Remarks made by OBA President Harry Woods Jr.:

OBA President's Award to Bill Conger

This year has been an unusually busy one for the Association. In addition to the numerous celebrations relating to our Centennial year, we have had several particularly important issues, including a proposed dues increase, tort reform, creation of an Access to Justice Commission, and proposed creation of a Law Student Division.

Many of our accomplishments this year were made possible by our hard-working Board of Governors, whose members always pitched in and delivered when called upon.

Today, I give the President's Award to a member of the Board of Governors who repeatedly went above and beyond the call of duty and provided timely, critical and effective assistance on numerous matters.

That member is Bill Conger, an at-large member of the Board of Governors, whose three-year term expires in 2005.

Early during my year as President, major tort reform legislation, containing more than 70 different discrete proposals, was introduced in the Oklahoma Legislature. Among the proposals were provisions which related to the structure of the courts, the overall administration of justice, access to the courts, and procedural matters. The proposed changes were so broad and affected the public, the administration of justice, the courts and the bar in such dramatic ways that there was a clear need to determine what response, if any, should be taken by the Association. With the concurrence of the Board of Governors, I appointed a Tort Reform Task Force, composed of a good cross-section of the Association's plaintiffs and defendants bars. Bill Conger undertook the challenging task of serving as chair of the task force. Through his thoughtful and considerate leadership, the task force adopted a report, accepted by the Board of Governors, which concluded that the Bar Association had an appropriate, albeit limited, role to play in the debate on tort reform.

Bill also provided material assistance in connection with the work of the Access to Justice Commission task force. Along with Professor Judith Maute, OU, he co-authored an important paper relating to pro bono, which was submitted as a part of the application for approval of the Commission by the Supreme Court. In addition, Bill coordinated the creation and efforts of the task force to study whether to create a Law Student Division.

Bill has had a distinguished career as a lawyer. He was a named partner in a leading Oklahoma City firm for many years; he is a member of the American College of Trial Lawyers, and he is currently the General Counsel of Oklahoma City University. He has long been a mentor to and role model for young lawyers. Perhaps the best measure of the high regard for which he is held by the members of our bar is that, at the Annual Luncheon, yesterday, he was awarded the John E. Shipp Award for Ethics.

OBA President's Award to Bill Grimm

Upon being elected President-Elect of the Association, one of my first and most important decisions was to identify a person to ask to run for and, if elected, serve as Vice President of the Association. I selected Bill Grimm; he agreed to run; and he was elected.

Bill has been an absolutely outstanding officer of the association. He has provided significant leadership in the various initiatives in this year.

With respect to the proposed dues increase, Bill has been a tremendous resource. Throughout the discussion relating to the proposed increase, he has provided outstanding leadership. He has worked very hard to make certain that our members are well informed concerning the proposal.

Similarly, Bill has been a key player in connection with creation of the Access to Justice Commission. Throughout the process, he has provided a high degree of leadership. He personally coordinated drafting of the proposal for creation of the commission and he provided insightful and helpful ideas, and he was a member of the team which presented the matter to the Oklahoma Supreme Court in conference.

On the Tort Reform Task Force, he played an active and meaningful role and provided great assistance in completion of the Task Force's work.

Bill has been an outstanding Vice President and he will clearly make an outstanding President-Elect in 2005 and President in 2006.

Bill is a senior partner in the law firm of Barrow & Grimm, Tulsa.

OBA President's Award to Retired Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice Hardy Summers

This award is given to Retired Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice Hardy Summers for his work as Supreme Court liaison to the Board of Governors in 2003, his work as chair of a subcommittee of the Bench & Bar Committee on Judicial Campaigns, and his overall active participation in and support of the OBA.

Justice Summers served diligently as the Supreme Court liaison to the Board of Governors. He regularly attended its meetings, including the numerous out of town meetings. He and his wife, Marilyn, endeared themselves to the officers and members of the Board of Governors through their enthusiastic involvement. Justice Summers provided tremendous assistance to me and the other members of the Board of Governors in coordinating matters between the OBA and the court.

This year, Justice Summers continued to be active in OBA matters. He chaired the Judicial Campaign Subcommittee of the Bench & Bar. It was charged with carefully reviewing what action, if any, should be taken to encourage fair and responsible elections in judicial races, taking into account the First Amendment rights of candidates as recognized in cases such as United States Supreme Court case of White v. Minnesota. He diligently, efficiently and effectively provided leadership on that issue.

Justice Summers grew up in Muskogee and he served as a judge in Muskogee County for ten years. He was appointed to the Supreme Court by Governor George Nigh in 1985 and he served through 2003. In 1999 and 2000, he served as Chief Justice. In 2000, he was named "Distinguished Alumnus" by the OU College of Law.

In conclusion, Justice Summers has always been a good and true friend to the OBA, and he is highly deserving of this award. It is a small token of our appreciation for his many contributions to our bench and bar. He is an example of true professional and a role model who makes us proud.

OBA President's Award to OBA First Lady Carol Woods

President Woods honored his wife, Carol Woods, with a president’s award during the OBA annual luncheon Nov. 11. He said during the presentation that she was an important part of his decision to seek the position of bar president. The award that was presented to Mrs. Woods expressed “sincere appreciation for [her] time, energy, enthusiasm, support and advice.”