Volunteer Attorneys Needed for Disaster Legal Services

Weather-related disasters are not uncommon in Oklahoma, and this summer has proven to be no exception. In July, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) made a federal disaster declaration for five counties in Oklahoma affected by recent severe storms, flooding and tornadoes. On Aug. 3, FEMA announced that 15 additional counties have been added to the July presidential disaster declaration. As a result of this declaration, individuals in these 20 counties are eligible for free legal assistance and counseling from volunteers through disaster legal services.

Upon learning of the declaration, the YLD took immediate action. Pursuant to a long-standing agreement with FEMA to provide volunteer legal services in the event of a disaster, the YLD coordinated with FEMA to set up disaster legal services, which is a federally-funded program.

Many of the individuals affected by the recent storms, tornadoes and flooding are in need of legal services. Volunteer attorneys may be asked to provide assistance in areas related to life, medical, property insurance claims, landlord-tenant problems, home/business repair contracts, consumer protection, mortgage foreclosure, replacement of vital legal documents, estates and probate, guardianship, flood insurance claims, environmental issues, FEMA benefits issues and other legal issues arising from the conditions related to the recent storms, tornadoes and flooding.

If you are able to volunteer your services, please send your name and contact information to Dana Shelburne at danas@okbar.org or (405) 416-7007 in the OBA’s Office of the General Counsel.  The OBA will maintain a list of volunteers and will refer individuals to volunteer attorneys as calls are received. 

In setting up the disaster legal services program, ABA/YLD District Representative Doris Gruntmeir coordinated with the Oklahoma and American bar associations to establish a toll-free hotline for individuals who need assistance. Through the generous assistance of the OBA staff, calls are fielded through the general counsel’s office and referred to volunteer attorneys. A heart-felt thank you goes out to John Morris Williams, Dan Murdock, Dana Shelburne, Sandy Neal and the entire staff of the OBA who have so willingly assisted in this effort.

A number of lawyers, including Gabriel Bass, Henry Herbst, Paul Choate, John H. Graves, Jason Alan Soper, Jamie Beller, Justin Stout and Renee Hildebrandt, responded immediately to the call for volunteers. It is anticipated that other attorneys will contact the OBA to volunteer their services, following an e-mail request to the OBA/YLD and the OBA’s Disaster Response and Relief Committee. Thanks to the efforts of these volunteer attorneys, a number of individuals have already benefited from the disaster legal services program. However, more volunteers will be needed.

Wills for Heroes Organizes First Event

The Wills for Heroes program held its inaugural will signing ceremony in Yukon on July 28. YLD Directors and Wills for Heroes Co-Chairs Lindsey Andrews and Rick Rose visited Fire Station

No. 2 and drafted wills for several Yukon firemen. The firemen were very appreciative, and the Wills for Heroes Committee is planning a second event for the Yukon Police Department in the coming weeks. Special thanks to Maranda Miles, legal assistant with Miller Dollarhide, for donating her time to serve as a notary for the event.

YLD Helps Alleviate Stress of Bar Exam

Several YLD members passed out bar exam survival kits on July 24 to nearly 400 individuals taking the bar exam in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Oklahoma City attorney Sarah Jernigan, along with YLD Treasurer Rick Rose, Secretary Molly Bircher and Director Roy Tucker handed out the basic items (pens, highlighters and earplugs), as well as snacks, bottled water, stress balls, aspirin and – of course – information on joining the OBA/YLD. The YLD extends special thanks to Julia Tiller for assembling the kits, a task she has faithfully undertaken for every administration of the bar exam in Oklahoma for the past six years.

BOARD VACANCIES FILLED

During the week of July 9, the YLD Board of Directors voted to fill two vacant board seats by interim appointment. Pursuant to Article 4.3 of the YLD Bylaws, the board appointed Dan Zemke to the vacant At-Large seat and Joe Vorndran to the District Eight seat.

WANT TO GET INVOLVED? THEN RUN FOR THE OBA/YLD BOARD OF DIRECTORS

OFFICERS

Chairperson-Elect

Any member of the Division having previously served for at least one year on the OBA/YLD Board of Directors.

Term: One-year term (Jan.- Dec. 2008) The Chairperson-Elect automatically becomes the Chairperson of the Division for 2009.

Treasurer

Any member of the OBA/YLD Board of Directors may be elected by the membership of the Division to serve in this office.

Term: One-year term (Jan.- Dec. 2008)

Secretary

Any member of the OBA/YLD Board of Directors may be elected by the membership of the Division to serve in this office.

Term: One-year term (Jan.- Dec. 2008)

BOARD OF DIRECTORS — TWO-YEAR VACANCIES

The following Directorships are open for election for a two-year term from January 2008 to December 2009.

Vacancies will be in:

District No. 2: Atoka, Bryan, Choctaw, Haskell, Johnson, Latimer, LeFlore, McCurtain, McIntosh, Marshall, Pittsburg, Pushmataha and Sequoyah counties

District No. 3: (two seats) Oklahoma County

District No. 6: Tulsa County

District No. 8: Coal, Hughes, Lincoln, Logan, Noble, Okfuskee, Payne, Pontotoc, Pottawatomie and Seminole counties

At-Large: (three seats)

At-Large Rural: (one seat) Any county other than Tulsa County or Oklahoma County

NOMINATING PROCEDURE:

Article 5 of the Division Bylaws requires that any eligible member wishing to run for office must submit a nominating petition to the Nominating Committee. The petition must be signed by at least ten (10) members of the OBA/YLD. The original petition must be submitted by the deadline set by the Nominating Committee Chairperson. A separate petition must be filed for each opening, except that a petition for a directorship shall be valid for one year and two year terms and at large positions. A person must be eligible for Division membership for the entire term for which elected.

ELIGIBILITY:

All OBA members in good standing who were admitted to the practice of law 10 years ago or less are members of the OBA/YLD.

Membership is automatic

– If you were first admitted to the practice of law in 1997 or later, you are a member of the OBA/YLD!

ELECTION PROCEDURE:

Article 5 of the Division Bylaws govern the election procedure. In October, a list of all eligible candidates and ballots will be published in the OBJ. Deadlines for voting will be published with the ballots. All members of the Division may vote for officers and at-large directorships. Only those members with OBA roster addresses within a subject judicial district may vote for that district’s director. The members of the Nominating Committee shall only vote in the event of a tie. Please see OBA/YLD Bylaws for additional information.

DEADLINE:

Nominating petitions, accompanied by a photograph and brief resume (in electronic form) for publication in the OBJ, must be received by the Nominating Committee Chairperson no later than 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 21, 2007, at the following address:

Keri Williams
Nominating Committee Chairperson
400 S. Monroe St.
Stillwater, OK 74076
(405) 385-5148
Fax: (405) 385-5103
e-mail: kwilliams@osugiving.com