Legislative Update & More
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 Tami Williams tamiw@tulsabar.com Ext. 1002
Front Desk Coordinator
Lawyer Referral, Golf Liaison, General Inquiries
Christy Bush frontdesk@tulsabar.com Ext. 1000
Membership Director CLE, Sections & Committees Lisa Laughrey Ext. 1001 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 Lisa Laughrey at llaughrey@tulsabar.com
" TWITTER, TWEET, RETWEET and the Twitter logo are trademarks of Twitter, Inc. or its affiliates. "
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.
2
TULSA LAWYER
In this Issue
A Message from
Jim Milton 2019-2020 TCBA President
March 2020
2
Legislative Update
9
Liberty Bell Award Nominations Sought
12 Section News - Schedules, Happy Hour New 13 Paralegal Celebrations
Pg 11
Candidate Filing/ Nominations Sought for the 2020-2021 TCBA Membership Year March 15th -March 30th
See page 7 for details.
Law Week Luncheon 2020 Friday May 1st
Keynote Speaker: Elaine Weiss
13 Magic City Books - Join Luncheon Speaker Elaine Weiss for a Book Signing! 16 2020 Judicial Dinner- A Night Like No Other The Honorable William D. LaFortune 18
Law Week Luncheon 2020 Friday - May 1st
19 New & Exciting - Bundled Sponsorship Opportunities with the TCBA 20 Individual Event Sponsor Opportunities 22 Law Week Book Club Update 23 Children & the Law Spring Event 24 Special CLE Event - April 9th 50 Shades of Energy Arbitration: Getting Your Mojo Back 25 VP's Corner: EARLY, LATE, OR RIGHT ON TIME Kara Vincent, TCBA Vice President 2019-2020 26 Annual Charity Golf Tournament Registration 27 Ask-a-Lawyer 2020 29 McKenna's Mot 30 In Memory of... 31 Grapevine 32 Classifieds
TCBA Bar Center Hours 9am-5pm Monday - Friday
Tulsa Lawyer 1
A Message from the President
Jim Milton
Legislative Summary This month’s column will focus on substantive issues that you may find interesting – a review of Oklahoma state legislation. In the first section, below, I will review some of the more notable bills introduced so far this session, at least from my perspective.
Title 12 There are a great number of bills introduced this year dealing with Title 12. Some of these bills deserve special attention.
Most important of these is SB0248, which is a carry-over bill from the 2019 legislative session. A similar bill was introduced in 2018 as SB0968. This bill would amend Section 2008 of Title 12, which deals with the general rules of pleading. Currently, a petition must include a “short and plain statement of the claim.” This is known as “notice pleading.” If the allegations in the petition, taken as true, would support The list of bills introduced in these titles is any theory of recovery, the pleading will be allowed to long. As a result, not all of these titles are addressed stand under this general rule. in the below report for 2020 proposed legislation. In Senate Bill 248 would require the petition to addition, there may be other bills that would be more interesting to you, but hopefully this report will provide state the claim “with particularity,” with “all material facts known to the pleading party that support the you with useful information. claim.” If the pleading party makes an allegation based on “belief,” then the party must identify, with Interested in contributing to particularity, all facts supporting the belief. Please note that my review of Oklahoma legislation is focused on specific titles: Title 12, dealing with civil procedure; Title 30, dealing with guardianship; Title 43A, dealing with mental health; Title 58, dealing with probate procedure; Title 60, dealing with trusts; and Title 84, dealing with wills and succession of property.
Tulsa Lawyer? Email mptaubman@taubmanlawoffice.com
2 Tulsa Lawyer
To remove doubt, the bill would remove subparagraph E(1), which currently provides that “[e] ach averment of a pleading shall be simple, concise, and direct. No technical forms of pleadings or motions are required.”
One might think that this bill is implementing the federal standard for pleading as announced by the U.S. Supreme Court in Twombly and Iqbal. In its 2007 decision in Twombly, the Supreme Court imposed pleading requirements beyond the “short and plain statement” standard found in Rule 8 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. The Twombly Court held that “a plaintiff’s obligation to provide the ‘grounds’ of his ‘entitle[ment] to relief’ requires more than labels and conclusions, and a formulaic recitation of the elements of a cause of action will not do.” The Iqbal Court carried the ball further down this line. But more importantly, a close examination of Senate Bill 248 reveals that its text goes a few steps further. Even under Twombly and Iqbal, the federal plaintiff need not include in her complaint “all material facts known.” And even though Twombly imposes constraints on allegations based on “information and belief,” the plaintiff in federal court is not necessarily required to plead “all facts supporting the belief.” The above analysis gives rise to two fundamental questions that must be asked when Senate Bill 248 is considered. First, should Oklahoma move away from the liberal pleading standards that have prevailed for many years based upon notions of “open courthouse doors” that pervade our state’s constitutional framework? Second, do we want to move past the U.S. Supreme Court on pleading standards, requiring immediate enumeration of all facts known? In addition, this year’s bills include proposed legislation on electronic service of subpoenas in criminal proceedings (HB2789), modifying procedure for forcible entry and detainer (HB2808), allowing discovery in certain small claims proceedings (HB3665), requiring full disclosure of certain information regarding witnesses identified in response to interrogatories (HB3612); and addressing the limit on requests for production of documents (SB0300). Title 30 HB3542 would allow waiver of CANIS background searches in juvenile guardianships in the case of emergency placement. HB3552 would allow a Ward’s assets to be placed in a “protective arrangement” if the assets would be considered an available resource for purposes of Social Security or Medicaid means tests.
SB1711 would allow for standby guardianships for juveniles. SB1809 would require findings that the protection made available by a guardianship could not be met with a non-guardianship protective arrangement. Title 43A Title 43A has some interesting bills this year, but would require more lengthy narrative. Watch for updates. Title 58 HB2916 adds words to 58 O.S. 5 for the purpose of making a little more clear that the venue provisions for probates are in order of priority, rather than a menu from which the petitioner may choose. It appears that this amendment is designed to avoid the result reached (some believe erroneously) by the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals in Matter of Estate of Walker, 2018 OK CIV APP 63, 439 P.3d 424. In Walker, the Court of Civil Appeals allowed a petition in a probate proceeding to select a venue based simply on the fact that the petitioner filed there, based on subpart (5) of the statute, thus negating the effect of subparts (1) through (4), which provide a list of priorities for venue in probate proceedings. Watch for at least one appellate decision addressing whether Estate of Walker is good law, regardless of whether HB2916 is enacted. HB3711 represents a second shot at enacting the Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act. When this bill was last introduced, it had not been modified sufficiently to fit Oklahoma law. Upon a quick review, it appears that some of these errors remain in this bill, as introduced this year. Among other things, the Uniform Act was drafted by attorneys who use the term “conservator” to refer to the capacity that we in Oklahoma reference as “guardian of the estate” or “guardian of the property.” In revising the Uniform Act to fit Oklahoma law, the drafters did not find Title 30, which deals with guardianships and conservatorships, but instead added a cross reference to the statute dealing with conservators for the estate of absentees – “one missing from his usual place of residence and his address is unknown by his family or those who, in the ordinary course of events, would be expected to know his whereabouts and has been continuously absent and unheard of for a period of six (6) months or longer, and is presumed missing and incapable or unable to manage his affairs or property or by permission, assignment or
direction of any department or official of the United States in connection with any activity pertaining to or connected with the prosecution of any war in which the United States is then engaged, who has been reported or listed for a period not less than three (3) months by the Department of Defense or other department of the United States as missing, or missing in action, or interned in a neutral country, or beleaguered, besieged, or captured by an enemy.” It might be the drafters’ intention to refer only to this provision, but the Act published by the Uniform Laws Commission refers to conservatorships in the same context as Oklahoma guardians of the estate or property. Hopefully this error will be addressed before the proposal is adopted.
Trust decanting allows an existing trust to be funded (or poured like a fine wine) into a new trust, allowing some level of change to the trust’s terms. For example, the new trust might be used to achieve better tax treatment, address issues regarding investment authority, or allow the appointment of a new trustee. Decanting has grown in importance beginning in the 1990s, as states have made this procedure available by statute.
New York enacted its decanting statute in 1992, allowing for decanting upon court approval. The statute was later amended to allow decanting without a court order under certain circumstances. In 1998, Alaska enacted a decanting statute of its own. A number of Title 60 other states have followed since then, with the result that twenty-four states now authorize decanting by This year’s legislative session includes two bills that statute. Texas adopted its version in 2013. More were drafted by a group of Tulsa attorneys who, among recently, the Uniform Laws Commission proposed a other things, serve with the Legislative Committee of the uniform decanting act for consideration by states that Oklahoma Bar Association’s Estate Planning, Probate have not yet adopted decanting statutes. & Trust Section. First, SB0317, which is a carryover bill from 2019, includes a choice of law provision for Decanting has long been available as a matter trusts, drawn substantially from the Uniform Trust of common law if a trustee has the full discretion to Code. Oklahoma statutory law does not currently have distribute all or part of a beneficiary’s share “in further a choice of law section. This bill would add 60 O.S. trust,” or where the beneficiary holds full power to 175.58, as follows: withdraw the trust assets. But when the trust instrument imposes restrictions on distribution of the trust, the The meaning and effect of the terms of a issue becomes more complicated. Among other things, trust shall be determined by: trustees must be very careful to avoid the IRS’s rules for taxation of gifts by moving trust assets improperly into 1. The law of the jurisdiction designated in a new trust. the terms of the trust; or 2. In the absence of a controlling designation in the terms of the trust, the law of the jurisdiction where the trust is administered. SB1815 is a proposal for a new act, to be called the Oklahoma Decanting Act. This bill represents a slight modification to statutory text originally drafted by the Tulsa attorneys referenced above. Clint Swanson and I chaired the committee working on this project, with Clint performing most of the drafting work. The proposed Act was filed in 2018, but did not receive a committee hearing. The bill was not filed last year. But last summer, Sens. Julie Daniels and Brent Howard held a legislative study committee to discuss whether the law is needed in Oklahoma. The proposal has been changed some, but for the most part it is the same proposal that a group of Tulsa attorneys put together three years ago.
4 Tulsa Lawyer
To address these issues, a trustee could seek to reform a trust if a mistake was made or if the law changed substantially since the trust was executed. For example, the laws governing resources available to a beneficiary for purposes of Medicaid qualifying have changed substantially over the past thirty years. A trustee may be required to fund money into an older special needs trust in a manner that would immediately disrupt the beneficiary’s Medicaid benefits. Trust laws would allow a court to reform the old special needs trust to comply with today’s laws on Medicaid qualifications. But in some instances, reformation of the trust will not accomplish the desired effect. If a beneficiary’s interest needs to be held in a separate trust for longer than originally planned by the trust’s settlor, it would be difficult if not impossible to persuade a court that a “mistake” exists for purposes of reformation of the trust.
Without a decanting statute, the trustee may be forced to make distributions that have adverse consequences for beneficiaries. It might be hard to imagine how a beneficiary could be adversely impacted by receiving a trust distribution. But a special-needs beneficiary could lose Medicaid benefits. An irresponsible beneficiary could be left to fend for himself on spending and investment decisions. By the same token, the lack of a decanting statute could force the trustee to keep more of the beneficiary’s interest within the trust, or pay it over to the government as taxes. SB1815 is modeled on Texas law. Texas’ decanting statute is more favorable to beneficiaries than the uniform decanting statute. The statute will require distribution standards to remain the same if the trustee’s discretion is limited. The statute will require ninety-days’ notice to beneficiaries before the decanting will take effect. If a beneficiary objects to the decanting, then the trustee will be required to obtain court approval before decanting. The OBA’s estate-planning section fully debated these beneficiary protections before recommending the proposed statute. More troubling are two bills that would address creditor claims and how they would be addressed by the trustees of revocable trusts established by a decedent. SB0490 is a carryover bill that was urged last year by the Oklahoma Credit Union Association and which was discussed at the legislative study committee this past summer. This bill would require trustees of a decedent’s revocable trust to file a notice with the Oklahoma County clerk and give notice to creditors in a manner similar to probate proceedings. This procedure would be contrary to the law in other jurisdictions, contrary to the uniform laws that deal with this issue. SB1743 is a more palatable proposal, introduced this session by Sen. Brent Howard, who was involved with the study committee. This bill would establish an optional “notice to creditors” procedure, but still contains some inapplicable language borrowed from Title 58 statutes that deal with probate estates.
Title 84 Thus far, in the 2020 Session, no bills have been introduced related to Title 84. This in itself is notable. Summary of legislation enacted in 2019: The following is a non-exhaustive summary of legislation enacted in 2019. Title 12 HB1092, signed by the Governor, became effective on 11/1/2019. Amends the Small Claims Procedure Act making it easier to recover attorney fees in contested cases. 12 O.S. 1751 is amended to eliminate the 10% cap on attorney fees in the event of a contested matter, and to make clear that a winning defendant can recover fees. HB1909, signed by the Governor, became effective on 11/1/2019. Amends 12 O.S. 83, which requires monies recovered on behalf of a minor to be placed in certain types of accounts or a structured settlement. More specifically, “[i]f authorized by the court at the request of the next friend or guardian ad litem, all or a portion of the recovered monies may
be deposited in an account pursuant to the Oklahoma Authority has adopted some rules on this issue, College Savings Plan Act with the minor designated as beginning with OAC 310:681-10-1. beneficiary of the account.� SB0694, signed by the Governor, became SB0346, signed by the Governor, became effective on 7/1/2019. Revises the statutes governing effective on 11/1/2019. Amends 12 O.S. 759, which court fees and court funds. deals with general execution of a judgment. Under Section 759(B), the general execution can be levied Title 30 upon real property. In that event, an appraisal is ordered. HB2341, signed by the Governor, became This amendment allows a “legal entity� to be appointed effective on 11/1/2019. This bill appears to be a cleanto perform the appraisal, in place of three disinterested up of terminology, dates, and statutory references, persons, if the legal entity has provided an affidavit of across a wide range of statutes in, among others, Title impartiality, and provided that the value be based upon 30 and Title 43. at least three independent, credible sources. HB2605, signed by the Governor, became SB0532, signed by the Governor, became effective on 11/1/2019. In limited guardianship effective on 11/1/2019. Enacted a new law at 12 O.S. appointments, the Court must now make a specific 1560, allowing for the appointment of a receiver to run determination regarding whether the ward retains a licensed medical marijuana dispensary, commercial sufficient capacity to receive hospice services through a grower, or processor. The Oklahoma Medical home or inpatient hospice program. 30 O.S. 3-113(B) Marijuana Authority is tasked with promulgating rules (5). General guardians now hold the authority to for, among other things, disposal of marijuana items left consent to hospice services. 30 O.S. 3-119(1)(d). by a deceased person or licensee, and operation of a The guardianship court can now grant a guardian the marijuana business owned by a deceased person. Upon authority to consent to withholding or withdrawal of quick review, it appears that the Oklahoma Marijuana life-sustaining procedures without (i) entering such
Tulsa County Bar Foundation & Tulsa County Bar Association
Annual Charity Golf Tournament
Monday May 4, 2020
Lafortune Golf Course Check out the sponsorship opportunities on pages 19-21 of this issue. And find your registration form on page 26. 6 Tulsa Lawyer
relief in a separate order and (ii) without waiting until the ward is in need of such treatment. Section 3-119’s references to the Oklahoma Rights of the Terminally Ill or Persistently Unconscious Act were changed to instead refer to the Oklahoma Advance Directive Act. I have not yet studied the effect of this shift, but from the other changes enumerated above, it appears that this change would likely further loosen the restrictions on a guardian’s authority to consent to the types of withholding of treatment to which a person may themselves consent under an advance directive. This statute appears to be taking Oklahoma down the path of more lenient substituted-judgment standards in place of the restrictions on guardians’ authority which predated this act, which might be more associated with the phrase “best interests.” SB0931, signed by the Governor, became effective on 4/4/2019. This bill repeals certain provisions of the Revised Uniform Veterans’ Guardianship Act72 O.S. 126.1 through 126.23, and replaces them with the Veterans Volunteer Guardianship Act, 72 O.S. 192196. Corresponding revisions were made to Title 30. Among other things, volunteer guardians under this new Act are added to the priority list for persons to be appointed as guardian under 30 O.S. 3-104(A). SB0977, signed by the Governor, became effective on 11/1/2019. Amended the background check requirements for minor guardianships, found in 30 O.S. 2-101(C)(4). Background checks are not required in the case of an emergency guardianship. Also, the court may receive an OSBI name-based criminal history background check in lieu of a national fingerprintbased criminal background check. The application of this statutory change may differ from court to court. SB0989, signed by the Governor, became effective on 11/1/2019. Before this bill became effective, the Administrative Director of the Courts (“ADC”) was required to develop (i) standard operating manuals for guardians ad litem in juvenile proceedings, 10A O.S. 1-4-306(B)(5) and 43 O.S. 107.3(A)(4); and (ii) a guardianship and conservatorship handbook, 30 O.S. 1-124. The ADC was given various statutory deadlines, which have long since run. Now, with this bill having become effective, the Oklahoma Bar Association (“OBA”) was required to develop these resources. The OBA Estate Planning, Probate and
Trust Section (“EPPT”)’s Legislative Committee was assigned this task. The task is largely completed. Title 43A HB1181, signed by the Governor, became effective on 11/1/2019. Deals with mental health treatment for inmates. HB1279, signed by the Governor, became effective on 11/1/2019. Amends the Inpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Treatment of Minors Act, found at 43A O.S. 5-501 through 5-521. This statute deals with the circumstances in which a minor or his or her parents may consent to inpatient treatment, when a treatment facility may make the determination, and the circumstances under which a District Attorney may file a petition seeking a court determination regarding the need for such inpatient treatment services. Section 5-511(C) is revised to allow the court to determine if a jury is needed, rather than granting the minor a right to demand a jury. Notably, the statute contains a loophole by which, when the minor is 16 years old or older, the treatment facility may request that the district attorney file a petition alleging that the minor is in need of treatment, even when the parent consents to the admission for treatment, and even absent any finding of delinquency, need for supervision, or deprivation. It appears that the legislature has again taken no action to correct this loophole. HB1280, signed by the Governor, became effective on 11/1/2019. Miscellaneous changes to the mental health laws. HB2341, signed by the Governor, became effective on 11/1/2019. Discussed above in section regarding Title 30. HB2483, signed by the Governor, became effective on 11/1/2019. Makes changes to the statutes dealing with the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and its governing board. SB0201, signed by the Governor, became effective on 11/1/2019. Amends the Protective Services for Vulnerable Adults Act by modifying the definition of “abuse,” in 43A O.S. 10-103(A), to include “personal degradation,” which is then defined as follows:
"Personal degradation" means a willful act by a caretaker intended to shame, degrade, humiliate or otherwise harm the personal dignity of a vulnerable adult, or where the caretaker knew or reasonably should have known the act would cause shame, degradation, humiliation or harm to the personal dignity of a reasonable person. Personal degradation includes the taking, transmitting, or display of an electronic image of a vulnerable adult by a caretaker, where the caretaker's actions constitute a willful act intended to shame, degrade, humiliate or otherwise harm the personal dignity of the dependent adult, or where the caretaker knew or reasonably should have known the act would cause shame, degradation, humiliation or harm to the personal dignity of a reasonable person. Personal degradation does not include: a. the taking, transmission or display of an electronic image of a vulnerable adult for the purpose of reporting vulnerable adult abuse to law enforcement, the Department of Human Services or other regulatory agency that oversees caretakers or enforces abuse or neglect laws or rules, b. the taking, transmission or display of an electronic image of a vulnerable adult for the purpose of treatment or diagnosis, or c. the taking, transmission or display of an electronic image of a vulnerable adult as part of an ongoing investigation[.] The above newly-enacted statute represents a lost opportunity. The Oklahoma criminal statutes addressing abuse, neglect, and exploitation of vulnerable adults do not contain the same robust definitions as the Protective Services statute. As puzzling as it may sound, when instructing juries on crimes against the elderly, courts will typically view themselves as confined to the definitions in the criminal statutes and related case law, and might not rely on definitions in the Protective Services Act. This is an easy fix, just adding a cross reference to the definitions related to elder abuse and exploitation. This is at the top of my legislative wish list.
SB0435, signed by the Governor, became effective on 11/1/2019. Adds a new statute, 43A O.S. 10-114, providing as follows: The Department of Human Services shall require all Adult Protective Services (APS) specialists to receive training regarding the recognition of individuals with cognitive impairment, effective intervention in cases involving the abuse and exploitation of individuals who are cognitively impaired and securing the safety of abused and exploited individuals with dementia. SB0629, signed by the Governor, became effective on 11/1/2019. Repeals a statute dealing with medication fees for participating in opioid substitution treatment programs. Title 58 In the 2019 Session, no bills were signed by the Governor related to Title 58. Title 60 HB1885, signed by the Governor, became effective on 11/1/2019. Amended 60 O.S. 176 and 61 O.S. 103, dealing with preferences given by public trusts and public agencies for local bids for construction contracts, subject to certain limitations. HB2121, signed by the Governor, became effective on 7/1/2019. Amended 60 O.S. 667, 668, 668.1, 674, and 678 of the Uniform Unclaimed Property Act. One interesting nugget is the procedure for the State’s sale of contents of an unclaimed safe deposit box. 60 O.S. 667(A) requires notice by mail and by publication. This bill adds the following language: “If no address is listed or if the address is outside this state, the notice shall be published in an Oklahoma newspaper which the State Treasurer believes is most likely to be seen by the owner of the property or by heirs of the owner.� Title 84 In the 2019 Session, no bills were signed by the Governor related to Title 84. My colleagues Courtney Kelley and Aaron Tifft provided some of the research reflected.
It would also help if our jury instructions on elder Sincerely, abuse and exploitation were updated. Currently, the instructions are unclear and leave a gaping hole for Jim Milton abusers who are not also caretakers. Again, an easy fix. TCBA President, 2019-2020 8 Tulsa Lawyer
The Liberty Bell Award Nominations The Liberty Bell Award was established more than 35+ years ago to
acknowledge outstanding community service. The award is presented to a person who is not a lawyer, but who has demonstrated a dedication to the law through activities that support lawyers and their work in the legal system.
Deadline for nominations is Friday, March 13, 2020 Nominees may be an individual or a group that has: • Promoted better understanding of the rule of law • Encouraged a greater respect for law and the courts Please forward all nominations to
Lizzie Ritter, Law Week Chair Co-Chair lizzie.stafford@gmail.com
• Stimulated a sense of civic responsibility • Contributed to good government in the community
10 Tulsa Lawyer
Tulsa Lawyer 11
Section News Immigration Section Happy Hour All are welcome!
March 25, 2020 Join us at 5 pm!
The Local Bison 522 S. BOSTON AVE, SUITE 103
TCBA Bankruptcy Section Paul Thomas, Bankruptcy Section Chair
Meeting Dates: March 19th May 21st July 16th
TCBA Paralegals Gloria Jones, Chair
Thursday, March 5 Medical Marijuana Law Updates presented by John Hickey, Hall Estill
Health Law Section
Kristen Evans, Section Chair
Family Law
Todd Alexander Family Law Section Chair
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.
March 26, 2020 – Speakers: Linda Van Valkenburg, Counselor, MS, LPC, NCC -and- Jaime Vogt, MS, LPC
Share what is happening with your section!
All meetings are 12:00 (Noon) - 1:00 p.m. at the TCBA Center.
Send updates, articles and photos to tulsabarnews@yahoo.com
TCBA'S PARALEGAL SECTION - FEB. 6th
CELEBRATING A MILESTONE
The TCBA Paralegal Section celebrated our 10th Anniversary affiliation with the Tulsa County Bar by hosting a luncheon reception on February 6, 2020. TCBA President Jim Milton was guest speaker, and spoke about the importance of paralegals in the legal profession. A Proclamation was made by The Honorable G. T. Bynum, Mayor of the City of Tulsa, proclaiming February 6 as “The Paralegal Section of the Tulsa County Bar Association Day” in the City of Tulsa. Past Presidents in attendance were Debra Baker, Beth Nellis, Rhonda Ford, Debbie Woodruff Gresh and Gloria Jones. Sponsors in attendance were Debra Cox, Owner of Summit Recruiting Inc, Troy Boyer representing Avansic, Inc. and Nick Halter representing Litgistix LLC.
Law Day Speaker - Book Signing Please join our featured speaker -
Author Elaine Weiss at Magic City Books Thursday, April 30th 7 PM - approx. 8pm
Magic City Books 221 East Archer Street, Tulsa OK Tulsa Lawyer 13
Vacancy Notice for United States Magistrate Judge United States District Court For The Northern District of Oklahoma Applications are now being accepted for a full-time position of Magistrate Judge in Tulsa. The duties are demanding and wide-ranging and will include: (1) conduct of most preliminary proceedings in criminal cases; (2) trial and disposition of misdemeanor cases; (3) conduct of various pretrial motions and evidentiary proceedings as may be delegated by the Judges of the District Court; and (4) trial and disposition of civil cases upon consent of the litigants. The deadline to apply is March 31, 2020. The incumbent will begin to serve on November 1, 2020. See full notice, including qualification requirements and application instructions, at: www.oknd.uscourts.gov.
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
14 Tulsa Lawyer
2020 Judicial Dinner: A Night Like No Other On the evening of January 30th , the Tulsa County Bar Association graciously hosted its now biennial judicial dinner honoring the Tulsa County Judiciary. It is difficult to put into words how appreciative both myself and my fellow judges are for the efforts the Bar puts forward to ensure that this event is a success. And what a success it was! The Mayo Hotel ballroom glittered with Tulsa's finest attorneys, their families, and the judges and their families. For those in attendance, you will recall that I referred to the fact that this was Academy Award season, while recognizing that this event, as fabulous as it was, was not the actual Academy Awards. But, to me, it was just the same. Academy Awards were given, first, to God, then the judges' families; those attorneys who had mentored myself and other judges, such as former Tulsa County District Attorney David Moss and former Oklahoma Attorney General and 10th Circuit Judge Robert H. Henry, attorney Zach Smith (who pioneered the judicial dinner concept), the very generous Platinum Sponsors (Graves McLain, PLLC; GableGotwals; and DUI Guy), Gold Sponsors (McAfee & Taft and Rhodes Hieronymus), Silver Sponsors (Moyers Martin; Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson; Barnes Law, PLLC; and Sherwood, McCormick & Robert), the auction item donors, all of the Tulsa County judges, and last, but certainly not least, the Judicial Dinner Planning Committee (Jim Milton, Judge Ann Keele, Kimberly Moore, Kara Vincent and Tami Williams). I cannot
begin to describe how much work and effort these individuals put into this event. On behalf of all of Tulsa County's judges, allow me to express a truly heartfelt thank you! This was the third biennial judicial dinner and the amounts raised each time have increased significantly. This year, the judicial dinner raised $34,300 for the needs of the judiciary not otherwise met through standard judicial funding mechanisms. Before this year's dinner, the funds raised by the past two judicial dinners have been utilized for extensive courtroom sound repairs, a significant amount of children's furniture for the new juvenile court facility, desktop printers for district judges, court reporter recorders, robes, external microphones for court reporters, Chromebooks for district judges and furniture for at least two district judges. I can attest to how hard your Tulsa County judges work, to how heavy their caseloads are, to the decisions they make every day, all day, affecting dramatically the lives of Tulsa County citizens and to the minimal support and resources each one of these judges has. This is certainly not to complain. I can also affirm how much each one of us truly loves our jobs as judges. It is said only to emphasize how much each judge appreciates your efforts to fill these gaps. Thanks again to all of you who made this happen! See you in two years to celebrate Judge Doug Drummond, the next Tulsa County Presiding Judge! Judge William D. LaFortune, Presiding District Court Judge for Tulsa County
The Tulsa County Bar Association & Tulsa County Bar Foundation Proudly Present
Law Week Luncheon 2020 Friday - May 1, 2020
Keynote Speaker: Elaine Weiss Elaine Weiss is the author of The Woman's Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote (Viking/Penguin) which has won critical acclaim from the New York Times, Wall St. Journal, and The New Yorker, hailed as a "riveting, nail-biting political thriller" with powerful parallels to today's political environment. The Woman's Hour was a GoodReads Readers' Choice Award winner, short-listed for the 2019 Chautauqua Prize, and received the American Bar Association's highest honor, the 2019 Silver Gavel Award, recognizing outstanding work that fosters the American public’s understanding of law and the legal system. She lives in Baltimore.
Tulsa Country Club 701 North Union Avenue, Tulsa,OK
Doors open at 11:30 am & Program begins at noon Dress Code: Business $40/person ~ Reserved table for 10 - $500 Paid Reservations Due by April 24 Reservations will not be confirmed until payment is received.
Individual(s) Full Names - _________________________________ __________ Phone______________________ Individual Tickets ($40 each) _____ ______ Reserved Table for 10 - Firm Name ($500) _________________________ ____ __________________________________________________________________ Please provide names of all guests at table.
Make your reservation online at www.tulsabar.com or call 918-584-5243 This event is expected to sell out. No walk-ins / No exceptions
18 Tulsa Lawyer
See page 21 for individual event sponsorship opportunities!
20 Tulsa Lawyer
INDIVIDUAL EVENT SPONSOR
OPPORTUNITIES Tulsa Lawyer 21
The 2020 Law Day Theme
"Your Vote, Your Voice, Our Democracy: The 19th Amendment at 100" Remaining Book Club discussion dates are listed below. Registration is limited to TCBA members and one guest per member 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 Sessions will start at 5:30 or 6:00 p.m. The specific time and location of the session will be provided in the registration confirmation. March 12, 2020 Conviction: The Murder Trial That Powered Thurgood Marshall’s Fight for Civil Rights by Denver Nicks and John Nicks Discussion Leader: Denver Nicks & John Nicks April 23, 2020 Education by Tara Westover Discussion Leader: Morgan Smith May 5, 2020 The Second Founding: How the Civil War and Reconstruction Remade the Constitution by Eric Foner Discussion leader: Robert Spoo
Judge Jane Wiseman served as discussion leader for Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens on February 7, 2020, for the Lynn Miller Law Day Book Club, session two. Left to right: Tammy Ewing, Lisa Deller, Mike McBride, Sharon Bell, Sutton Murry, Judge Wiseman, Melissa Oxford, and Lynn Staggs.
Don't miss the Law Day Lunch! Details on page 18!
The Children & the Law Spring Event is Here! The Children and the Law Committee is doing a drive for gently used and brand new suitcases! Have a gently used suitcase? Time for an upgrade? Or, is your generous heart big enough to donate a brand new suitcase? Well then look no further! Sadly, when a child is placed in foster care or moved from one foster home to the next, a majority of the time they do not have a suitcase to bring their belongings with them. They are forced to use garbage bags to take what they have with them, implying that they are what they have. The Children and the Law Committee will be trying to change that by providing foster children with their own suitcases to move their belongings and have for their own safekeeping. Over the next few months, please drop off gently used or brand new suitcases to donate to foster children in the area. I’d love to have a few dozen suitcases to turn over by May, 2020!
So please consider this great cause. If you have any questions about this event, please do not hesitate to contact either Natalie Sears at nsears@ robinettlawfirm.com or Steve Hale at stephen@stephenehalepllc.com “
The TCBA Proudly Participated in the MKL DAY PARADE held on Monday, January 20th!
Tulsa Lawyer 23
VP's Corner:
EARLY, LATE, OR RIGHT ON TIME
Kara Vincent, TCBA Vice President 2019-2020 I recall when my children were young, and we would strive to get to church on time. Something always caused us to be late…and it was usually me. As they got older, my two sons found it rather annoying because they wanted to get there early and hang out with their friends. Their motto was, “you can never be too early,” and technically, I was hindering their social life (I’ll allow you all to honor their loss with a moment of silence). They were excited about all the possibilities. I kept trying to tell them that church was one of the few places where people were happy to see you, even if you were late. There was also no penalty for showing up late and given my line of work, that was a sweet reassurance. After much complaining, I finally told them to put all their grievances against me into a book. I said, “Just keep track of all of it and when you’re fully grown, you can publish the horrible, awful things I did to you. If people buy it, then you will have proved your point…and you’ll be rich.” By the way – so far, no book. As they’ve aged, they’ve come to appreciate my line of thinking and now that my oldest has a career and three children of his own, he truly understands my logic: it’s never too late. I entered the legal profession as a second career while I was in my 30’s. Because of that, I appreciated all that my new-found passion brought with it. That included the joy of a fresh start. That was fun. It was also hard. However, in the end my experience gave my sons an understanding that if you are passionate about something, you should never stop trying to learn. Put yourself out there and move forward toward a goal. Purpose moves us forward, and I hope that each of you finds yours. I also hope you’ll appreciate that it’s only taken me two paragraphs to get to my point, which is this: it’s never too late to get involved with the Tulsa County Bar Association. Although the organization is more than 100 years old, we have new, fresh, and exciting ideas and plans – and we need you to be involved.
In this issue of the Tulsa Lawyer, there is a nomination form for leadership positions. If you have a passion for furthering the positive influence that lawyers can have in the community, I encourage you to nominate yourself for a position (or secretly nominate a colleague – they’ll love that). And, if you’re not compelled to serve in an officer position, I strongly encourage you to volunteer to lead a committee. Kimberly Moore is working on putting the board of directors together for our next year that starts September 1 . The Board of Directors is primarily comprised of the TCBA committee chairs. Each board member is the voice of their respective committee and helps to shape our goals and activities. Ok, I hear you – you don’t have the time to be in a leadership role. I get it. It can be time consuming and maybe you don’t feel qualified to lead a committee right now or to serve in an officer position. If that’s you, might I suggest that you volunteer to serve as a vice-chair of a committee? If you are already in a committee, it will give you the ability to “learn the ropes” of leadership and you will be much needed support for the chair. It’s an opportunity to gradually move into a future leadership role. The bottom line is this: we need our members to volunteer in all kinds of leadership roles so we can make the TCBA a strong organization. If you’re a newlyminted attorney, it is never too early to get involved. And, if you’ve been a member of the TCBA for years, it is never too late. Timing is everything and whether you believe you’re early or late, we would argue that you’re right on time. We need your support so we can make a difference. If you’d like more information about serving in a leadership role or you have questions, please let us know. You can contact Tami Williams (our new Executive Director) or Kimberly Moore. Either individual will be thrilled to help you become more involved. st
Tulsa Lawyer 25
Be on the lookout for the upcoming annual YLD Trivia Night! If interested in forming a team, please contact Natalie Sears at nsears@robinettlawfirm.com
28 Tulsa Lawyer
McKenna’s Mot
A determined, young American corporate lawyer driving through a Kildare stopped at the pub to ask directions. Entering in a hurried state, the lawyer impatiently breaks into a conversation between the barkeep and a patron. “Can one of you tell me, is this the fastest way to Dublin?” Looking deep into the glass he was polishing, the barkeep asks “are you going by cart or by car?” “By car, of course” said the impatient lawyer. The bartender replied “well then, that’d be the fastest way." O’Mally is sipping on a pint one day when some lawyers are overheard boasting about the greatest bands. “Did you know why there’s only a few great musicians from Ireland?” inquired O’Mally The lawyers shot back “why is that O’Mally?” O’Mally sips and replied “because they can’t get past the 2nd bar."
Do you own a small business? Tulsa Lawyer Advertising is an affordable way to spread the word and target your audience.
Rates & information are available at www.tulsabar.com or email tulsabarnews @yahoo.com
Did you ever hear the one about the two Irish lawyers who walked out of the pub? … it could happen.
The YLD Summer Softball League is just around the corner! If interested in forming a team, please contact Ephraim Alajaji at
EAlajaji@bokf.com
Tulsa Lawyer 29
David Nichols
David Michael Nichols was born on July 4, 1950 in Joplin, Missouri to C. William and Claudine (Shewmake) Nichols. David passed from this life to his eternal one on Friday, January 17, 2020 at home in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma at the age of 69. Services to celebrate his life were held at 3:00 pm on Saturday, February 22 at Forest Park Christian Church, 9102 South Mingo in Tulsa. A reception followed at Indian Springs Country Club, 16006 East 131st Street South, Broken Arrow. Dave enjoyed an almost-idyllic childhood in Augusta, Kansas. He was a baseball pitcher, a homerun hitter, a paperboy, and a preacher’s kid, living the life with dozens of other rascals on Socony Street. Dave graduated from Wyandotte High School in Kansas City, Kansas where he was President of the Senior Class. He received his BA from Phillips University. He then went on to earn a Master’s in Writing from the University of Tulsa and completed his education by earning his law degree there. Dave practiced in partnership with his beloved wife and legal partner Carol in the law firm of Nichols and Nichols. Always a peacemaker, Dave especially enjoyed his legal work as a mediator. Dave married Carol Simmons on December 26, 1978 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. They were blessed with four terrific children. Dave was an engaged husband, father and grandfather. He adored his family and was happiest when his house was filled with the joy, laughter and
facebook.com/ tulsacountybar 30 Tulsa Lawyer
chaos of their gatherings. Much to their parents’ chagrin, Dave loved nothing better than sending his grandchildren home from a visit with pockets full of M & M’s. “Dave the Rave” was a man of many passions with a heart as big as all outdoors. He was often described as “larger than life,” and his laughter could fill all the space in any room. Many friends have reached out with stories—funny and touching—about Dave’s impact on them. He loved to travel, and never met a stranger. He engaged every cabbie he met in any city, learning all he could about local customs, sports teams, and perspectives. A stubborn Scot, Dave was proud of his Scottish heritage and especially enjoyed his time in the British Isles. Dave loved sports, both playing them and following them. He was captain of both his football and basketball teams in high school, and he led his basketball team to win the Kansas State Championship in 1968. He played football at the University of Kansas. As an adult, he played tennis and golf avidly, and founded “The 108”—an annual golf outing with great friends. Dave was a nurturing and enthusiastic coach. He coached his kids’ softball, baseball, and basketball teams and served for two years as a volunteer basketball coach at McClain High School in Tulsa. Dave had an incredible wit, and especially enjoyed entertaining friends and family with his annual reporting on March Madness and his most colorful Christmas letter. He was a talented writer and could turn a phrase like nobody’s business. Since his retirement, Dave created his “Garage Mahal” in memory of his days as owner of the Taproom. There he hosted family and lifelong friends, including Mel brothers from Phillips and Rooski Golf friends. Dave’s family will be forever grateful to those friends who continued their regular visits through his journey with Parkinson’s Disease. Dave was a member of Forest Park Christian Church in Tulsa, which he and Carol helped to found in 1985. Dave served as Chairman of the Board of the church. He also served as Chairman of the Board of Indian Springs Country Club. Dave was instrumental in establishing the Club Enhancement Fund which was used to improve and beautify the grounds. Memorial gifts made in David’s name may be sent to Forest Park Christian Church at 9102 South Mingo, Tulsa, OK 74033. Dave is survived by a family who will love him forever: Wife, Carol Nichols, Broken Arrow, OK; Children, Maggie Nichols, Broken Arrow, Jesse and Emily Nichols, Warrenton, VA, Michala Lynn, Broken Arrow, Noah and Jessica Nichols, Broken Arrow; Grandchildren, Ezra, Mason, Reef, Rayna, Chloe, Malachi, Liberty, Talyn; Sister, Claudia Nichols Quigg and Brother-in-Law Leo Quigg, Decatur, IL; Mother, Claudine Shewmake Nichols, Decatur, IL; Loving Caregivers, Tina Cole and Territa McDonald. David was preceded in death by his father, C. William Nichols.
@tulsabar
Grapevine N e ws
Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson, LLP (DSDA) is pleased to announce the addition of three new attorneys. D. Ward Hobson and Jeffery D. Trevillion, Jr. will be located in our Oklahoma City office and John Paul Yeager will be located in our Tulsa office. “We are thrilled with our newest attorney hires as we continue building on our foundation and reputation in the legal market with quality attorneys who are focused on providing the best for our clients,” stated Tom Q. Ferguson, managing partner of DSDA. Ward brings a range of business and intellectual property experience to his practice. As a registered patent attorney of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, he primarily counsels clients on the acquisition, protection, maintenance and enforcement of intellectual property rights on both a local and national scale. Ward graduated from the University of Oklahoma College of Law and is a seven‐time recipient of Super Lawyers® as an Oklahoma Rising Star for Patent Litigation. Jeff is an experienced trial lawyer and a certified public accountant, which strikes a specialized balance between transactional work and litigation as a partner of DSDA. His practice focuses on developing comprehensive strategies for clients facing civil and criminal tax controversies, litigation, federal criminal defense, and clients in highly regulated industries. Jeff’s practice also focuses on solving clients’ most difficult legal and regulatory tax challenges, whether in the context of civil, criminal or parallel proceedings. He earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Oklahoma College of Law and will serve as the 2020 president elect for the Oklahoma Bar Foundation. Previously, John Paul began his law career by focusing on medical malpractice defense. He worked with rural and urban hospitals, doctors, dentists, nursing staff and nursing homes in defending claims for malpractice. At DSDA, John Paul Yeager will focus his practice in the areas of general and corporate litigation, representing clients in state and federal courts. He is a 2018 graduate of the University of Tulsa College of Law. Dustin A. Bradley and Eric S. Loggin have formed the firm of Bradley & Loggin, PLLC. The firm is located at 1800 S. Baltimore Avenue, Suite 420, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74119 and can be reached at 918-933-5367. The firm's new website is www. bradleyloggin.com. The firm's practice areas generally include medical negligence, personal injury, real estate and business law.
We are pleased to announce that Jennifer Struble and Jeff Fields have accepted the request to be partners in this firm…Jim, Mike, Roger, and Jimmy. ~ Secrest, Hill, Butler Secrest
The Tulsa law firm of Atkinson, Haskins, Nellis, Brittingham, Gladd & Fiasco announces that J. Andrew Brown has become a shareholder in the firm. J. Andrew Brown focuses his practice in insurance defense, civil litigation, medical malpractice defense and bad faith defense. He graduated magna cum laude from Northeastern Oklahoma State University with a B.B.A. degree in finance. He received his law degree from the University of Tulsa, College of Law in 2009. During law school, he served as Articles Editor for the Tulsa Journal of Comparative and International Law and as Vice President of the Sports and Entertainment Law Society. Mr. Brown is a member of the American Bar Association, Oklahoma Bar Association, Tulsa County Bar Association, Defense Research Institute, Oklahoma Association of Defense Counsel, Tulsa Bench & Bar Committee, Phi Delta Phi Legal Fraternity and Oklahoma Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division. He is licensed to practice in the United States District Courts for the Northern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Oklahoma and all Oklahoma State Courts, the Tenth Circuit Court of Civil Appeals, as well as the Cherokee Nation Court. He previously worked in the debt collection industry for 12 years. While attending law school, he was the Vice President of Operations for one of the top debt purchasing firms in the United States. Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson, LLP congratulates Kristen L. Brightmire who was recently selected to America's Top 100 High Stakes Litigators® for 2020. Selection is by invitation only and is comprised of the nation’s best trial lawyers for high stakes legal matters. Kristen qualified for recognition from America's Top 100 High Stakes Litigators® through her professional experience, successful litigation experience, significant case results, peerreputation and community impact. She is best known for providing legal counsel in the areas of employment and labor law, as well as mediation. For 30 years, Kristen has been instrumental to her clients in resolving complex employment and labor matters for businesses across Oklahoma. To be considered for selection, candidates must have litigated (for either plaintiff or defendant) a matter (1) with at least $2,000,000 in alleged damages at stake or (2) with the fate of a business worth at least $2,000,000 at stake. These minimum qualifications were required for initial consideration. Thereafter, candidates are further evaluated and ranked based on proprietary algorithms and a comprehensive Qualitative Comparative Analysis to identify the nation’s most exceptional trial attorneys. Only the top 100 qualifying attorneys in each state are nominated for America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators®. With these standards for selection, less than one‐half percent (0.5%) of active attorneys in the United States will receive this honor.
Tulsa Lawyer 31
Classified Ads Jon Starr
Mediator and Arbitrator Contact DRC for scheduling 918-382-0300
LEGAL AND LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS COORDINATOR – INCOG, the regional planning agency in the Tulsa metropolitan area, is seeking an attorney interested in public policy; developing and advocating for legislative and regulatory changes; developing contracts; advising on legal and human resource issues; and working with local, state, tribal and federal governments. Compensation includes salary and a comprehensive benefits package. Full job description at www.incog.org. Submit a cover letter and resume to incog@incog.org. THE UNIVERSITY OF TULSA COLLEGE OF LAW invites applications for one or more legal writing assistant professor positions to begin August 2020. Areas of teaching may include, though not necessarily limited to, Legal Writing I, Legal Writing II, Legal Writing III and/or Strategies & Skills for Bar & Practice. Minimum qualifications include J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school, a strong academic record, and excellent written and oral communication skills. Relevant legal practice experience is preferred. The University of Tulsa College of Law, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, is committed to equality of opportunity in its employment of faculty and staff, without discrimination on the ground of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, disability, or sexual orientation. Members of under-represented groups are strongly encouraged to apply. If you would like to learn more about the College generally, you may visit our website at www.law.utulsa.edu. Please submit letters of interest and résumés to Prof. Robert Spoo, Chair, Appointments Committee, University of Tulsa College of Law, 3120 E. 4th Place, Tulsa, OK 74104, or by email to robert-spoo@utulsa.edu.
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.
Attorney: Coffey, Senger & McDaniel seeks experienced attorney for our high volume practice. Preferred candidate will have 5-7 years of experience in areas of transportation and insurance defense. Research, corporate, construction and healthcare law are a plus. Excellent benefits. Salary is based on experience. Send resumes to amy@csmlawgroup.com.
Paralegal: Coffey, Senger & McDaniel seeks a paralegal with experience in areas of transportation and insurance defense. The ideal candidate will handle the following tasks: prepare Freedom of Information requests to investigative authorities; prepare background investigations on involved parties; request and keep up with medical records/bills and any follow-up requests; prepare medical chronologies; assist attorneys with voluminous discovery documents and prepare matters for depositions, mediations and assist attorneys at trial. Excellent benefits. Salary is based on experience. Send resumes to amy@csmlawgroup.com.
The Tulsa Roughnecks Special Events Committee -
March Activity
Watch your emails for details!
Tulsa County Bar Association 1446 S. Boston Ave. Tulsa, OK 74119
"Everybody counts in applying democracy. And there will never be a true democracy until every responsible and law-abiding adult in it, without regard to race, sex, color or creed has his or her own inalienable and unpurchasable voice in government." January 9, 1859 – March 9, 1947 An American women's suffrage leader who campaigned for the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution,
PRSRTD STD US POSTAGE PAID Pontiac, Illinois PERMIT# 592
~ Carrie Chapman Catt