(OKLAHOMA CITY – Nov. 15, 2004) Newly elected Oklahoma legislators will convene in Oklahoma City this week to attend Law School for Legislators, a program primarily designed to familiarize non-lawyer legislators with substantive topics in law and practical issues in legislation. The event, which is sponsored by the Oklahoma Bar Association, will be held Thursday, Nov. 18 at the Oklahoma Bar Center from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Law School for Legislators is planned to follow the November 2004 election cycle as part of the orientation process for new Oklahoma legislators. This brief program will complement their orientation at the State Capitol. Proposed session topics include constitutional issues, the basis of law and the criminal justice system.

OBA President Harry A. Woods Jr. said, “ Law School for Legislators is a great way for legislators who aren’t lawyers to become better informed about Oklahoma ’s legal system. It will help prepare them for the task that lies ahead of them – representing the people of Oklahoma.”

Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice James R. Winchester will speak to participants on the topic of separation of powers while Drew Edmondson, Oklahoma attorney general, will discuss the Oklahoma Constitution.

Judge Stephen Lile, Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals; Judge Lisa Hammond, Oklahoma Juvenile Justice Center; and Patrick Morgan, former chairman, Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board will all explain various aspects of the criminal system.

Other speakers are John Morris Williams, OBA executive director; Harry A. Woods Jr., OBA president; David Lee, adjunct professor, Oklahoma City University School of Law and attorney at Comingdeer, Lee and Gooch; and Ray Vaughn, attorney and former District 81 representative, Oklahoma Legislature.

Law School for Legislators is part of the OBA's comprehensive statewide Law-related Education (LRE) Program which is committed to emphasizing the concepts of good citizenship. Other LRE programs include in-service workshops, peer mediation programs, lesson plans, video courses, teacher receptions and anti-drug programs. LRE services for educators are free. For more information, contact OBA/LRE Coordinator Elizabeth Davis at (405) 416-7024 or e-mail elizabethd@okbar.org.