in 1999, I have had children are truly my greatest accomplishment and the honor of working with some of the best attorneys in I am in awe daily at the fantastic people they have Tulsa County. Each of them has inspired me in some become. Spending time with my family is something way. Honor, integrity, honesty, dedication and work I always need and love. I also love to travel and hope ethic have been instilled in me by many people. The to do more. late Judge Carlos Chappelle always told me that if justice remained my goal I would be successful. He Who or what inspires you most to continue in the pursuit of justice?
American Bar Association CLE Webinar
Equine Law:
Liability, Contracts, and Risk Management for Lawyers Presented by: ABA Solo, Small Firm and General Practice Division
Tulsa County Bar Foundation & Tulsa County Bar Association
Annual Charity Golf Tournament
Monday~May 4, 2020 Kick off planning meeting will be held Wednesday, January 8, 2020 Contact Pat Mensching for details. pmensching@dsda.com
Co-Sponsors: Tulsa County Bar Association, San Diego County Bar Association, ABA Section of Dispute Resolution Date: Tuesday, January 14, 2020 Time: 1:00 – 2:00 PM ET Speaker: Julie Fershtman, Foster Swift, Southfield, MI Moderator: Thomas Urquhart, Holly Springs, NC Saddle up with this program to explore common liability and contract issues in Equine Law. You will learn: • Equine-related liability claims and defenses, common-law and statutory • Common as well as unique elements of equine-related contracts, including boarding contracts, leases, and sales agreements as well as how state statutes (equine liability acts and seller disclosure laws) can impact language within these contracts • Important elements of risk management strategies such as waivers/releases and insurance coverage to help you better assist your clients in avoiding liability As a member of a co-sponsoring entity, a discounted registration rate is available (save up to $75 for non-ABA members) by including code EQUINE75 when you register today! More information about the program may be found here. Tulsa Lawyer 13
Getting to the Root of Professionalism By Rick White and Joe Fears of Barber & Bartz The topic of "professionalism" has been a subject of much writing and lecturing in our profession during recent years. Although professionalism has many aspects (specialized knowledge and training, competency, integrity, accountability, self-regulation, performance under pressure), in the field of litigation, where I practice, I see the term often associated with those of "civility" and "integrity". It seems that the increased emphasis on promoting civility and integrity has been caused by the concern that these virtues are so often lacking in the way members of our profession behave in the stress of judicial combat. What is the cause of uncivility and lack of integrity among attorneys? Why do attorneys sometimes act in nasty ways? Certainly there are some attorneys (as in all other professions) that are just nasty people, but I think those are in the small minority. Rather, I think that the temptation to act in an unprofessional manner more often arises from the perception that it is effective. In other words, people think that being uncivil works. "Nice guys finish last." So we convince ourselves, for instance, that it is not sufficient just to point out that opposing counsel is mistaken in his or her interpretation of governing case authority, but we must inform the Court that counsel is obviously intentionally misstating the law. Or we fight to resist discovery of even clearly relevant and discoverable material. Or we respond to every action of opposing counsel with a threat to seek 14 Tulsa Lawyer
sanctions. Or we verbally abuse opposing counsel in our communications (one lawyer called an attorney in our firm "pathetic" and ridiculed a physical disability). We whitewash this behavior by calling it "zealous advocacy" and justify it to ourselves because we are fighting for our client's rights. I actually think that we deceive ourselves when we think that such behavior is essential to victory. But even when it begins to appear so, I think of Sir Thomas More, the protagonist of Robert Bolt's play A Man for All Seasons. More was a lawyer whose abilities propelled him into the halls of power in sixteenthcentury England. Here he is surrounded by people of various ranks who are all out to win: King Henry VIII, who is seeking to divorce his queen so he can marry his mistress; Cardinal Wolsey, whose career depends upon his obtaining a papal dispensation for the King's divorce; Thomas Cromwell, the ladder-climbing bully who will do whatever it takes to rise to power; Richard Rich, as ambitious as the rest but lacking in force of personality, who ultimately perjures himself in exchange for a second-rate governmental office; and all the churchmen and nobles who "knuckle under" to the King in order to preserve themselves and the "peace of the realm". And there is a many-faced character whom Bolt called the "Common Man" who advises the audience throughout the play that the way to get along is to not make trouble.
Among the pull-and-tug of these forceful characters, More finds himself required to swear to an Act of Parliament that would violate his conscience. Although he is determined to "do none harm, say none harm, and think none harm", he cannot find it within himself to take the required oath, even when his friends and family urge him to be "reasonable" about it. For this, he is imprisoned, and eventually executed for high treason based on perjured testimony. At one point, Cardinal Wolsey argues to More that the measures he is pursuing, even though perhaps "regrettable", are necessary for the good of the realm, and asks how More can obstruct that policy for the sake of his "private conscience". More replies: "I think that when statesmen forsake their own private conscience for the sake of their public duties, they lead their country by a short route to chaos." Thomas More's principles of conscience were derived from his religion. Our principles of professional conscience, as attorneys, are derived from long-standing traditions of civility and integrity, embodied not only in our Rules of Professional Responsibility, but in "aspirational" documents such as the Lawyers' Creed and the OBA Standards of Professionalism. More’s temptation to abandon his principles came from political pressures, and eventually from threats to his liberty and life. Our temptations come from the pressures of an adversary system and the drive to win and to please clients. And yet there is a better way.
Are you interested in contributing to
Tulsa Lawyer Magazine? Contact mptaubman @taubmanlawoffice.com or tulsabarnews@yahoo.com
I once knew an attorney of considerable trial skill who once was reviewing a file of his client's documents in preparation for responding to a request for production. He found himself staring down at a paper in the file that arguably proved that his client had done what it was accused of doing. The client had long since forgotten this document and in those pre-digital days there was no one else in the entire world that would ever know the better if he just wadded it up and threw it in the wastebasket. He also knew that if the other side got their hands on the document it would be blown up and shown to the jury as Plaintiffs Exhibit "l ".
He produced the document.
I would love to say that virtue was rewarded and he went on to win the case. But he didn't. The document was indeed paraded to the jury and his client lost. But that portion of his soul remained intact. On this occasion, at least, he was a "man for all seasons" and a professional lawyer.
Richard D. White, Jr. is a graduate of the University of Tulsa School of Law. He is the current Professionalism Chair of the Tulsa County Bar Association and a shareholder in the firm of Barber & Bartz, P.C. He has served as a member of the TCBA Board of Directors and the TCBA Executive Committee in the offices of Secretary, Treasurer and Budget Chair. Joe M. Fears is a shareholder and director of Barber & Bartz. P.C. He received his J.D. in 1980 from Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California. Returning to Oklahoma he has practiced in the field of general civil litigation. For the last fifteen years, he has concentrated in the field of legal research and writing, appellate practice, and Native American law. Tulsa Lawyer 15
Lynn Miller Law Day Book Club Schedule Set
The 2020 Law Day theme, "Your Vote, Your JUDGE MARTHA RUPP CARTER Voice, Our Democracy: The 19th Amendment at 100," Martha Rupp Carter is will be celebrated by a number of events including the a District Judge serving as Lynn Miller Law Day Book Club. Four book club Chief of the Juvenile Division discussions are scheduled beginning in January and of the Tulsa County District concluding in May. Court. She is co-chair of the Discussion leaders have selected books that will Law Day Committee and be discussed on the dates listed below. Registration is former Tulsa County Bar limited to TCBA members and one guest per member Association President. with a limit of fifteen participants per session. Members may register for any one or more sessions. To register, email Judge Martha Rupp Carter at martha.carter@ oscn.net JUDGE JANE P. WISEMAN Sessions will start at 5:30 or 6:00 p.m. The The Honorable Jane P. specific time and location of the session will be provided Wiseman is the Chief Judge of in the registration confirmation. the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals in Tulsa, Oklahoma. January 14, 2020 She has a B.A. degree in American History from Cornell The Women’s Hour, The Great Fight to Win the University, an M.A. degree Vote in American History from the by Elaine Weiss University of North Carolina at Discussion Leader: Judge Martha Rupp Carter Chapel Hill, and her J.D. degree from the University of Tulsa College of Law. February 6, 2020 She clerked, interned, and practiced as an associate Where the Crawdads Sing with Rosenstein, Fist & Ringold in Tulsa, was appointed by Delia Owens a Special Judge for Tulsa County, and then appointed a Discussion Leader: Judge Jane Wiseman Tulsa County District Judge where she was assigned first to the Family Division and then to the Civil Division. In March 12, 2020 Conviction: The Murder Trial That Powered March 2005, she was appointed to the Court of Civil Appeals in Tulsa by Governor Brad Henry. Thurgood Marshall’s Fight for Civil Rights She has served on the OBA Professionalism and by Denver Nicks and John Nicks Evidence Committees and on the OBA Special Task Discussion Leader: Denver Nicks & John Nicks Force on Tort Reform. She serves actively on the Tulsa County Bar Association’s Awards & Nominations and April 19, 2020 Bench & Bar Committees and as a CLE presenter. Education by Tara Westover Judge Wiseman currently serves on the Oklahoma Discussion Leader: Morgan Smith Judicial Conference Executive Board. She has served on the faculty of the National Judicial College in May 5, 2020 The Second Founding: How the Civil War and Reno, Nevada, and has taught case management for the National Judicial College and for the American Reconstruction Remade the Constitution Academy of Judicial Education. by Eric Foner She is married to Jim Hodges and has two sons, Discussion leader: Robert Spoo Jamie and John, and two grandchildren, Grace and William.
JOHN NICKS
John Nicks attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point 1970-1972 and the University of Oklahoma graduating with B.S. and M.S. in Industrial Engineering in 1976. He is a 1980 graduate of the University of Oklahoma College of Law and has been practicing law in Tulsa for 39 years. He represented the plaintiff in a “voting rights” case in 1992, successfully causing the State of Oklahoma to change the way district judges are elected, to make it more likely that African-American lawyers can be elected District Judge. He has litigated other civil rights cases over the years but now practices primarily in the area of oil and gas law. DENVER NICKS Denver Nicks is an awardwinning journalist, producer and an incorrigible traveler. He's the author of three books, Hot Sauce Nation: America's Burning Obsession; PRIVATE: Bradley Manning, WikiLeaks, and the Biggest Exposure of Official Secrets in American History; and CONVICTION: The Murder Trial That Powered Thurgood Marshall's Fight for Civil Rights. A former staff writer for TIME and an alum of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, he is a contributor to National Geographic Travel, Rolling Stone, Uproxx, and other publications. He is currently a law student at Tulane, in New Orleans.
2020 LAW DAY
“Your Vote, Your Voice, Our Democracy: The 19th Amendment at 100”
MORGAN SMITH
Court since April 2019.
Ms. Smith joined Jones, Gotcher & Bogan as an extern in May 2018, and as an associate attorney in April 2019. Ms. Smith obtained a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Oklahoma State University, and earned her law degree from University of Tulsa. Ms. Smith has been licensed to practice law by the Oklahoma Supreme
ROBERT SPOO
Robert Spoo is Chapman Professor at The University of Tulsa College of Law, where he teaches Constitutional law, copyright law, contracts, law and literature, and other subjects. He received his Ph.D. from Princeton University and his J.D. from the Yale Law School. After serving as a judicial clerk for the Honorable Sonia Sotomayor when she was a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, Bob was an attorney with law firms in New York, San Francisco, and Tulsa. He is consistently listed among Best Lawyers®, and has been named a Tulsa “Lawyer of the Year” for 2014, 2018, and 2020. He is Of Counsel with McAfee & Taft.Formerly the editor of the James Joyce Quarterly and a tenured member of the English Department at the University of Tulsa, Bob has published extensively on modern authors, law and literature, and copyrights and the public domain. His recent articles have appeared in the Stanford Law Review, UCLA Law Review, Law & Literature, and the James Joyce Quarterly. His book Without Copyrights: Piracy, Publishing, and the Public Domain (Oxford University Press, 2013) was enthusiastically reviewed in The Nation; London Times Literary Supplement; Paris Review Daily; American Historical Review; Critical Inquiry; and other venues. In 2016, Bob was awarded a Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship in the Humanities. His book Modernism and the Law, prepared during his Guggenheim year, was published in August 2018 by Bloomsbury Academic.
Tulsa Lawyer 17
Thank You
PLATINUM SPONSORS for the Judicial Dinner!
Graves McLain DUI Guy/Khalaf Law Firm GableGotwals
Judicial Dinner 2020
The Tulsa County Bar will host a special celebration for the Honorable William LaFortune, Presiding District Court Judge for Tulsa County and the Tulsa County Judicial Members. This dinner serves as a fundraiser for support of the Tulsa County Judiciary. Proceeds from the dinner are made available to the Judiciary for much needed equipment and repairs that could otherwise not be addressed in the limited budget the court receives from the State.
TCBA MEMBERS - $90 Individual or $160 Couple Non Members - $150 Individual or $300 Couple
SPONSORSHIPS AVAILABLE Platinum = Full as of 12/16/19
Gold = $3,000.00 Silver= $1750.00
Contact Tami Williams at tamiw@ tulsabar.com or 918-584-5243, ext. 1002 to confirm your sponsorship now!
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Parade
20/20 Vision: The Dream Seen Clearly
Please join the TCBA Diversity Committee Monday, January 20th to walk in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Parade!
Contact Tami Williams at tamiw@tulsabar.com or 918-584-5243 ext. 1002 for marching details and how you can be a part of this day!
Snacks Make Everything Better!
Food was provided for 9 days of finals for University of Tulsa Law School students. Firms participating were Hall Estill, McAfee & Taft, Richards & Connor, Doerner Saunders Daniel & Anderson, GableGotwals, Pray Walker, and Frederic Dorwart Lawyers. The Professional Development Office and the Mabee Legal Information Center at the law school also provided food on two of the days. Rachel L. Baker, Associate Dean, Director of Professional Development said, "The students have LOVED having this, and have continuously expressed their gratitude. It has been a HUGE SUCCESS!!!"
Tulsa Lawyer 19
A Win or a Loss:
Your Voice and Body Language Can Give You a Competitive Edge By Rena Cook Even in the finest law schools across the country, there are few classes on effective communication. A good deal of time is spent learning what to say, but very little on how to say it. Unless a litigator is a naturally gifted storyteller who instinctively knows how to keep an audience attentive, many attorneys don’t know how to use voice and body language to win the jury’s favor. When so much is at stake, the very real edge that strong presentation skills offer can make the difference between a win or a loss. The attorney that is comfortable, and confident, who uses the voice in expressive ways, making a connection with the jury is very likely to have an advantage over the less expressive one. People form judgements about us the moment we open our mouths, and juries are no different. Voice quality can draw a jury in or push them away. A warm, authentic, intelligible, compelling voice will typically get a jury on your side. Problems arise if vocal quality is strident, harsh or nasally. It could be words are not clear, or volume is too low or too high, the rate is too slow or too fast. It could be that body language and gesture obscures your message, or a regional accent is confusing the listener or drawing attention away from your message. Whatever the communication issue, you can eliminate the barriers to clarity. In this first of two articles about compelling story telling, we will talk
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specifically about the voice. You don’t have to be stuck with the voice you think you were born with. By learning a few basics about how the voice works and that, through practice, you can make substantial changes in how you sound and how a jury responds to you. I want to first acknowledge just how challenging your job is. You must get the jury on your side. You must engage, impress, and convince them. You want to make them feel fear, empathy, sadness, grief, or outrage. This is not easy – for anyone. You will spend multiple hours and many days researching, writing, constructing and even rehearsing your argument in order to insure success. Most of you will just hope that your voice comes along for the ride and does what it needs to do. Think about the best litigators you have seen and heard – the litigator form heaven. What about their voice makes them expressive and compelling? What I typically hear in response to this question is strong volume, clear and articulate words, warm and confident quality, vocal variety and strength with ease. The expressive voice is an integration of a number of systems in the body that work together. Each system can be trained to perform at a higher level. Baring accident or extreme illness, we all have the same equipment for powerful and clear speech.
Let’s look at the component parts of the voice: the body, the breath, the resonators and the articulators. Our body can suppress or release the voice by how much tension it carries with it. Expressive speakers know that releasing habitual tension is the first step. Tension anywhere in the body murders voice. Tension in the head, neck, shoulders, rib cage, hips, knees and feet radiates to the vocal folds and dampens the voice. A small, high voice is caused by tension; a constricted husky sound is caused by tension. Mumbled and mushy voices are caused by tension. Stretching and shaking major body bits can release habitual tension that we don’t even know is there. Isolation of body parts is a simple release exercise that relaxes and energizes the body. Start with the feet, put a circle in each ankle and then shakes out the foot. Soften the knees; locked knees will destroy ease and presence as well as block deep central breathing. Put a circle in your hips, like the hula hoop days of your youth. Stretch each rib cage. Move your shoulders in a circle. Gently release your head and neck. Breath is the power source of the voice. As a matter of fact, breath is breath. What you hear and recognize as human speech is breath that moves out the lungs past the vocal folds, which vibrate against the breath flow hundreds of times per second. If you don’t have enough breath, you don’t have powerful, energized sound. There are a number of specific exercises that can help a speaker learn how to breathe deeply, centrally and efficiently. I refer you to my book Empower your Voice: For Women in Business, Politics and Life. The resonators are the body’s natural amplifiers. Think of your mouth as your megaphone. If you mouth is small and tight, your voice will be small and tight. Massage the jaw hinge, clean the inside of your mouth with your tongue, do a big open mouth yawn. Intentionally make more space in our mouth and the voice will be louder and warmer. If you have been told that you can’t always be understood, it may be an articulation issue. For any number of reasons, our articulators may be lazy, we may leave out parts of words, final consonants. A helpful exercise is “every part of every word.” Practice your speech at a low volume and focus on saying every part of every word, each syllable, each vowel and each consonant. Then go back and just say it at your regular volume level. Once your mouth has intentionally done every sound, you will be much more articulate when you speak with ease.
The next time you are preparing for an opening or closing, follow this simple check list: • Release physical tension. • Ground your feet, soften your knees. • Connect to deep central breath. • Make space in your mouth. • Speak your words clearly. Back to our image of the litigator from heaven that we discussed earlier, they are comfortable in their own skin. If you follow the five steps above before you walk into the courtroom, you will be comfortable in your skin and your voice will be strong and compelling. For more tips like these and a deep dive into practice and coaching, look at the Expressive Litigator: Her Voice in Law Retreat on May 15-17, 2020, at Post Oak Lodge. Rena’s new book Her Voice in Law, co-written with Laurie Koller, of Koller Trial Law, will be published in 2020 by the ABA.
About Rena Cook... Rena Cook is a Professor Emerita, TEDx speaker, author, voice, speech, confidence and presentation coach. She is the founder of Vocal Authority, a training consultancy serving corporate clients – attorneys, entrepreneurs, CEOs and sales personnel – who want to use their voice in more commanding and authentic ways. She is the author of Empower your Voice: For Women in Business, Politics and Life; and coming soon Her Voice in Law, published by the ABA, co-authored with Tulsa Bar member Laurie Koller. She has an MA in Voice Studies from London’s Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. www.myvocalauthority.com
Lawyers Fighting Hunger Continuing its Community Impact Lawyers Fighting Hunger held its 10th annual Live Local, Give Local Annual Thanksgiving Event distributing 1000 Turkeys and 25 food items to Tulsans on Saturday November 16. The event took place in the parking lot of the Blue Dome to 1000 pre-screened families. The event was hosted by Blue Dome owners Chris and Jo Armstrong who have continued to support and highlight since purchasing the Blue Dome property In addition to a turkey, each family was provided with a reusable grocery bag and will filled with 25 other items to complete their Thanksgiving meal. The reusable bags were provided by Bare Aesthetics in Broken Arrow. RUB BBQ Food Truck was onsite handing out 1000 smoked pulled pork sandwiches and Cool Ray Coffee Truck provided hot chocolate to those who attended, warming their hearts and body! A combined effort between the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, Emergency Infant Services, Iron Gate and Lawyers Fighting Hunger, Live Local, Give Local empowers donors to support local organizations providing help and hope in the fight against hunger in the Tulsa area. Other organizations Lawyers Fighting Hunger has partnered with to screen and provide the meals to their families include EduRec, Women in Recovery, Community Service Counsel Vet Programs, Women in Recovery, DVIS, the VA, Life Senior Services, Youth Services, Community Service Counsel and many more. Emergency Infant Services provided diapers to families with children. Free toothpaste, toothbrushes, and floss were also given out courtesy of Tulsa Modern Dental and On the Cusp Dental. Thanks to Three Oaks Animal Behavior, dog and cat food was also distributed for those who have dogs and cats. We had over 60 volunteers from various law firms, businesses, and organizations show up making it go off perfectly including Judges Morrisey and Ludi-Leitch. The faces of hunger are increasing and we are seeing more of the working poor, grandparents raising their grandchildren on a fixed budget, disabled vets trying to survive on their disability benefits, and families who have three and four jobs just to cover the basic essentials of shelter and medicine. While this event will not end hunger, it is doing a small part to short that those who live in our community can reach out and help those in our community who need it most with the most fundamental of needs—food. This event wouldn’t be possible without the support from over 100 Tulsa area lawyers, the Tulsa County Bar Association, businesses and individual contributors including 22 Tulsa Lawyer
our platinum and gold sponsors Riggs Abney, Graves & McLain, New Wine and Grace Ministries, Sherwood, McCormick & Robert, and Laizure Law. Since its founding, Lawyers Fighting Hunger in Tulsa has distributed over 150,000 cans of food, 7175 turkeys, and over 20,000 pounds of ham.
By Hugh Roberts, Chair
All photo credits to Harold Dorsey. Do not reproduce without permission.
Join the TCBA Paralegal Section as they celebrate 10 years with the TCBA! Lunch Reception
Thursday, February 6, 2020 11:45 a.m. Tulsa County Bar Center 1446 South Boston
Guest Speaker: TCBA President, Jim Milton RSVP to frontdesk@ tulsabar.com b y Monday, Feb. 3rd
We would especially like to see paralegals, all the past officers and charter members join us! TCBA Bar Center
New Hours
Effective January 2, 2020 9am-5pm
Monday - Friday
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The Bar Center will be CLOSED: Wednesday, Jan. 1 - New Year's Day Friday, Jan. 3 - Staff Training Monday, Jan. 20 Martin Luther King Day
Food Bank-Volunteers Making a Difference
Fifteen volunteers from the Council Oak/JohnsonSontag American Inn of Court, the Civil Division of the District Attorney’s Office, and Oklahoma Bar Association’s Leadership Academy repackaged food at the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma the evening of December 4, 2019. They were part of a team of volunteers from various local organizations that processed the equivalent of 2,906 meals in two hours of work at the food bank. The volunteers processed 2,700 pounds of apples, taking 50 pound boxes, sorting out the rotten applies, and weighing them into five pound bags for distribution to the food bank’s 400 agencies who in turn distribute the produce to Oklahoman’s in need of food.Next, they took 400 pound totes of Fruity Lucky Charms cereal, sorted the cereal into two pound bags, sealed the bags, and boxed them for distribution to the food bank’s agencies.
OBA Leadership Academy Volunteers.
DA Food Bank Volunteers The volunteers processed a total of 3,488 pounds of food. The food bank equates a meal to 1.2 pounds, resulting in the 2,906 meals.
Great Job!!! Council Oak/Johnson-Sontag American Inn of Court
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@tulsabar
Tulsa Lawyer 25
Section News
Share what is happening with your section! Send updates, articles and photos to tulsabarnews@yahoo.com
TCBA Bankruptcy Section Paul Thomas, Bankruptcy Section Chair
Meeting Dates: January 16th March 19th May 21st July 16th
Family Law
Todd Alexander Family Law Section Chair
January 23, 2020 – Speaker: Dr. Daniel M. Stockley, PhD February 27, 2020 – Speaker: Julie Bushyhead, Esq. (OK-DHS) March 26, 2020 – Speakers: Linda Van Valkenburg, Counselor, MS, LPC, NCC -andJaime Vogt, MS, LPC All meetings are 12:00 (Noon) - 1:00 p.m. at the TCBA Center.
Mark Your Calendars 26 Tulsa Lawyer
Health Law Section Kristen Evans, Section Chair
The Tulsa County Bar Association’s Health Law Section would like your feedback. Please be on the lookout for an email survey. If you have ideas or would like to become involved, please contact Kristen Evans, Section Chair, at kevans@hallestill.com, or Whitney Dockrey Miller, Section Vice Chair, at wjdockrey@saintfrancis.com.
Tulsa County Family Center for Juvenile Justice Opens New Facility
On the evening of November 21, 2019, an open house was held at the new Tulsa County Family Center for Juvenile Justice. The FCJJ opened its courts to the public on Dec. 2nd at this $32 million facility in downtown Tulsa at 500 W. Archer. The FCJJ comprises a 151,000 square-foot facility, over four times the size of the old juvenile center, providing the juvenile courtrooms, new forensic interview rooms, training rooms, and offices for the District Attorney, DHS, councilors Public Defenders and juvenile contract attorneys. Children who are victims of neglect or abuse have classrooms to provide families access to theraJudge Fransein 60x48 acrylic on canvas by John Hammer at the FCJJ
pists and nurses, as well as play areas for kids. This new facility provides resources for children and families, in addition to those youths in juvenile detention. With the assistance of the Hardesty Family Foundation and the Tulsa County Bar Foundation, local artists John Hammer and Ben Trosper were commissioned to create the artwork adorning the public spaces inside. Tulsa County Commissioner Karen Keith, portrait artist John Hammer, and Michelle Hardesty, Exec. Dir. The Hardesty Family Foundation, present the unveiling of the Judge Doris Fransein portrait at the FCJJ.
Justice 60x48 acrylic on canvas by John Hammer at the FCJJ Former District Court Judge Doris Fransein after the unveiling of her portrait in the FCJJ
Animal artwork sponsored by Tulsa County Bar Faoundation
Tulsa Lawyer 27
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Act now before your time runs out!
Contact tamiw@tulsabar.com for more information
TCBA CLE VIDEO REPLAY SCHEDULE
John “Jack” Harold Santee It is with great sadness that we announce that John “Jack” Harold Santee passed away. Jack was born in Skiatook, Oklahoma in 1931, where he was raised before attending the University of Oklahoma on a football scholarship in 1949. His football career included one national championship as a player in 1950 and two national championships as a graduate assistant coach. Always in love with the law, Jack graduated from the University of Oklahoma School of Law in 1956. Jack joined the legal department at the National Bank of Tulsa, then served as a federal clerk to Royce H. Savage, U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Oklahoma. In 1958, Jack started his practice at the firm of Martin, Logan, Moyers, Martin & Hull, which later bore his name for many years (Moyers, Martin, Santee, Imel & Tetrick, LLP) and is now known as Moyers Martin LLP. During his career, Jack donated his time to coaching elementary, middle and high school football teams throughout the city.. While he could have rested on his laurels later in his career, Jack did not – instead, he continued to coach well past his 80th birthday, instilling in young men the value of hard work and the rewards that come with persistence. Many of these players contacted Jack years later to let him know how his teachings attributed to much of their success in their adult years. Jack served on the OU Board of Regents and acted as counsel for numerous business, academic and civic institutions in Tulsa. Jack was also the first
Board Chairman of Operation Aware, a drug prevention program which has equipped more than 300,000 young people in Northeast Oklahoma with resistance skills and prevention education. For all his exemplary acts, he was awarded the Neil Bogan Award by the Tulsa County Bar Association in 2007. Jack was a renaissance lawyer who personified the ethics of the profession. He received his 60 year pin in 2016 for six decades as a practicing lawyer in Oklahoma. Jack leaves behind a wife; two sons and a daughter along with their spouses, four grandchildren, and numerous other family and friends who will miss him dearly. Services for Jack were held at 11:00 am, Saturday, December 14, 2019, at Christ the King Catholic Church.
Advertising information available at www.tulsabar.com Tulsa Lawyer 29
Grapevine N e ws Metcalf
Spitler
Steven K Metcalf and William H. Spitler are pleased to announce the formation of Metcalf & Spitler, LLP. Mr. Metcalf and Mr. Spitler have a combined 50 years of experience serving the legal needs of clients in the construction industry and have practiced construction law and suretyship law together for 20 years. Metcalf and Spitler, LLP will continue applying the Firm’s extensive experience and expertise in providing fullservice construction law and construction litigation
representation to its clients throughout Oklahoma and surrounding states. While Mr. Metcalf and Mr. Spitler have each been selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers® in prior years, in 2020 they were each separately honored to be selected Best Lawyers® Lawyers of the Year in the areas of Construction Law (Mr. Metcalf) and Construction Litigation (Mr. Spitler) for the Tulsa area. Metcalf & Spitler, LLP is located at 20 East Fifth Street, Suite 410, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74103 and can be reached at 918.508.2870.
U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers® has awarded Crowe & Dunlevy the most Tier 1 rankings in Oklahoma for the 10th straight year. With 81 Metropolitan Tier 1 rankings in the publication’s 2020 report of Best Law Firms*, Crowe & Dunlevy has topped the Oklahoma list each year for a decade. In the publication’s 2020 Best Law Firms rankings, Crowe & Dunlevy received 61 Metropolitan Tier 1 rankings in Oklahoma City and 20 in Tulsa. The firm increased its Metropolitan Tier 1 rankings this year, adding Aviation Law and Bet-the-Company Litigation practices to the list. Additionally, the firm received eight Metropolitan Tier 2 rankings in Oklahoma City and five in Tulsa. The firm also received one Metropolitan Tier 3 ranking in Oklahoma City and one in Dallas/Fort Worth. In total, Crowe & Dunlevy received 96 tier rankings across the top three tiers. The rankings methodology is designed to capture the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical region and legal practice area. Rankings are based on a rigorous evaluation process that includes the collection of client and lawyer evaluations, peer review from leading attorneys and review of additional information provided by law firms as part of the formal submission process. *Crowe & Dunlevy has no input in the rating methodologies used by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers®.
Take on a Poetic Classified Ads Challenge! As part of a regular bi-monthly meeting, the Bankruptcy Section of the TCBA took part in a writing exercise inspired by a segment heard on NPR about sharing memories in the form of “I am from” statements that were then edited into the form of a poem. Here are a couple of examples from NPR’s resident poet Kwame Alexander:
Jon Starr
Mediator and Arbitrator Contact DRC for scheduling 918-382-0300
“I am from words and art and books” “I am from discipline and hard work; the sound of coins in a jar”
The idea behind doing the exercise during one our section meetings was to take a moment, break out of our common patterns of thinking at meetings – and reflect on memories that reveal something unique about where we are from – not just geographically, but emotionally---even spiritually. We found the resulting poem rich, deep, revealing, and even inspiring. So, the Bankruptcy Section of the TCBA would like to challenge all active sections of the TCBA to write their own “We are from” poem for publication in the Tulsa Lawyer. If you would like some help with the exercise and editing, feel free to contact Bankruptcy Section Chair, Paul Thomas at paul.thomas2@usdoj.gov or at (918) 581-6687.
" I am from..." " TWITTER, TWEET, RETWEET and the Twitter logo are trademarks of Twitter, Inc. or its affiliates. "
General legal office admin assistant available 24/7. Excellent oral and written communication skills. Experience with secretarial, databases, accounting, etc. Please call Brenda at 918/805-9110 or email 364osage@gmail.com.
It is a new year. What will you do with it? Tulsa Lawyer 31
2019 - 2020 TCBA CONTACTS, COMMITTEE & SECTION CHAIRS
www.tulsabar.com
PHONE: 918-584-5243 FAX: 918-592-0208 1446 South Boston, Tulsa, OK 74119-3612 Executive Director Greg Gordon gregg@tulsabar.com Ext. 1001 Operations Director
CLE, Sections & Committees
Tami Hensler Williams tamiw@tulsabar.com Ext. 1002
Front Desk Coordinator
Lawyer Referral, Golf Liaison, General Inquiries
Christy Bush frontdesk@tulsabar.com Ext. 1000
Accounting accounting@tulsabar.com
Tulsa Lawyer Editor - Michael Taubman mptaubman@taubmanlawoffice.com Associate Editor - Milly Dunlap Tulsa Lawyer Submissions - tulsabarnews@yahoo.com
TCBA OFFICERS
President................................................................ James C. Milton Past President......................................................... Hon. Ann Keele President-Elect................................................. K imberly K. Moore Vice President............................................................. Kara Vincent Secretary..................................................................... Natalie Sears Treasurer................................................................. Philip D. Hixon Budget/Internal Operations........................................ Mike Esmond Foundation President .................................................... Jim Hicks Director at Large (1) Large Firm................................. Philip Hixon Director at Large (2) Large Firm.......................... C. Austin Birney Director at Large (1) Medium Firm................................ Kara Pratt Director at Large (2) Medium Firm.................. Jennifer L. Struble Director at Large (1) Small Firm............................................. TBA Director at Large (2) Small Firm................................. Megan Beck Director at Large (2) Public Sector............... Hon. Linda Morrissey ABA Delegate............................................................. Molly Aspan OBA Delegate........................................................... Ken Williams Library Trustee (1)......................................................... Julie Evans Library Trustee (2)............................................ Trisha Linn Archer Presiding Judge ..................... Judge William J. Musseman, Jr.C.J., U.S. District Court .................................. Hon. John DowdellC.J., Tulsa Municipal Court............................. Hon. Gerald Hofmeister TU Law School.......................................................... Rachel Baker
FOUNDATION APPOINTMENTS
Law Day................................................... Hon. Martha Rupp Carter Law Day Co-Chair.........................................................Lizzie Riter Community Outreach................................................ Ashley Webb Golf Chair................................................................ Pat Mensching Scholarship Chair.................................................... Faith Orlowski Submission, Grapevine & AdvertisingVisit www.tulsabar.com Subscriptions to Tulsa Lawyer are available for $40.00 a year to those who are not Tulsa County Bar Association members or others who do not currently receive the publication. Contact Greg Gordon at 918-584-5243 Ext. 225.
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FOUNDATION
President...........................................................Christina M.Vaughn Vice President...............................................................Justin Munn Secretary................................................................................... TBD Treasurer/Budget......................................................... Philip Hixon Trustee/Capital Campaign Chair............................... Chad McLain Trustee.......................................................................... Jim Gotwals Trustee.................................................... Hon. Martha Rupp Carter Trustee....................................................................... Ken Williams Trustee............................................................. Zach Smith Trustee........................................................... Honorable Ann Keele President................................................................ Jim Milton TCBA Pres. Elect.................................................. Kimberly Moore
COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS
Animal Law..................................................... ..........Katy Inhofe Bench & Bar.................................................... ........... Vicki Cox Budget & Internal Operations.......................... .......Mike Esmond Children & the Law......................................... ........Stephen Hale Children & the Law Vice Chair....................... .......Natalie Sears CLE ................................................................. ..........Lizzie Riter Diversity Development.....................Hon. April Seibert & Ben Fu Fee Arbitration................................................. ...Tamera Childers Law Related Education.........................Hon. Robert LaFortune Lawyer Referral............................................... ......Cathy Hoopert Pro Bono ............................................................... Mac Finlayson Membership Services....................................................Kara Pratt Mentoring......................................................... .....Faith Orlowski Mentoring Co-chair.......................................... ........Randy Lewin Military/Veterans ............................................ Hon. David Guten Nominations & Awards.................................... ....Hon. Ann Keele Professionalism................................................ ...........Rick White Public Relations....................................................Steve Layman Social Media.........................................................Ephraim Alajaji Special Events..Co-Chairs.................Sabah Khalaf / Tim Rogers Tulsa Lawyer.................................................... Michael Taubman
SECTION CHAIRPERSONS
ADR/Mediation..........................................................Melissa Fell Bankruptcy....................................................... ........Paul Thomas Corporate.......................................................... Kevinn Matthews Criminal Law................................................... ........................ Employment Law............................................. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Energy & Mineral Law.................................... .......Ryan Pittman Family Law...................................................... ...Todd Alexander Health Law . .................................................... ..... Kristen Evans Health Law Vice Chair..................................... Whitney Dockrey Immigration Law Chai..................................... Whitney Webb Juvenile Law.................................................... ..Lizzie Riter Litigation Co-Chairs...............Robert Mitchener & Robert Winter Municipal Law................................................David Weatherford Paralegals/Legal Assistants.............................. .........Gloria Jones Paralegal /Legal Assistants Vice Chair............ Deborah Gresh Probate/Estate/Elder......................................... ...Catherine Welsh Solo/Small Firm............................................... ......Karen Wilkins Tax ......................................................... .....Ashlee Crouch Technology ...................................................... ............................ Workers Comp................................................. ............................ Young Lawyers................................................ ....Ephraim Alajaji * Section Chairs will be updated as positions are filled. Tulsa Lawyer is a monthly publication of the TCBA. The TCBA does not necessarily share or endorse the opinions expressed in the materials published. The views are those of thoughtful contributors. Similarly, advertising does not imply endorsement by the TCBA of products or services or any statements concerning them.
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“What the new year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the new year.” PRSRTD STD US POSTAGE PAID Pontiac, Illinois PERMIT# 592
- Vern McLellan, Author