Your state bar association offers you a broad selection of opportunities to make the most of your membership. You may not even be aware of some of the professional benefits available to you as an Oklahoma Bar Association member. Check this list to be sure you are taking full advantage of the member services provided.

ONLINE SERVICES

Oklahoma Bar Circle - Designed in the same fashion as the popular social networking site Facebook, Oklahoma Bar Circle gives OBA members an easy way to communicate and stay in touch with other members through online messages, picture albums and wall posts. And it’s a free member benefit. To utilize Oklahoma Bar Circle, members must sign up for their own account. Log in at www.okbar.org.

OKNEWSBAR – Designed with the needs of OBA members in mind, OKNEWSBAR has been created to allow you to quickly access new Oklahoma and U.S. Supreme Court opinions as well as up-to-date legal news and law practice management tips.

Fastcase – The OBA now offers online legal research software as a free benefit to all OBA members. The OBA has contracted with Fastcase to provide the member benefit for three years, which includes national coverage, unlimited usage, unlimited customer service and unlimited free printing – at no cost to bar members, as a part of their existing bar membership. To use Fastcase, go to www.okbar.org. Under the Fastcase logo, to log in enter your username (OBA number) and password PIN for the myokbar portion of the OBA Web site.

www.okbar.org – main site or front door for the OBA with links to all other OBA Web presences and much information for members as well as a great deal of information for the public.

My okbar – password-protected portion of the OBA’s Web site. Easy to do everything from changing your official address, enrolling in a CLE course, checking your MCLE credits to listing your practice areas on the Internet so potential clients can find you. You can also receive electronic communications from the bar by adding your e-mail address to the roster.

OBA-NET – members-only interactive service. Free basic service with premium services available to enhance the member benefit. This is where lawyers are empowered to help each other through online discussions and an online document repository. You must agree to certain terms and be issued a password to participate in OBA-NET.

E-News – current OBA news and information to assist in your law practice that is sent once a month to members with an e-mail address as part of their official roster information.

Online CLE – quality OBA/CLE online programming, plus online seminar programs from other state bar associations. It’s a convenient way to get up to six hours MCLE credit.

Oklahomafindalawyer – the OBA’s official lawyer listing service. Free to members and the public. It is also a useful tool for lawyers to identify attorney practice area expertise in specific geographic areas. Sign up through my okbar.

www.okbar.org/research/links – a quick way to find the Oklahoma Supreme Court Web site to look up Oklahoma cases and statutes online. Can be used to find the online site of the Court of Criminal Appeals or any of Oklahoma’s District Courts, hunt a state or federal agency, locate a federal court site, find a municipal ordinance or find the rules from local or federal courts. As a bonus there are many other links to assist in your legal and factual research.

Oklahoma Bar Circle - OBA's official social networking site. Login through www.okbar.org.

Web site design and hosting – provided by the OBA staff to committees, sections and county bar associations.

Prepared speeches for community/civic groups – speeches, outlines and handouts prepared by the OBA’s Bench and Bar Committee on selected topics for presentation to public groups. Available online.

PUBLICATIONS

Oklahoma Bar Journal– 34 issues annually, contains articles, court opinions, substantive law, state bar news, professional changes, member news (moves, kudos, additions to firms, etc.), master calendar of judicial and bar events, $55 annual subscription, free to members. Specially printed binders to keep bar journals organized are provided to members at $15.95 each.

Continuing Legal Education materials – seminar materials and form books available for purchase, an affordable way to get quality, state-specific practice aids. Prices start at approximately $40. A complete list of topics is available online, or come by the CLE Dept. at the Oklahoma Bar Center Monday- Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., and review the books available.

Consumer information brochures – pamphlets on 16 topics covering commonly asked questions to give to clients, sold to OBA members at a minimal cost of $16 for 100. Brochure topics are: wills, probate, joint tenancy, home buying, tenant rights and duties, landlord rights, divorce, small claims court, employee rights, bankruptcy, trial juror information, lawyers & legal fees, living wills (brochure and form), criminal law and resolving conflicts and disputes. As a community service the OBA distributes the brochures free to courthouses and libraries throughout the state.

PRACTICE MANAGEMENT/PROFESSIONALISM

Young Lawyers Division – YLD is a professional service network offering the chance to participate in community and bar-related programs. Lawyers of any age who have been in practice less than 10 years are automatically members. no dues are required. Information about YLD programs is available at www.okbar.org/members/yld.

Continuing Legal Education seminars – the OBA creates and coordinates 125 live seminars, produces numerous videotaped programs annually and offers materials on a full spectrum of legal topics. OBA members can come to the Bar Center anytime during regular business hours to watch a seminar video of your choice and earn CLE, but please call in advance to schedule. Call Renee Montgomery at (405) 416-7029.

Practice management/ technology hotline service – free telephone calls to the Management Assistance Program (MAP) staff and the OBA Director of Information Systems for brief answers about practical management and technology issues, such as law office software, understanding computer jargon, staff and personnel problems, software training opportunities, time management and trust account management. Call (405) 416-7008.

Office “health checks” – in-depth personal or group consultations that take place in the lawyer’s office, consultations may focus on technology, office procedures or other areas agreed upon by attorney and MAP Coordinator. Fee is $500 per day for small law firms (five attorneys or less) or $750 per day for medium or larger firms (more than five attorneys), program offered by OBA’s MAP Dept. Call (405) 416-7008 to schedule.

MAP workshops – customized day-long presentations on technology and office
procedures conducted on-site to a group of attorneys and staff members from different firms using a multimedia approach, may include computer generated presentation, videotapes on such topics as professionalism and trust accounting procedures and workshop exercises, afternoon session devoted to answering specific questions anonymously submitted. This is for firms who wish to share costs and have more general information presented to them.

Book purchasing program – OBA members can purchase ABA Law Practice Management Section books at the same discount as ABA/LPM members through the OBA Management Assistance Program.

Lending library – law practice management books, video and audio tapes available for lawyers to check out and review. There is no fee for checking out materials to take home.

Ethics Counsel – assists members with ethical questions and inquiries on subjects such as conflicts, confidentiality and client concerns. The Ethics Counsel also presents continuing education programs on the topics of ethics and professionalism. Call (405) 416-7083.

Crisis Counseling Services – Need help with stress, depression or addiction? Call the Lawyers Helping Lawyers Assistance Program toll-free at (800) 364-7886. The OBA offers all bar members up to six hours of free crisis counseling. It's strictly confidential and available 24 hours a day.

OBA sections – 23 substantive law sections that offer professional development and interaction, experience professional growth by learning from colleagues in your practice area and develop new contacts, benefits vary by section with a growing number of sections holding midyear or quarterly meetings that offer free or discount CLE to section members, some sections publish member newsletters. For a list of sections and their annual dues, click here.

County bar association and civic group speakers – OBA officers, Board of Governors members and staff members are available (for the price of a meal) to speak at luncheons and banquets on a wide variety of topics including legislative issues, ethics, law office management and law practice tips.

NETWORKING

Leadership opportunities – boards, committees, sections and commissions are some of the volunteer opportunities that offer career development and ways to interact with other attorneys and judges.

Annual Meeting – participate in CLE programs, section and committee meetings, have a voice in determining the OBA’s legislative program and electing future state bar leaders, take advantage of networking opportunities with attorneys and judges from throughout the state. The 2009 Annual Meeting will take place Nov. 4-6 at the Sheraton Hotel in Oklahoma City.

Solo & Small Firm Conference/YLD Midyear Meeting – lawyers have the opportunity to get to know one another and to take advantage of a CLE seminar in a relaxed family setting. The 2010 Solo and Small Firm Conference is scheduled for June 24-26 at Downstream Casino Resort in Quapaw, OK.

OBA MERCHANDISE

Lady of Justice Color Lithograph – this framed and matted lithograph of the bar center's Lady of Justice makes a great addition to any office. Each piece is signed by the artist, Greg Burns. Click here for more details and to view a sample.

OTHER SERVICES

Toll free phone number – in-state OBA members who live outside the Oklahoma City metro calling area can place free calls to the Oklahoma Bar Center by dialing (800) 522-8065, which connects you to our receptionist (a real, live person - not a machine) to direct your call to the proper person or department.

Direct dial and 24-hour messaging to OBA staff members – bypass waiting for the OBA receptionist to answer your call by dialing a staff person or department directly, a list of phone numbers is published in the Oklahoma Bar Journal next to the events calendar, leave a voice message anytime (nights and weekends too). After-hour calls to the general phone numbers (405) 416-7000 or (800) 522-8065 are automated and will list department extension numbers to punch in if you don’t know the direct phone number.

Video conferencing– available at Tulsa County Bar Center so that committee and section members can join in on meetings without traveling to Oklahoma City.

Legislative services – the OBA’s executive director works for adoption of legislative issues approved by the House of Delegates, and the Legislative Monitoring Committee provides a periodic legislative report highlighting the status of selected bills during the session. The report is published in the Oklahoma Bar Journal and on the Web site while the Legislature is in session.

Meeting rooms at Bar Center – many size rooms to choose from to accommodate small and large group meetings, client conferences and depositions, free to members during weekday business hours, nominal fee for evenings.

OPTIONAL MEMBER PURCHASE

Oklahoma Legal Directory – official directory of OBA members with addresses and phone numbers, roster alphabetical and by county, includes guide to county, state and federal offices plus departments of the U.S. and Oklahoma government, complete digest of courts, professional associations including OBA officers, committees and sections. Published by Legal Directories Publishing Co., hard bound edition $57 + shipping. Call (800) 447-5375 to request order form or go to www.legaldirectories.com.

Title Examination Standards – contains all the presently effective Oklahoma Title Examination Standards and reflects all revisions, produced by the OBA Real Property Law Section, $5 per copy, free to section members. The 2009 Title Examination Standards are now available.

OBA sponsored insurance programs – keep rates low through group buying power. For information about OBA programs for life, health (employer-group and individual), individual disability, personal umbrella liability, long-term care and other insurance plans, contact Beale Professional Services (405) 521-1600, (800) 530-4863. For information on professional liability and court bonds, contact Oklahoma Attorneys Mutual at (405) 2471-5380, (800) 318-7505.

ABA Retirement Funds – ABA Retirement Funds offers tax-qualified retirement plan services to qualified law professionals. This includes full-service, cost-effective retirement plans such as 401k and profit sharing. Corresponding services include plan design, administration and fiduciary oversight. Program eligibility is open to any law firm or practitioner that has at least one partner or shareholder who is a member of the ABA, or state or local bar association represented in the ABA's House of Delegates. For more information, call (877) 947-2272 or visit www.abaretirement.com.

MEMBER DISCOUNTS

Law Firm Merchant Account – Credit card processing designed for attorneys that safeguards and separates client funds into trust and operating accounts. Credit cards attract clients, win business, improve cash flow and reduce collections. To learn more call (866) 376-0950 or visit www.affiniscape.com/oklahomabar for more information.

LawWare – bar members may subscribe to the document assembly, document management and client management software program at a discounted group rate. Created by Oklahoma attorneys in 1991, LawWare streamlines the process of organizing and generating legal forms and related documents for law offices of any size. With the OBA endorsement, members may subscribe to LawWare at a discounted rate of $49 per month for the first copy and $10 per month for each additional office copy. The inquire about LawWare or to order a subscription, call (866) LAW-WARE or visit www.LawWare.com.

Online Data Backup & Recovery – CoreVault offers bar members data backup and recovery services at a discounted rate. The service is automated and centrally managed to help law firms protect their data. It provides daily offsite protection, fast restores, encrypted data and customer service. In addition, CoreVault's two private data centers are geographically separated and possess redundant systems. Don't worry about losing your data and not being able to restore it due to virus, hard drive crash, accidental deleting of data, natural disaster, flood and the many other ways that could cause you to lose your data. To sign up or get more information, visit www.corevault.net/oba or call (888) 265-5818.

International Travel – Go Next has been in business for 37 years. They provide high quality, recreational travel to destinations around the globe. Group rates on trips are available to you, your family and your friends. All trips include airfare from either Oklahoma City or Tulsa, accommodations, transfers, breakfast buffet and other amenities. See highlights of the current trip offerings at www.GoNext.com. Call Go Next Toll Free at 1-800-842-9023 for more information and/or reservations.

Office Furniture – OBA members receive a 51 percent discount off the list price on all National Furniture products offered by Bill Warren Office Products. Delivery is FREE in the Oklahoma City and Tulsa metro areas. There is also FREE drop shipment within the state of Oklahoma. Installation services are available with the fee based on the product. OBA members can also receive a FREE initial office design and space plan with up to two free revisions per project. Additional design work will be billed at $45 per hour. Call Bea Gee, Amanda Epplin or Shae Wick at (405) 947-5676 or visit the Web site.

WESTLAW discounts – West Publishing Corp. offers OBA members a variety of discounts on its products and services, members receive Oklahoma’s jurisdictional CD-ROM libraries with the first billable monthly subscription charge waived. For information on other offers available call (800) 762-5272.

WordPerfect Licensing Program – The Oklahoma Bar Association has signed on to Corel Corporation’s new Bar Association licensing program, allowing Oklahoma Bar Association members to purchase licenses of the award-winning WordPerfect® Office 4 at substantially reduced prices. To place an order go to www.corel.com/barassociation.