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TULSA LAWYER
In this Issue
A Message from
The Hon. Ann E.Keele 2018-2019 TCBA President
The Flying Elvises
But at night its all strikes & spares for the 2018-2019 Bowling Champions !
Nate Lawyer (Latham, Steel, Lehman), Phil Hawkins (Hawkins Law), Matthew Schultz (Matthew D. Schultz, Attorney at Law), and Eric Tabor (United Safety and Claims).
May 2019
3
An Expression of Gratitude
4
YLD Hapy Hour - May 9th
5
Special Events Committee - New Events!
6
TCBA ELECTIONS: Profiles of TCBA Officer Candidates
17 TCBA ELECTIONS: OBA Delegates 22 UNITY BILL - EMPLOYER RIGHTS REGARDING MEDICAL MARIJUANA Stefan Mecke and Jeremy Owens 25 Member Appreciation Month is Coming!
Foundation News
26 Book Club Kick Off - Just Mercy 28 Softball Time! 29 Bears - Triumph Again! 30
This is America By Lorena Rivas
31 Naturalization Ceremony 32 In Memory of... 35 Grapevine 36 Classifieds
Voting Information
• You will have the option to cast your vote online or via paper ballot, upon request. • May 7, 2019 the TCBA will send out an email to all eligible voting members which will allow them to cast their vote electronically. • All ballots must be received on or before 5:00pm, May 14, 2019 • Results will be announced in the June 2019 Tulsa Lawyer. • Profiles also available at www.tulsabar.com Tulsa Lawyer 1
A Message from the President
The Hon. Ann E. Keele
It's a Busy Time! Greetings and Happy May, everyone! As you know, May 1 is Law Day, and we started celebrating early with all sorts of projects to highlight the legal profession and service to the community that have been underway for these past few weeks. The Law Day Luncheon is on Friday, May 3 at 11:30 a.m., so if you have not already made your reservation be sure to do so before it’s too late. Contact the TCBA staff for more information. I want to extend my sincere thanks to the TCBF Law Day Committee, which is chaired by Rebekah Guthrie-Frisby, for all of their hard work and diligence in making Law Day a great success this year – and thank you to all of you who have volunteered and participated in this endeavor. We could not have done it without you. As a thank you for your involvement with the TCBA, we are celebrating YOU in the month of June! Membership Appreciation activities will be sprinkled throughout June with different fun festivities for you to enjoy. Be sure to watch your emails and sign up right away when you see something of interest. Thank you to Kara Pratt, Chair of the Membership Committee, and the TCBA Staff, Tami Williams, Tammi Sinclair, and Greg Gordon, for all their work on this! The TCBF Golf Tournament is coming up this month, on Monday, May 6 at LaFortune Park Golf Course. Lunch starts at 11:00 a.m. with the tee off starting at noon. This is a charity event to benefit Disabled American Veterans, so let’s show our support. Even if your golf skills are not the best, you can still come out to enjoy the day and ride in the cart! This year the “super putter” was added, so one player can come in and just put rather than having to play every stroke. 2 Tulsa Lawyer
Elections of next year’s Executive Committee and leadership will take place this month. Voting will be done electronically again this year, so please be sure to cast your vote. If you have any issues or concerns, please feel free to contact Greg Gordon, our Executive Director. The TCBA has been doing great things, and has more upcoming projects and events for you to enjoy and contribute. Remember we are have an ongoing project to collect children’s books and stuffed animals for the children who have to appear on juvenile court cases. Feel free to drop off your donations to TCBA and we will get them delivered. Thank you for making TCBA a wonderful organization of which we can all be proud. As the school year is about to conclude, and summer vacations commence, please come out and enjoy our Membership Appreciation events in June. Also, keep your calendar open for the TCBA/TCBF Annual Luncheon to be held on Thursday, August 22. We will have an impressive keynote guest speaker that you won’t want to miss – more details to come. Enjoy your May, and remember the courthouse is closed on Monday, May 27 for Memorial Day. Hope to see you soon! Sincerely, Hon. Ann E. Keele TCBA President, 2018-2019
An Expression of Gratitude every turn in my career, he has been there cheering on the ideas and supporting the work that turned To the Members of the Tulsa County Legal into programs that have helped people in Tulsa Community, and across the State. April 30, 2019
By way of this letter, I want to express my gratitude to ALL the practitioners that have helped and assisted me in my judicial career. Many years ago the members of the legal community were welcoming me as a young and eager new lawyer. Through mentoring and professionalism, I learned a tremendous amount about the law and how it impacts the daily lives of the citizens of our community and the State of Oklahoma. I am eternally grateful to those judges and practitioners, and you know who you are, for your constant support throughout my endeavors.
Now, as I leave the bench, I am thankful for each member of the TCBA and the staff as well as the courthouse clerks that have helped me in my daily judicial duties. I wanted a judicial career and I have had one. Now, I am seeking out those other interests that have been on the “back burner� for way too long. My best wishes to all Tulsa Lawyers, past, present and future.
I am so thankful and appreciative of my two children and spouse, Sam P. Daniel, III. He has Millie Otey been the wind beneath my wings since the day we met during the Spring of our 3L year in 1979. At
More Happenings Hosted by the TCBA Special Events Committee Saturday, May 11th - TCBA “Brews Cruise” Brewery Tour 1pm-5pm
Join TCBA on the brew bus for a tour of four of Tulsa’s best breweries. Tastings will be included at each stop. Shuttles will pick members up in the parking lot of the Bar Center at 12:45p and return at 5p. Tickets are $25 each and a maximum of two tickets are available to members.There are 22 tickets available. First come, first serve.
Thursday, June 20th TCBA at the Tulsa Drillers 7:05pm
Join TCBA for a night of Drillers baseball against the Amarillo Sod Poodles. Tickets are $5 each and members can purchase up to 4 tickets. There are 30 tickets available. First come, first serve.
**
All reservations for events are first come, first serve. If you sign up for an event but cannot attend, please notify TCBA immediately so that your spot can be given to another member interested.
Reminder... Golf Tourney-Tee time!
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May 6th
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Lunch is at 11am
• • •
Registration begins @ 10am Shotgun starts at 12:30pm
Dinner and awards to follow Tulsa Lawyer 5
TCBA Elections Officers 2019-2020
Candidates for the Tulsa County Bar Association Elections present their credentials in this issue of Tulsa Lawyer. President Elect and Director at Large are the only contested positions in this years election. If a candidate did not provide an answer for a particular question, the question is not listed under their credentials.
The candidates were asked the following questions: • • • • • • • •
Firm/Employer Name & Position Year of Admission to Practice Years in Practice in Tulsa TCBA Offices, Committees (last five years) OBA Offices, Committees (last five years) Outside/Community Activities (last five years) If elected, what are your goals for this office? Which qualities that you bring to this office do you want members to consider when voting for you?
President - James C. Milton Shareholder and Director, Hall, Estill, Hardwick, Gable, Golden & Nelson, P.C. Year of Admission to Practice: 1995 Years in practice in Tulsa: 24 TCBA Offices / Committee Chairs (Last 5 years): PresidentElect (2018-2019); Budget Chair (2016-2018); Director at Large (2013-2016) OBA Offices, Committees (Last 5 years): Chair of the OBA Civil Procedure & Evidence Code Committee (2006-2017); Chair or Co-Chair of the Legislative Committee of the OBA Estate Planning, Probate & Trust Section (2016-2019) Outside / Community Activities (Last 5 years): Fellow, American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (2014-current); Tulsa Title and Probate Lawyers, Inc. (2013-current); Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) Attorney Association (2004-current); Chair, Fellowship Lutheran Church Endowment Committee (2010-2013) What are your goals for this office: As President, I will continue my own contribution to this great association. Your Board and Executive Committee have been working hard to improve its 6 Tulsa Lawyer
operational efficiency and professionalism. The last several years have been critical to this process. We must continue this growth going forward. We are seeing more efficiency in the membership application and renewal process, and in registering for CLE and other events, but are working on further improvements. In addition, during my year as President, I plan to emphasize committees and sections. We are currently working on methods of providing further services to committee and section leadership in order to enable more robust member involvement in these smaller groups. I would also like to see reinstatement of monthly reports to the membership regarding committee and section activities. Which qualities that you bring to this office do you want members to consider when voting for you: Through many years of involvement in the TCBA, I have seen the great value that it offers to its members, the legal community, and the community at large. I know first hand that the TCBA provides opportunities for professional involvement for lawyers in all areas of practice and stages of their careers. As a voluntary association, the TCBA is focused on member services and member inclusion. Through the TCBA, I have developed some of my most important professional relationships, and I have watched friends and colleagues grow in the profession, as I hope I have grown. If I am elected as President Elect, I promise to devote my whole energy to ensuring that the TCBA fulfills its mission to our members, the legal community, and the community at large.
President Elect -Amber Peckio Garrett Allen & Garrett, PLLC- Partner
If elected, what are your goals for this office: If I am elected, my goals would be (1) to continue the increase in member benefits Year of Admission to Practice: 2003 which has led to positive member growth for the Association; (2) listen to our members for suggestions and projects to help lead our Years in practice in Tulsa: 16 association; (3) continue renovating the Bar Center with the Tulsa County Bar Foundation to make it more accessible and useful for TCBA Offices / Committee Chairs (Last 5 years): Vice- our members; (4) to serve our members in facilitating more ways President 2018-2019, Secretary 2017-2018 to give back to Tulsa through partnership with local stakeholders, OBA Offices, Committees (Last 5 years): Oklahoma Bar i.e. the County Courthouse Kiosk project; (5) ensure that our Foundation Trustee 2013- present; Law Related Education Chair association continues to have a solid financial foundation and (6) 2018-present;OBA/Young Lawyers Division Board Director, At- continue to modernize the technology and the facility to ensure Large(2010-2012) District 6 for Tulsa (2007-2009, 2012-2014); effective management of staff and resources for our association. MCLE Commission (2009-2012) Which qualities that you bring to this office do you want
Outside / Community Activities (Last 5 years): Junior League of Tulsa, 2010-present. Offices held: Leadership Development Council Assistant 2015-2016, Placement Vice Chair 2014-2015, Gem Gala Vice Chair: Sponsorship 2018-2019
members to consider when voting for you: I believe that I have proven to our Bar Association my leadership qualities such as honesty, transparency, accountability, good communication and a commitment and passion for the Tulsa legal community. I am always willing to help our committees and members reach their professional and philanthropic goals through service and creativity.
President Elect - Kimberly K. Moore Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, Staff Attorney Year of Admission to Practice: 15 Years in practice in Tulsa: 14 TCBA Offices / Committee Chairs (Last 5 years): Secretary, Treasurer, Vice President, Law Day Committee Chair, Special Events Chair, Director-atLarge, TCBA Pro Bono Committee Chair OBA Offices, Committees (Last 5 years): Delegate, Vice President of the OBA Women In Law Committee Outside / Community Activities (in last five years): Holy Family Cathedral School Advisory Committee; Holy Family Cathedral School Auction Chair
facebook.com/ tulsacountybar
If elected, what are your goals for this office: If elected
my goals would include but not be limited to maintaining a strong relationship with the TCBA staff and Board members; continued work on building our membership numbers and to see through with the completion on the interior renovation of the TCBA. It is also my goal in assisting the President and assuring that the Board agenda addresses appropriate priorities and that the Board performs its fiduciary, strategic and policy responsibilities.
Which qualities that you bring to this office do you want members to consider when voting for you: Proven leadership ability with evidence of a long term commitment to the TCBA, its objectives and bylaws. Ability to think and act in the best interest of the TCBA as an organization based on its mission, history and future direction.
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Vice President Kara M. (Greuel) Vincent Barber & Bartz, P.C.
assistance in preparation, planning and implementation. My goal as Vice-President is to make their respective roles Year of Admission to Practice: 2009 easier. As an officer of the TCBA, the ultimate goal is to create and maintain an organization that provides benefits Years in practice in Tulsa: 10 to its members. As Vice-President, I plan to carry that out TCBA Offices / Committee Chairs (Last 5 years): by being available and useful to the President and PresidentBench and Bar Committee (2014-2015), Chair – Budget Elect. Committee (2015-2016); Treasurer (2016-2017) and (2017- Which qualities that you bring to this office do you want 2018); Secretary (2018-2019) members to consider when voting for you: I have served on committees, in sections, and as an officer of the TCBA for OBA Offices, Committees (Last 5 years): Webthe past several years and I’ve determined that the success Applications Coordinator, EPPT Section (2014 and 2015) of the TCBA lies in our ability to think critically about how Outside / Community Activities (in last five years): our organization can best serve the needs of its members. Volunteering with Women in Recovery Program; Past That includes looking beyond the traditional services and Treasurer for Tulsa Artists’ Coalition; Past Treasurer for incorporating new ideas. The past several TCBA Presidents Oaks Indian Mission have made great strides in accomplishing that and as the Vice-President, I believe I can continue to bring strategic If elected, what are your goals for this office: Vice- thinking and organization to projects and can assist in President, my goals are to assist the President and President- planning for the future of the TCBA. Elect in implementing their goals. As our association has grown, so have the tasks that must be carried out. Both the President (in implementing current year goals) and the President-Elect (in planning for next year’s goals) need
Secretary - Natalie Sears Attorney, Cordell & Cordell Year of Admission to Practice: 2015 Years in practice in Tulsa: 4 TCBA Offices / Committee Chairs (Last 5 years): Young Lawyer Division Chair – 20162017, 2018-2019; Children and the Law Chair – 20172019; Children and the Law Vice Chair – 2016-2017; OBA Delegate – 2018-2019 OBA Offices, Committees (Last 5 years): OBA Women in Law, Social Chair, 2016 Outside / Community Activities (Last 5 years): Volunteer and foster dogs for Compassionate Animal Rescue Efforts (CARE); Volunteer and foster dogs for TSPCA, organized TCBA Holiday Challenge 8 Tulsa Lawyer
If elected, what are your goals for this office: I want to ensure that minutes are timely submitted and keep a clear record to rely on for the Board of Directors and Executive Committee. Moreover, I want to give more of a voice to young lawyers in our county bar association so that they can feel more comfortable getting involved. Which qualities that you bring to this office do you want members to consider when voting for you: I am an extremely organized individual with great attention to detail. I am also very committed and passionate about the Tulsa County Bar Association.
Treasurer - Philip D. Hixon Shareholder, GableGotwals Year of Admission to Practice: 2001 Years in Practice in Tulsa: 18
TCBA Offices / Committee Chairs (Last 5 years): Direc-
tor at Large, Large Firm (2018-present); Budget Chair (20182019); TCBA Health Law Section, Co-Chair (2015-2017)
OBA Offices, Committees (Last 5 years): OBA Delegate (Alternate) (2018-present); OBA Health Law Section (2015-Present)
Outside / Community Activities (Last 5 years): Tulsa
County Bar Foundation, Treasurer (2017-Present); Morton Comprehensive Health Services, Inc., Board of Directors (2018-present); Will Rogers Memorial Commission, past member and Vice Chair (2012-2016); Oklahoma Health Lawyers, Vice President (2016-2017), President (2017-Present); Federalist Society, Tulsa Lawyer Chapter, Membership Chair (2014-Present)
If elected, what are your goals for this office: I would be honored to serve as Treasurer. As Treasurer, I would diligently address the duties and responsibilities of the office and continue to improve the TCBA’s financial reporting, building on the recently concluded audit. Which qualities that you bring to this office do you want members to consider when voting for you: I am qualified
to fulfill the responsibilities of Treasurer by education an experience. I possess undergraduate and graduate degrees in business administration. I am in my second year as treasurer of the Tulsa County Bar Foundation. I have approximately 8 years of professional management and financial analysis experience gained through employment before law school. I served as treasurer for my church home in Edmond for 3 years, managing a budget in excess of $500,000. I have familiarity with the TCBA’s operation and have extensive experience with similar not-for-profit civic organizations, including (in addition to those listed above) Tulsa Habitat for Humanity, Rebuilding Together Tulsa, Tulsa Lawyers for Children, and Big Brothers and Sisters of Green Country.
Library Trustee - Trish L. Archer Archer Law, Owner Year of Admission to Practice: 2005 Years in Practice in Tulsa: 14
TCBA Offices / Committee Chairs (Last 5 years): Secretary, Library Trustee, Delegate, Golf Committee Chair
If elected, what are your goals for this office: Help pro-
mote the library resources available to colleagues and the public.
Which qualities that you bring to this office do you want members to consider when voting for you: I am able to problem solve and not afraid for my opinions to be heard.
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Director-at-Large 2 yr, Large Firm: C. Austin Birnie Conner & Winters, LLP – Associate Attorney (Indian Law and Litigation) Year of Admission to Practice: 2014 Years in practice in Tulsa: 4-5years OBA Offices, Committees (Last 5 years): TCBA Alternate Delegate Outside / Community Activities (Last 5 years): Tulsa Opera Board of Directors; Catholic Worker of Tulsa; Church of St. Mary (music ministry)
If elected, what are your goals for this office: I would like to work to increase participation in the TCBA among lawyers and firms that have not taken full advantage of their membership; connect with area lawyers to identify specific areas of interest in CLE that are not part of the TCBA’s current offerings, and help expand the TCBA's range of programs accordingly; and increase the presence and visibility of the TCBA among the community so that our bar will be of greater benefit to all. Which qualities that you bring to this office do you want members to consider when voting for you: As a native Tulsan, I will bring to this office my love for this great city and our bar. I will thoughtfully and deliberately consider all sides of each issue that comes before the Board so that I can make the best-informed decision of greatest benefit to the TCBA and to our community at large. It will be an honor to serve you in this position.
Director-at-Large 2 yr, Public Sector: Linda Morrissey District Judge for the state of Oklahoma
legal process by guiding them in enacting a trial of the Wolf from the book “The True Story of The Three Little Pigs."
Year of Admission to Practice: 1980
If elected, what are your goals for this office: To promote a strong relationship between the judiciary and the TCBA and to encourage interaction with the TU Law School.
Years in practice in Tulsa: 39 OBA Offices, Committees (Last 5 years): Civil Procedure and Evidence Committee, Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Section, Judicial Liason Chair; Exec Brd, Nomin. Cmt Appellate and Trial Division of the Court on the Judiciary Committee on Judicial Elections, Chairperson Outside / Community Activities (Last 5 years): Organized and presented numerous seminars on cyberbullying, probate matters, other misc topics Spoke at CLEs on civil court issues Presented a TCBA program to veterans regarding probate and estate matters Served on the Tulsa Public Schools Community Advisory Council Hosted multiple groups of young people in my courtroom to learn about the
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Which qualities that you bring to this office do you want members to consider when voting for you: Enthusiasm for serving the Tulsa legal community. Additionally, I follow through on my commitments and I am very organized. I am accessible and maintain a pleasant temperament.
See voting information on page 1.
Director-at-Large 2 yr, Mid-Size Firm: Charles "Chuck" Richardson Richardson Richardson Boudreaux, PLLC, Managing Partner
this association offers, increase participation by these firms and identify the needs of the members to facilitate a strong working relationship.
Which qualities that you bring to this office do you want members to consider when voting for you: A word that Years in practice in Tulsa: 28 has been used to describe my attributes is leadership. I TCBA Offices / Committee Chairs (Last 5 years): believe this opportunity will allow me to identify the areas the organization is successful and develop a plan to increase Mentoring Committee the success in the other areas. As the managing member of Outside / Community Activities (Last 5 years): Active our firm, I know the challenges firms of this size confront and with LifeChurch and serve on Sunday mornings, lead a Life will work with TCBA to assist similar firms in overcoming these challenges. Group, mentor a group of young men, coach sports. Year of Admission to Practice: 1990
If elected, what are your goals for this office: As a practicing attorney for 28 years, my involvement with the TCBA has been quite limited. I believe this is a result of my failure to realize the importance of this association and the benefit provided to members of the bar and the public. It is my desire to assist mid size firms in realizing the opportunity
Director-at-Large 2 yr, Mid-Size Firm: Jennifer L. Struble Senior Research Associate, Secrest, Hill, Butler & Secrest Year of Admission to Practice: 2003 Years in practice in Tulsa: 16 TCBA Offices / Committee Chairs (Last 5 years): I have most recently served as a director at large for a medium firm for the past 2 years. I have been a member of the Law related Education Committee of and on for about 10 years. I chaired the committee in 2012-2015. OBA Offices, Committees (Last 5 years): I have been a member of the Law Related Education Committee for the OBA for 11 years. I have also been a member of the Appellate Practice Section and the Insurance Law Section. Outside / Community Activities (Last 5 years): I have served as a volunteer mentor for the University Of Tulsa College Of Law and assisted with a mock trial team. I am active in my neighborhood association by promoting restorative remodels to vintage houses and I run the neighborhood pool.
If elected, what are your goals for this office: To Continue working with the Tulsa Lawyer to involve more attorneys in writing articles of interest to the membership, to work with the membership committee to assess the value added by various benefits offered for membership and see if we can continue to improve, and to continue to work with committees to determine if dial in attendance at committee meetings would increase active participation.
Which qualities that you bring to this office do you want members to consider when voting for you: I am active in many attorney groups both in real life and on social media and try to keep my eyes open at all times for ideas and areas to improve the membership experience. I have been a board member long enough to be familiar with the committees and leadership roles. I am willing to speak up and bring those ideas to the board to determine what officer or committee could best address the issue at hand. I am confident and creative in ideas and solutions.
Tulsa Lawyer 13
Director-at-Large 2 yr, Small Firm: Megan M. Beck Megan M. Beck, PLLC Year of Admission to Practice: 2005 (Illinois) 2012 (Oklahoma)
practitioners within the bar association and community at Board of Directors meetings, but also serve as a resource to other small/solo practitioners for what the bar association can offer them.
Which qualities that you bring to this office do you want members to consider when voting for you: I’m TCBA Offices / Committee Chairs (Last 5 years): organized, personable, and dedicated. I also bring the perspective of having practiced in the large firm environment Currently Vice Chair, Children in the Law Committee prior to starting my own practice and am willing to serve Outside / Community Activities (Last 5 years): Board as a resource to those wanting to start their own practices, of Directors, Emergency Infant Services; Board Member, regardless of the stage of their practice. Holland Hall Alumni Association Years in practice in Tulsa: 6.5
If elected, what are your goals for this office: The TCBA and its members have been such a valuable resource for me, not only since moving my practice back to Tulsa in 2012, but most especially in the past several months as I transitioned to solo practice and opened my solo practice. If elected, I will continue to represent the solo and small firm
“If you don’t vote, you lose the right to complain.” -George Carlin
Director-at-Large 2 yr, Small Firm: Kenneth G. Miles (“Ken”) Kenneth G. Miles, Attorney & Counselor (Solo Attorney) Year of Admission to Practice: 1981 (Admitted in Oklahoma and Texas) Years in practice in Tulsa: 37 TCBA Offices / Committee Chairs (Last 5 years): No offices/Committee Chairs;S ubstitute/Interim Chair Fee Arbitration Committee – February 2015; Member of 4 Committees during the specified period. OBA Offices, Committees (Last 5 years): Military Assistance (“Heroes for Heroes”) Committee; Rules of Professional Conduct Committee; Law Schools Committee. Outside / Community Activities (Last 5 years): American Volkssport (Popular Sports) Association – National Board of Directors, National Planning Committee, Walking Club President; Boy Scouts of America – National Order of the Arrow Medical Staff, Silver Beaver Award; Indian Nations Council Board, University of Scouting Dean, Instructor for various adult and youth leadership courses at Council-level and below, Council Camporee Vice-Chair, Eagle District Membership Chairman, Eagle District Commissioner, Instructor for various adult and youth leadership courses; Scoutmaster Troop 20, Venture Advisor Crew 20; Tulsa Opera Soloist and Chorus Member; Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children Fundraising Committee; Memorial Baptist Church Deacon for 25 years, Member and Chairman of 6 Church Committees.
If elected, what are your goals for this office: My experience leads me to believe that the role of a corporate director far exceeds attending and voting at board meetings. Notwithstanding that I have practiced law in Tulsa County, in Oklahoma, and in other states for more than 35 years, I intend to take time to visit other Tulsa County Offices, law firms in the County, large and small, the Sheriff’s Department, and Tulsa Police Precincts in order to learn still more about the facts regarding issues impacting our various practices and our lives. With that in mind and because my undergraduate and graduate degrees are in psychology and social-psychology, my door will always be open for each of you, “the practitioners,” to have a cup of coffee and visit about any of those issues or any others with which I can provide or obtain help. Which qualities that you bring to this office do you want members to consider when voting for you: I have experience starting from the “ground floor” (I was a Private in the U.S. Army) and progressing upward through military ranks to Lieutenant Colonel and later, through large and small law firm structures to Senior Partner. I have a wealth of experience serving on the Boards of Directors of various non-profit entities and have written or rewritten the organizational documents for six of them (including the Tribal Housing Authority of the Delaware Indian Tribe). Please consider that “office-related experience” along with more than 40 years experience as a leader/director/manager of men and women as a firm foundation for service as a TCBA Director and a highly-qualified fellow-professional.
Tulsa Lawyer 15
TCBA Election s OBA DELEGATES 2019-2020 Each of the nominees for OBA Delegate was asked to provide the following information: • • • •
Employer & position Year admitted to practice Years practicing in Tulsa Their goals are for the office of OBA Delegate.
Here are brief profiles of the 27 nominees. 15 delegates will be chosen, 15 alternates will be chosen or appointed.
Megan M. Beck • Megan M. Beck, PLLC • 2005 (Illinois) 2012 (Oklahoma) • 6.5 years • My goals for this office are to continue to provide high-caliber representation of the TCBA at the OBA Annual Meeting and other OBA events.
Grant A. Carpenter • Sherwood, McCormick & Robert, Associate • 2015 • 4 years • I look forward to the opportunity to assist in promoting Tulsa County’s interests at the State level.
Martha Rupp Carter • Administrative Office of the Courts, State of Oklahoma, District Judge of the 14th Judicial District • 1980 • 29 years • I would like to represent and serve the interests of the Tulsa County Bar in the issues presented to the House of Delegates, Oklahoma Bar Association. I appreciate membership’s consideration of my willingness and desire to serve.
Tamera A. Childers • Tamera A. Childers, PLLC, Managing Member • 2003 • 16 years • I will make every effort to stay informed of important issues that may be presented to the House of Delegates. I will attend the OBA Annual Meeting and participate in the House of Delegates when there are issues and/or candidates presented for a vote or election. Tulsa Lawyer 17
John D. Clayman • Frederic Dorwart, Lawyers PLLC • 1986 • 32+ years • I have modest goals to help the Bar in its mission.
J. Christopher Davis • Johnson & Jones, P.C. • 1995 • 23 years • I will plan to stay on top of what the statewide issues of concern are as articulated by the OBA, and then to seek out the wisdom of my fellow TCBA practitioners about those issues so I can properly represent the interests of the TCBA at
the annual meeting. This past session I attended there were several hot button issues on the agenda, such as whether the Rules of Professional Conduct should be amended to make it more expressly clear whether lawyers can properly advise clients involved in the new marijuana trade, even though at the federal level much of that trade may be deemed illegal. Knowing the consensus thinking of the TCBA on such issues is a critical part of being a delegate and I look forward to that task.
Matt Farris • Commerce Trust Company, Market Executive • 2006 • 13 years • To continue my service to the local bar by remaining active in state bar matters and policy.
Ryan Fulda • Schaffer Herring, PLLC, Director • 2006 • 12 years • I would be honored to represent the TCBA at the OBA Annual Meeting, House of Delegates.
James R. Gotwals • James R. Gotwals and Associates, Inc.. President • 1975 • 44 years • To fairly and reasonably represent the Tulsa county Bar at the annual Convention and to have a clear understanding of the candidates and issues the delegates are required to determine.
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Trevor Hughes • Shareholder, Johnson and Jones’ PC • 2006 • 12 years • I am passionate about improving trial practice and litigation skills. I am particularly interested in mentoring/ continuing education for attorneys beginning their career in litigation.
Sabah Khalaf • • • •
• Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, Inc; staff attorney • 2005 • 14 years • Represent the interests of the TCBA and to serve at the pleasure of the Board.
Linda Morrissey
• District Judge for the state of Oklahoma The Khalaf Law Firm • 1980 (owner) • 39 years 2010 • To promote a strong Almost 9 years relationship between the Further the agenda of my judiciary and the OBA and the constituents. TCBA and the OBA and to encourage interaction with and support of the TU Law School.
Matt Matheson •
Kimberly K. Moore
no information provided
Sean McKee • Best & Sharp • 19902 • 8 years
Justin B. Munn • Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson, LLP / Of Counsel • September, 1998 • 19 years • Continue representing the interests of Tulsa area attorneys and the Tulsa County Bar Association at the state level.D. continued on next page...
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Faith Orlowski
Michael P. Taubman
• Moyer Martin, LLP; Of • Taubman Law Office, PLLC; Counsel Attorney • 1978 • 2004 • 41 years • 14.5 years • I wish to continue to serve as • Oklahoma’s legislature an OBA Delegate representing reportedly consists of 4 lawyers the TCBA. I actually enjoy in the senate and 10 in the going to the Bar Convention house. Our profession needs a - but then I also enjoy going substantial voice in the ears of to Title Standards meeting ( I suppose my hurdle for those who create, modify and propose measures to repeal enjoyment is a low bar). elements of our Oklahoma constitution and statues. In addition to the regular flood of legislative proposals, an increasing number of bills introduced in state legislatures across the Nation propose changes to state courts that would diminish the role or independence of • State of Oklahoma, Judicial the judiciary. As an OBA Delegate of the TCBA, I seek to advocate for our association's membership and that Branch of our profession to avoid unnecessary and wasteful • 1979 legislative actions, in addition to voicing the interests • Always in Tulsa! • Having served for years of Tulsa County lawyers before the OBA. as an OBA Delegate, I know how important it is for all Tulsa County lawyers to have a voice in the House of Delegates. Involvement in the OBA ensure a presence from our • Associate Attorney at Hall side of I-35. Estill • 2017 • 2 Years • I will represent the interests of Tulsa County and the Tulsa • no information provided legal community to the best of my ability. As a “greenhorn,” representing these interests entails making an active effort to solicit the views and opinions of the more veteran • State's Attorney, Oklahoma members of our community. Child Support Services • 2016 • 2 Years • My goals are to work with Golf is a game the other delegates from Tulsa in which you yell ‘fore,’ to ensure our bar association is effectively and professionally shoot six, represented while promoting our bar association's vision and plan for the future. and write down five.
Millie Otey
Aaron C. Tifft
Johnathon Rogers Lizzie Stafford
20 Tulsa Lawyer
~Paul Harvey
Georgenia A. Van Tuyl • Sole Practitioner • May, 1986 • Almost 33 years • I have been an OBA delegate for 14 years and have participated as a Delegate and Alternate Delegate at the State meeting every year I was elected. I believe I have experience to continue representing our Tulsa County Bar Association. I have served on the TCBA Board as a Library Trustee for 3 terms and have participated in our local Bar organization. My primary goal is to represent our local Bar association on the State level and vote for the best measures for our state Bar association. I would appreciate your consideration and vote as an OBA Delegate in this upcoming election.
Jill Walker-Abdoveis
Brenna N. Wiebe • Rodolf & Todd, Attorney • 2015 • 4 years • Represent Tulsa at the OBA Annual Meeting and promote the goals and priorities of not only Tulsa attorneys, but also attorneys statewide.
Karen Keith Wilkins • Karen Keith Wilkins, Attorney at Law • April 2006 • 13 • I have served TCBA in a number of different roles over the years, and would welcome the opportunity to represent our local bar association at the OBA annual meeting.
• Franden, Farris, Quillin, Goodnight + Roberts – Associate • 2005 Do you have a topic • 10 years • To ensure that the goals and you'd like to present at a values of members of the Bar in TCBA CLE? Tulsa County are reflected in the Contact Tami Williams at rules and policies adopted by the Oklahoma Bar Association. tamiw@tulsabar.com or
Ashley Roberts Webb
Lizzie Stafford at lizzie.stafford@gmail.com
• Riggs Abney law firm Shareholder • 2004 • 15 years • To facilitate and encourage more involvement of the local bar membership in the OBA’s activities, and to address members’ areas of specific concern with their state association (e.g. benefits, direction, responsiveness, etc.) Tulsa Lawyer 21
UNITY BILL ENHANCES EMPLOYER RIGHTS REGARDING MEDICAL MARIJUANA What Oklahoma Employers Should Know Stefan Mecke and Jeremy Owens
Oklahoma recently approved the “Unity Bill” (HB 2612), legislation which amends the State’s current treatment of medical marijuana under State Question 788. The Unity Bill’s new laws provide Oklahoma employers additional rights which may trigger a need for employers to review and update their existing employment policies. The Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Act (SQ 788) Employers in Oklahoma have been reviewing their approaches to drug testing in the workplace since June, 2018, when Oklahomans voted to pass State Question 788, known as the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Act (Oklahoma Statutes Title 63, Section 425). Since its passage, Oklahoma employers have been evaluating best practices for handling the use of medical marijuana by employees who have a valid medical marijuana license and hold a safety-sensitive position. Unfortunately, the Medical Marijuana Act does not address this issue, however, it does affect employers by providing limitations on actions that employers can take against medical marijuana license holders, specifically: (i) Oklahoma employers cannot discriminate in hiring, (ii) impose any negative term or condition of employment, or (iii) otherwise penalize an employee based on his/ her medical marijuana patient license status solely based on a positive test for marijuana. Despite the limitations imposed on employers by the Medical Marijuana Act, employers may lawfully take employment action against employees (including medical marijuana patient license holders) for the possession of and/or use of marijuana: (i) on or in company vehicles, equipment or other property; (ii) during work hours, or (iii) at the workplace.
The Unity Bill (House Bill 2612) On March 14, 2019, Governor Stitt signed into law the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Use and Patient Protection Act – known as the “Unity Bill” – which amends Oklahoma’s medical marijuana law. The new law is set to take effect 90 days after the closure of this legislative session. The Unity Bill includes, in Section 427.8(h), a bar on employer adverse action (e.g., refusal to hire, discipline, and discharge) against a job applicant or employee based solely on an individual’s status as a medical marijuana licensee. From an employer’s perspective, the Unity Bill’s most significant impact may be the addition of an express authorization to take into consideration the use of medical marijuana when an applicant or employee holds, or will hold, a position involving safety-sensitive job duties. The Unity Bill directs that safety-sensitive jobs are those positions that the employer reasonably believes could affect the safety and health of the employee or others, such as, but are not limited to, the following job duties: •
Handling, working with or transporting hazardous materials;
•
Operating motor vehicles, other vehicles, equipment, machinery or power tools;
•
Repairing, maintaining or monitoring heavy equipment or manufacturing processes if a malfunction could result in injury or property damage;
•
Firefighting;
• Operating, maintaining or supervising critical infrastructure such as utilities and power generation; •
22 Tulsa Lawyer
Handling, working with or transporting potentially volatile or flammable materials;
Federal Considerations
•
Dispensing pharmaceuticals;
•
Carrying firearms; or
•
Providing direct patient care or direct child care services.
Under the Influence and Positive Drug Tests The Unity Bill also clarifies that employers may discipline and take action against an employee who is “under the influence” of medical marijuana while at their place of employment or during the fulfillment of their work related duties, regardless of their having a valid medical marijuana license. Unfortunately, the Bill conspicuously fails to provide a meaningful definition of “under the influence” with which employers may use in determining an employee’s impairment. The new law does reference the Oklahoma Standards for Workplace Drug and Alcohol Testing Act, which lists the circumstances in which an employer may conduct “for-cause” testing, and therefore provides some guidance on the types of observations that might lead an employer to believe that an employee was under the influence of marijuana at work. The new law defines a “positive drug test for marijuana” as a sample that must produce a result that is at or above the cutoff concentration level established by the U.S. Department of Transportation or Oklahoma law, whichever is lower. A challenge for employers will be the fact that a positive drug test does not necessarily indicate that the person is currently intoxicated from marijuana which can stay in a person’s system for two weeks.
Drug testing or employment action that is required by federal law remains entirely unaffected by State law. Marijuana use remains illegal under the federal Controlled Substances Act of 1970. Federal law DOES NOT recognize medical marijuana. If your workplace is subject to the Drug Free Workplace Act or federal DOT drug testing regulations, those remain in place and applicable to Oklahoma employers. In addition, if an employer is a federal contractor, and would lose a monetary benefit for allowing employees to use medical marijuana, that employer could lawfully terminate employees that use medical marijuana. Recommendations for Oklahoma Employers • Review and amend (as needed) existing workplace drug and alcohol testing policies to (i) ensure consistency with the new law and (ii) give supervisors and managers the right to take lawful disciplinary action when inappropriate marijuana use or possession occurs. • Ensure your workforce understands that impairment or being under the influence of marijuana at work, or during working hours, remains prohibited under all circumstances and could lead to termination. • Discipline or terminate employees who possess marijuana in the workplace or during working hours based on established employer policies. • Train managers and supervisors to increase their skills at recognizing the behaviors and indicators of employee impairment at work and the importance of maintaining a safe workplace. • Enforce drug testing policies against employees with positive tests for marijuana that do not have valid medical marijuana patient licenses. • Enforce policies under federal requirements that disallow performance of covered duties for continued on page 24...
positive drug tests (including positive marijuana drug tests). • Do not ask applicants or employees if they hold a medical marijuana patient license unless they receive a positive test result and the employer has a legitimate reason for the inquiry based on the need to confirm whether the use of marijuana is lawful under the particular circumstances. • Determine what positions include safetysensitive job duties that are exempt from the discrimination prohibitions in the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Act. • Identify positions that are safety-sensitive and document the reasons for concluding that certain tasks or duties could affect the health or safety of the employee or others.
Stefan Mecke
Jeremy Jones
Stefan Mecke and Jeremy Owens are attorneys with Barber & Bartz Law Firm. Learn more about their practice areas at www.barberbartz.com.
Feeling stressed? Trouble coping?
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• 1-800-364-7886 • Monthly Discussion Groups/Topics • Drugs, aclcohol, depression, stress, relatoinship management, gambling • https://www.okbar.org/lhl/ National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255) National, Toll-Free, 24 Hours
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24 Tulsa Lawyer 24 Tulsa Lawyer
June is Member Appreciation Month Mark your calendars and stay tuned for details. These are a few of the exciting events planned!
Event Registration Open May 15th! June 5th - CLE Full Stomachs & Minds CLE (maximum of 60 registrants) Details to come!
June 7th - 6:30PM Safe House Escape Room,
4835 S. Fulton Avenue, Tulsa 74135 (1 Hour Event) Members and one guest have exactly one hour to test your wits and problem solve a series of puzzles in a single room. The goal is to escape within the time limit. Four rooms have been reserved for TCBA and there is a maximum of 8 players per escape room.
June 11th - 5PM AR Workshop
1020 S. Rockford Avenue, Suite D, Tulsa 74120 (2-3 Hour Event) Join your fellow TCBA members for a night of fun and creativity at AR Workshop, a boutique DIY studio that offers hands-on classes for creating custom and charming home decor from raw materials. There are 26 spots available and members can register to bring one guest. Members who sign up will receive a link prior to the day of the event to choose which design he or she would like materials supplied for on the night of the event. Complimentary snacks will be provided and there will be a cash bar available.
The Bar Center will be closed May 6 for the TCBF Charity Golf Tourney
June 13th - 5PM Angry Axe
7 N. Peoria, Tulsa 74120 Release your inner lumberjack! Up to 20 members can experience the joy of axe throwing in a safe, casual, indoor facility. Drinks and snacks will be provided.
June 22nd - 1PM-5PM Main Event
830 S. Santa Fe Avenue West, Tulsa 74132 Members and up to three guests (up to 115 people) are invited to Main Event for an afternoon of all you can play activities such as bowling, laser tag, billiards and gravity ropes obstacle course. Each attendee will receive a $25 FunCard for use in the arcade. Food and unlimited soft drinks will be provided. A cash bar will be available.
FOUNDATION NEWS
Tulsa County Bar Foundation President Jim Hicks and Outreach Committee Chair Ashley Webb make a presentation in support of Tulsa County Bar Association’s legal sponsorship in JA BizTown! — at Tulsa County Bar Association. Tulsa Lawyer 25
Lynn Miller Law Day Book Club Kicks Off!
Lyn Entzeroth, Dean of University of Tulsa College of Law, hosted and led the book discussion
Stevenson returned to law school from his internship committed to helping death row prisoners. Stevenson worked for the Southern Prisoners Defense Committee after law school. In his fourth year of work, he met Walter McMillion, a death row inmate in Alabama, a state without a public defender system and the fastest-growing condemned population in the country. Shortly after this, Stevenson became a cofounder of the Equal Justice Initiative.
Walter McMillion’s story, including his ultimate exoneration, is one of the many stories Stevenson shares about his life’s work in Just Mercy. The charges and conduct of the criminal investigation and proceeding against McMillion and his conviction are shocking, unfair, and unbelievable, counter to our expectations and construct of the rule of law. Ironically, McMillion Bryan Stevenson’s award winning true story, Just lived and was prosecuted in Monroe County just Mercy.Bryan Stevenson’s first experience in a maximum outside Monroeville, the setting of Harper Lee’s novel security prison and with death row occurred when he To Kill a Mockingbird. Stevenson skillfully weaves was a twenty-something Harvard law student working McMillion’s case and its mishandling within references an internship to the community’s public relations marketing and in Georgia. pride as the home place of Harper Lee and the setting One in every three black male babies S t e v e n s o n of heroic mythical attorney Atticus Finch. born in this century is expected be incarcerated. studied law at Stevenson tells many stories of his work, ranging Harvard while also pursuing a degree in public policy at the Kennedy from his efforts on behalf of persons wrongly convicted School of Government. Like many law students, he was and sent to death row to abused and neglected children uncertain about what he would do with his life or career who were prosecuted as adults and suffered more abuse path. Unlike most, however, he knew even then that and mistreatment upon placement in adult facilities. he would use his life to impact the “lives of the poor, Reading Just Mercy will upset you. Reading it America’s history of racial inequality, and the struggle will also give you hope. to be equitable and fair with one another. for session one of the Lynn Miller Law Day Book Club. Dean Entzeroth and attendees Lisa Deller, Anne Sublett, Tammy Ewing, Terry and Lisa Thomas, Martha Rupp Carter, Karen Langdon, Kristen Brightmire, Mike McBride, Vani Singhal, and Justin Jones discussed
”Stevenson’s internship in 1983 with the Southern Prisoners Defense Committee served the Committee’s mission to assist condemned people on death row in Georgia. Executions were then resuming in the Deep South. Those on death row were for the most part without lawyers or even the right to counsel. The problem was "The power of lack of sufficient time between just mercy is rapidly approaching execution that it belongs to the undeserving. dates and opportunity for review It’s when mercy of these cases by skilled counsel. is least expected that it’s most potent - strong enough to break the cycle of victimization and victimhood, retribution and
suffering. "
26 Tulsa Lawyer
The meeting between legal intern Stevenson and death row inmates in 1983 engaged and focused Stevenson’s commitment to grapple with a question he already had: the question of how and why people are judged unfairly.
Excerpts to contemplate... -Today we have the highest rate of incarceration in the world. -The prison population has increased from 300,000 people in the early 1970s to 2.3 million people today. - One in every fifteen people born in the United States in 2001 is expected to go to jail or prison. - Spending on jails and prisons by state and federal governments has risen from $6.9billion in 1980 to nearly $80 billion today. - State governments have been forced to shift funds from public services, health, and welfare to pay for incarceration, and they now face unprecedented economic crises as a result. - The true measure of our character is how we treat the poor, the disfavored, the accused, the incarcerated and the condemned.
The Tulsa County Bar Foundation Law Day Committee’s Lynn Miller Law Day Book Club, honoring Tulsa attorney, avid reader, and lover of literature, Lynn Miller. Lynn was lost too soon with her passing in 2018. She will be celebrated through the knowledge, ideas, and questions gained from pages we read and discussions we share about books. Registration is required by emailing martha. carter@oscn.net. Discussion sessions are limited to fifteen participants. TCBA members may register up to one guest in addition to themselves. There is no cost for registration. May 14, 2019 How Democracies Die, by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt Discussion led by Dan Boudreau, 6:00 p.m. at Tulsa County Bar Association, 15th and Boston. June 18, 2019 My Dear Hamilton, by Stephanie Dray and Laura KamoieDiscussion led by Martha Rupp Carter, 6:00 p.m. at destination to be announced.
2019 Law Day Committee Joseph V. Allen Rodney L. Buck Mary Bundren Judge Damon Cantrell Judge Martha Rupp Carter Daniel L. Crawford Paul Davis Rebekah L. Frisby-Guthrie, Chair Kara E. Pratt Robert Redemann David Tracy Whitney Bowman Webb Tulsa Lawyer 27
Bears Triumph, Again! Mock Trial Review Hon. Martha Rupp Carter
The Bears' winning streak continued in their legal battle about good manners against perennial foe, Gold E. Locks. Hamilton Elementary School second graders were both educated about the rule of law and the judicial branch and entertained at the Three Bears v. Gold E. Locks mock trial conducted April 12, 2019, at the Tulsa County Courthouse. The cast of characters performed brilliantly despite the unexpected appearance of Alice in Wonderland. Alice briefly wondered about the courtroom searching for a tea party before apprehension by a deputy sheriff and return to the rabbit hole. A twelve-member student jury deliberated only a short time before returning to the courtroom with a verdict form for the Plaintiffs, Pop A. Bear, Mom A. Bear, and Babe E. Bear that "Gold E. Locks showed bad manners." Gold E. Locks did not bear the disappointment well, validating the jury's decision for the Bears. Hamilton second graders posed thoughtful questions of the players, displaying their close attention to the trial and facts and insights into credibility of witnesses. Their only lapse in judgment was in failing to believe the judge was only 25.
Cast of Characters
Pop A. Bear - Kyle Killiam Mom A. Bear - Maren Lively Babe E. Bear - Alex Norris Attorney for Bears - Robert Redemann Gold E. Locks - Sheila Naifeh Mrs. Curl E. Locks - Linda Redemann Attorney for Gold E. Locks - Shane Henry Bailiff - Phil GrandstaffJudge - Martha Rupp Carter Special Guest Star, Alice in Wonderland - Kim Wiley
Tulsa Lawyer 29
This is America By Lorena Rivas 2019 AILA Dreams Contest March 30, 2019 America first derived its named in 1507. It received its name from Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian explorer who put forth the revolutionary idea that the lands that Christopher Columbus came upon in 1492 were not part of the eastern outskirts of Asia, but instead an entirely new continent. A new continent that was unknown and unexplored. Soon after, more explorers came to this new land to see what America was about. Fresh off their ships, they stepped onto our sandy beaches and breathed in the salty air. This is America. They see a land with opportunities and intact resources. They feel the spirit of exploration running through their veins. They see the prosperity this untouched land will bring them. But this land has been touched. It has been touched for thousands of years by indigenous native inhabitants. When the innocent Native Americans first encountered these explorers, they were unsure what to expect. They see a human being that looks very different from them, from the color of their skin to the way they speak to the way they worship their gods. But they also see a diverse human being that shares their own desires to survive the harshness of the wild lands and thrive. This is America. Not only did these foreigners thrive, but they came to dominate the charge towards western exploration and expansion. They see a majestic land with vibrant rivers and towering mountains. They see a land with colorful fields and pulsating stars in the night. They hear a stampede of Bison rumbling through the plains. They see endless frontiers. This is America. With expansion came opportunities. Opportunities for more immigrants from faraway lands to come to America and help build cities, factories, and dreams. They see this magnificent lady with a welcoming torch and inviting message. They see masterful machinery that cuts through distance like 30 Tulsa Lawyer
an eagle souring in the skies. They see their children staking a flag in a piece of land to build a home and memories. This is America. Now, even though they still see their children, the memories are not the same. They hear their children crying and begging for their parent. They see their children in cages. They feel the frigidness of a cooler. They smell the fear among their fellow refugees of being returned to a war torn country where dreams go to die. They see lists, fences, and walls. This is America. But this doesn’t have to be America. This land was seen as a revolutionary idea. This land was seen as a land of opportunities—as a home of diverse ideas and people—as a place with endless frontiers and dreams. This land was seen as home. And there is no reason why it should stop. I see a land where the diversity and differences brought by our immigrants are embraced. I see our immigrants creating advances in technology and medicine that haven’t even been fathomed. I see families reuniting with their loved ones because they haven’t had to wait decades to lawfully migrate to America. I see refugees being given a warm meal and bed after their long harrowing journeys. I see the children of our immigrants remaining with their parents and enjoying their first day of school. I see what the explorers saw when they first set their eyes on this land. I see dreams for our children. I see hope for our future. I see America.
Lorena Rivas is an attorney with Fry & Elder
Law Week Naturalization Ceremony April 11th
April 11, 2019 - Booker T. Washington High School. Officer Andre Murray from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services introduced the new citizens and presented them with their certificates.  The BTW choir sang. Tulsa Lawyer 31
“To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.” - Thomas Campbell
Scottish poet, who served as Lord Rector of Glasgow University (1826–1829).
H. Gregory Maddux
Arthur Berl Fleak
H. Gregory Maddux of Tulsa died March 25, 2019 at Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He was born November 14, 1956 in Lawrence, Kansas. Greg graduated from Oklahoma State University in 1979 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. He went on to receive his J.D. from the University of Tulsa College of Law in 1983, and in 1984 became a member of the Oklahoma Bar Association. He was a long time, well known and respected, attorney in Tulsa. He was a Partner in the firm Maddux & Maddux, PLLC, specializing in real estate law and civil litigation. He owned TitleOne, LLC, a Real Estate Title and Closing Company conducting business since 2010. He was an active title agent with First American Title Insurance as well as a long-standing member of the American Land and Title Association. He was an avid sports fan and enjoyed playing golf with his friends and colleagues. 32 Tulsa Lawyer
Lifelong Tu l s a a t t o r n e y Arthur Berl Fleak died May 30, 2018, at the age of 70. He will be remembered for his smile, sense of humor, and deep knowledge of the law. Art attended Franklin Elementary School, Bell Junior High, and Will Rogers High School, where he was All-state in football. He became a fouryear starter on the Oklahoma State offensive line and was named All-Big 8 Conference, while earning a B.S. in psychology. Art turned down a coaching position to enter TU law school, and earned his Juris Doctorate in three semesters. In 1973, he became Tulsa County’s first Juvenile Public Defender, beginning a lifetime of unselfish devotion to justice for the poor. He worked with counselors, judges, and families to keep youthful offenders with their families and on a path to rehabilitation. Art soon became a pioneer of juvenile justice. At the time, Oklahoma was the only state in the nation without a juvenile justice code, and juveniles had no legal rights. Working with state representative and future governor Frank Keating, Art wrote a juvenile code for Oklahoma. Within a
year it became law, touching countless lives, dramatically improving fairness in the courts and lowering the incarceration rate for young people. In 1974, he became one of Tulsa’s first federal public defenders. In federal criminal appeals court, Art was reputed to have both the highest percentage and the highest number of victories. One of his reversals was the first in the appellate court in over a year. During his entire career of over 700 cases, he maintained a solo practice, did his own research and filings, and never had an employee. While other attorneys enjoyed more lucrative practices, he handled countless cases without pay. Though he joked that his clients paid with chickens and hams, it was actually used cars. He took at least four of them in payment, drove them for a while, and then donated them to charity. He was known for asking the public defender’s office for the toughest indigent cases that other attorneys had refused. He was tenacious, appealing five pro bono cases all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. During the 2010 police corruption scandal, when dozens of people were wrongfully imprisoned, one of Art’s clients received a settlement ten times what some other victims received. He was passionate about equality,
loved the law, and became known for his productive relationships with judges and prosecutors. Art coached his children’s sports teams and enjoyed attending their games. He had a variety of interests, including reading, gardening, and home remodeling. Many knew him for growing bananas every year, because someone told him it couldn’t be done in Tulsa. Art taught business law at Tulsa Community College for 25 years, and never retired from his law practice. Following a cancer diagnosis in 2015, he never told anyone outside his immediate family that he was terminally ill. When he died, he was still working to win a new trial for a client whom he believed had been wrongfully sentenced to life in prison 25 years before. Art was inducted into the Will Rogers High School Hall of Fame March 29, 2019. Survivors include his sister, Debbie (Fleak) Crissup and her husband, Jack and their four children; loving partner, Ada Jane Brownlee; son, Larry Calton (Bonnie); daughter, Chyla Gibbs and son Jim Gibbs; twelve grandchildren, several great nieces and nephews and one great-great nephew, plus many loving cousins and caring friends.
Margaret Swimmer Margaret Swimmer, long time Tulsa attorney and former Cherokee Nation First Lady passed away this past Monday at age 75. A service is set for 1pm April 13 at Trinity Episcopal Church, with a reception to follow at the church. Moore's Rosewood Funeral Home is handling the arrangements. A graduate of the University of Tulsa Law School, she was a practicing attorney for more than three decades. She was a partner with the Hall Estill law firm in Tulsa where she specialized in Indian Law, a subject on which she had written and spoken widely. For more detailed informatin about Margaret Swimmer visit https:// www.tulsaworld.com/obituaries/localobituaries/ margaret-swimmer-tulsa-attorney-and-formercherokee-nation-first-lady/article_7f630aaa-08e85261-ac86-3426b1d594b7.html
Tulsa Lawyer 33
Grapevine News GableGotwals Commits to an Additional 750 Community Service Hours in Honor of its 75th Anniversary. In honor of its 75th anniversary, GableGotwals is committing to an additional 750 community service hours in 2019. The Firm’s strong culture includes giving back to the communities in which we serve. “GableGotwals has a long history of community support, civil leadership, and pro bono work,” said Firm President, Amy Stipe. “It’s evident in the numerous organizations and hours our employees give. Last year alone, the Firm gave a recorded value of $784,000 worth of Riggs Abney attorney Sharon Gentry accepts the time and services and we are pledging to give an adaward for 2019 Law Firm of Distinction from Rep- ditional 750 community service hours in 2019.” resentative Collin Walke, OCU Law graduate and event emcee. Attorney Sharon Gentry received the Law Firm of Distinction Award on behalf of Riggs Abney Law Firm at the 2019 Oklahoma City University School of Law Awards Dinner on April 6 in Oklahoma City. The firm received this honor due to its active involvement in numerous charitable, civic and service organizations. The award is presented annually to a law firm who has a history of hiring OCU Law alumni, serving or mentoring OCU Law students, participating in internship programs for OCU Law students, or contributes monetarily or otherwise to the success of the Oklahoma City University School of Law. The recipient firm must also have attained prominence in the community through support of its worthy endeavors in education, government or accomplishments impressive to the citizens of Oklahoma.
Send Grapevine announcements to tulsabarnews@yahoo.com. Firm, family, marriage, birth announcements, graduations. Share your news with the TCBA Membership.
Rachel Blue, an intellectual property attorney and shareholder with McAfee & Taft, was honored with the 2019 Fern Holland Award by the University of Tulsa College of Law Women’s Law Caucus at the Fern Holland Banquet on March 27, 2019. The award, which is named after a TU Law alumna who tragically lost her life in 2004 while protecting the rights of women in Iraq, is given annually to a Tulsaarea attorney who embodies the spirit of Fern Holland and advocates for human rights or the empowerment of women. Blue was honored for her numerous efforts focused on empowering women over the years, which have included mentoring female law students, chairing the TU College of Law’s Alumni Relations and Mentoring Committees, serving as the chair of McAfee & Taft’s Women’s Initiative, and hosting special events that provide female law students with an opportunity to meet and network with women lawyers and judges.
" TWITTER, TWEET, RETWEET and the Twitter logo are trademarks of Twitter, Inc. or its affiliates. " Tulsa Lawyer 35
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Position for Litigation Associate Attorney in Tulsa We are recruiting an experienced partner-track Associate Attorney to handle all phases of civil litigation within a strong team setting that focuses on client service and maximizing outcomes. Our practice includes challenging procedural and technical issues, and the successful candidate will possess strong analytical, advocacy and case management skills. We are looking for the right attorney to join our team who will take pride in the service we deliver and fit within our friendly, low-key firm environment. Candidates must have at least 7-years’ experience in civil litigation that reflects highly developed skill in legal research, drafting memoranda, briefs and discovery, taking depositions, managing document production, and oral argument. Candidates should submit a recent writing sample and CV to smcdaniel@ok-counsel.com.
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36 Tulsa Lawyer
Golfing Fun Fact:
The longest hole-in-one record has stood since March 1961 when Lou Kretlow aced the 427 yard 16th hole at Lake Hefner golf course, Oklahoma City, USA. golfandcourse,com
Tulsa County Bar Association 1446 S. Boston Ave. Tulsa, OK 74119
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