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OBA Annual Tradition Marks 30th Anniversary
By Giovanni Perry, Law Day Committee Chair
Oklahoma has always celebrated Law Day in a big way. Annual art and writing contests, an informative TV show and 12 nonstop hours of free legal advice have been the foundation of this state’s big day for the legal community. It’s our way to show the public the important work we as lawyers do daily. And this year marks the 30th anniversary for the Ask A Lawyer project, an essential element of Oklahoma’s Law Day activities. This year also celebrates the 50th anniversary of Law Day nationally, which was developed by Wewoka attorney Hicks Epton. The OBA Law Day Committee is very proud of these
traditions carried out every May 1.
ASK A LAWYER TV SHOW
This year’s Ask A Lawyer television program will air May 1 at 7 p.m. on OETA stations across the state. A series of segments will be shown during the hour to provide a glimpse into Oklahoma’s legal community.
This year’s show highlights several current issues in the legal world and what Oklahoma lawyers are doing to make a difference. Viewers will hear about one man’s journey through the state’s mental health court system and how he’s gone from being a drug addict to a caring grandfather. Pet owners should be interested in the show’s “animal law” segment, which explains how to ensure that a pet is cared for should its owner pass away. The show will also touch on the tort reform issue by featuring a mother who took action after her son was killed as a result of a vehicle defect.
CONTESTS AND ACTIVITIES
This year we continued to offer expanded activities and contests for school-aged children. The Law Day theme this year is, “Elections: Democracy in Action.” The committee offers a wide variety of contests, and this year more than 1,600 students from across Oklahoma submitted entries in the OBA Law Day contests. The winners have been announced, and they can be viewed at www.okbar.org and on page 812 of this issue.
In addition to the contests, we also targeted ninth and tenth graders with an online citizenship test. This is a 25-question,
multiple-choice quiz using questions taken from the actual U.S. citizenship test. Students automatically receive scores and an explanation about the questions they missed.
High school juniors and seniors were encouraged to learn more about how the law changes after they reach their 18th birthday. On the Law Day Web site, the committee has provided the Legal Guide for Young Adults in Oklahoma, which is prepared by the OBA’s Law-related Education Committee.
FREE LEGAL ADVICE
Final preparations are under way for the statewide Ask A Lawyer call-in event, to be held May 1. This may be one of the best ways all Oklahoma bar members can participate in the national celebration of Law Day. This annual event gives us a unique opportunity to provide a valuable community service while promoting positive public relations for bar members.
Callers statewide will be able to reach an attorney by calling (800) 456-8525 throughout the day on May 1. The OBA and the committee work with each county Law Day chairperson in setting up a network of local phone numbers so that those who prefer to speak to a local attorney will be able to see and call those numbers during the broadcast. Volunteer attorneys in each participating county staff the phones and answer questions for a predetermined time period. Oklahoma and Tulsa County attorneys work together to staff the toll-free, statewide phone number from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
To make this community service project a success, the Law Day Committee needs your help. It takes a total of 30 attorneys for each two-hour shift to fully staff the statewide number. That effort, combined with the local county bars creates a huge need for attorneys to step forward. To volunteer in Oklahoma County, contact Connie Creed at (405) 236-8421, or send e-mail to ccreed@okcbar.org. In Tulsa County, contact Jason Bashforth, (918) 591-5296, e-mail jbashforth@dsda.com or Dan Crawford, (918) 749-8400, e-mail liondc@gmail.com. Those of you wishing to volunteer in other counties should call your Law Day chairperson. You can find that person’s name in the related story in this issue. Phone banks are located at the OETA studios in Oklahoma City and Tulsa.
The Law Day Committee has again committed to branch out to the Latino community by offering free legal advice in Spanish. Each shift in Tulsa and Oklahoma City will need Spanish-speaking volunteers. If you speak Spanish or know non-attorneys who would volunteer to translate, we need your help!
DIRECTIVE AND PROCLAMATION
Another important aspect of Law Day includes a directive, which this year was signed by Oklahoma Supreme Court Chief Justice James Winchester on Feb. 22. By signing the directive, the chief justice encourages courts to host Law Day events. This year, nearly all of our contest first-place winners were present to have their photos taken with Chief Justice Winchester and OBA President Bill Conger. We once again filmed a segment with the chief justice talking to the contest winners about this year’s theme and fielding questions from the students. Also, this year Gov. Brad Henry has signed a proclamation designating May 1, 2008, as Law Day in Oklahoma.
GET INVOLVED!
We hope all of you will participate in some way in Law Day, whether it’s volunteering to provide free legal advice in your county, making a presentation to a local school group or organization or joining us on the Law Day Committee. Planning for the 2009 celebration begins almost as soon as the 2008 celebration ends, and we need your ideas! If you’d like to join this fun, yet very hardworking committee, contact me at (405) 601-2222 or e-mail me at giovanni.perry@cox.net. We would love for you to join us. Happy Law Day!
OBA Annual Tradition Marks 30th Anniversary
Published 79 OBJ 807 (April 12, 2008)
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