By President Renée DeMoss

You know the old saying – time changes everything. Fortunately, time has affected the Oklahoma Bar Foundation in a manner that deserves celebration. This year, we celebrate the “generations of change” within the OBF, and its many years of grants, growth, and lawyers transforming lives.

At the time of its creation in 1946, the “founding fathers” of the OBF envisioned a wonderful future for the organization. Those pioneering members described their vision like this:

“Our primary purpose is to improve the administration of justice, to advance the general welfare of the constituent members, and to conserve the interests of our clients and the public. The Oklahoma Bar Foundation will, therefore, be devoted to these ends.”

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“Each lawyer is urged to give their support and cooperation to the foundation… the glories of the possibilities are ours, if all will but realize them.”

One of the most notable “possibilities” realized with the help of the foundation was the establishment of a new home for all Oklahoma lawyers, which was accomplished by the completion and dedication of the Oklahoma Bar Center building in 1962.

Over the ensuing years, the foundation evolved into a separate 501(c)(3) corporation, functioning as the official charitable arm of the Oklahoma bar. In the name of Oklahoma attorneys, the foundation now provides critical funding to organizations that meet the legal needs of disadvantaged Oklahomans. Without the funding provided by the OBF, some Oklahoma domestic violence victims might be without protection; some elderly Oklahomans might be without legal assistance on issues ranging from fraud to consumer debt; some abused and neglected Oklahoma children might not receive pro bono legal services. Through the OBF’s provision of financial support to nonprofit organizations furnishing legal services to thousands of Oklahomans, Oklahoma lawyers do indeed transform lives.

The actions Oklahoma lawyers have taken to support the foundation have changed over time. In the early years, individual lawyers primarily contributed through donations to scholarship funds maintained and granted by the foundation. Such contributions led to the establishment of significant scholarships to students at our three Oklahoma law schools exceeding $50,000 every year, and over $912,000 total through 2008. Some such scholarships have been made in honor of beloved Oklahoma lawyers such as Maurice Merrill and Thomas Hieronymus, while others are dedicated to law students concentrating their studies on a particular area of the law.

In 1978, the OBF “Fellows” program was begun. Oklahoma lawyers joined forces to further the foundation’s charitable work by making individual donations in the amount of $1,000, either through a one-time pledge, or payment of $100 a year for 10 years. Subsequently, the “Sustaining Fellows” level of giving was created for those dedicated lawyers who had completed their initial $1,000 pledges and desired to continue giving, as well as the “Benefactor Fellows” level in 2004. These generous individuals are the lifeblood of the organization, as they continue to support the foundation through additional annual gifts of $100 or $300. In recognition of the Fellows program, a new annual scholarship was established in 2007 that is funded solely from Fellows donations. Annual Fellows scholarship totaling $15,000 are now available to our law students.

In 1983, our state supreme court took a historic step and approved the Interest On Lawyers Trust Accounts Program (“IOLTA”) in Oklahoma. This authorized Oklahoma attorneys to voluntarily donate to the foundation the interest earned on small and short term client trust funds held in checking accounts. Twenty-one years later, in 2004, the court joined other states across the nation, and approved a change that rendered the IOLTA Program mandatory. Now interest funds on all lawyers’ small and short-term client trust funds held in pooled checking accounts are pledged to the foundation to support the charitable mission. As a result of the court’s action, IOLTA income has grown to be the largest single source of funding for legal services and projects in Oklahoma, generating over $1 million in 2007.

As the years have passed, the grant awards for OBF’s legal service funding have dramatically increased. From its founding in 1946 to the establishment of mandatory IOLTA in 2004, the OBF granted awards in the amount of almost $5 million. Just this year alone, 23 different programs will receive OBF grants totaling $857,500. When the additional $54,500 awarded for Oklahoma law student scholarships is added, the total grant awards for 2008 equals $912,000. OBF grants have thus grown over the years to exceed the $8 million award level, with a total of $8,429,915 to date.

A final funding change has occurred quietly over the past three years, with the OBF’s good fortune to receive some very significant cy pres awards. Cy pres funds are final, surplus funds in class action and other proceedings, that for any number of reasons cannot be distributed to the class members or beneficiaries who were the intended recipients. These funds have helped enable the OBF to expand its charitable mission and dramatically improve its capacity for new initiatives. Although the parties responsible for these awards wish to remain out of the limelight, they have made a tremendous difference in OBF’s ability to promote law-related causes and programs throughout Oklahoma. We are very grateful to those who have helped to facilitate these awards.

The year 2008 itself has brought a host of changes to the foundation. In January, the Board of Trustees dedicated time to a first-ever board retreat, and used that initial session to launch a year-long planning project to refine its mission, put in place updated governance and financial policies and procedures, and renew its efforts to serve disadvantaged Oklahomans. A Past Presidents Advisory Council has been formed, office space has been updated to accommodate the foundation’s growth, and new program initiatives are being pursued.

One asset that has not changed through the years is the dedication of the individuals who lead the foundation. We celebrate each of the 47 past presidents who have served the foundation so well through the years, as well as the many officers and trustees who have donated so generously of their time, talents and funds. We also celebrate those individual attorneys within the bar who have stepped up and become Fellows, as well as those individuals who have contributed by naming the OBF in estate planning gifts and other donations. And last but not least, we celebrate the truly dedicated foundation staff - including Nancy Norsworthy, who has been a part of the OBF since 1985 - Tommie Lemaster and Marie Golloway. They work tirelessly to serve the foundation.

The year 2008 was a financially challenging one for the OBF, and the years 2009 and beyond promise to be even more challenging. Two major sources of OBF grant income are directly dependent on the economy – the investment of endowments and other funds, and the IOLTA Program based on interest funds. Remittances from these sources are decreasing, and without the help of Oklahoma attorneys, OBF will not be able to continue grant funding at the increased levels of the past several years. Participation in the OBF Fellows program by all Oklahoma attorneys is now more important than ever before.

As we celebrate the past 62 years of OBF growth, grants and lawyers transforming lives, we hope to have reason to celebrate in the years ahead. We need your help as an OBF Fellow to do that. Every lawyer licensed to practice law in Oklahoma is a member of the OBF, and every charitable action taken by the foundation helps promote and improve the reputation of those members, as well as makes available the opportunity to help transform the lives of Oklahomans in need.

There is no doubt that the work of the OBF is worthy, as evidenced by the agencies receiving foundation funds. Please help OBF move forward to better serve the legal profession and our state by signing up to become an OBF Fellow today. With your help, the changes in our future can surpass those we celebrate today.

“They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.”
- Andy Warhol
(The Philosophy of Andy Warhol)

Sincerely,

Renée DeMoss