By Renée Hildebrant

President Jon Parsley could be presenting an award to someone you respect enough to nominate.

The winners of the 2009 OBA awards will be honored in November at the OBA Annual Meeting. The winners will be determined by the OBA Board of Governors upon recommendation of the OBA Awards Committee from nominations received on or before Aug. 14, 2009.

Anyone can submit an award nomination. Anyone nominated can win. So, don’t just sit there; start writing your short, concise nomination today. Not sure how to write the nomination? Use the form provided online at www.okbar.org.

Don’t like forms? Okay. Me neither. So, follow these rules:

• The entire nomination cannot exceed five 8 1/2” x 11” pages. (This includes exhibits.)

• Make sure the name of the person being nominated and the person (or organization) making the nomination is on the nomination.

• If you think someone could receive awards for more than one category, only do one nomination. The OBA Awards Committee may consider the nominee for an award in the category other than one in which you nominated the person.

• You can mail, fax or e-mail your nomination. E-mails should be sent to jeffk@okbar.org.

Winning is exciting! See how happy Pontotoc County Bar Association members were when  they received the Outstanding County Bar Association Award. So, be sure and nominate a colleague, or two, today.

Here is the list of award categories along with the names of last year’s winners:

Outstanding County Bar Association Award
for meritorious efforts and activities
2008 Winners: Cleveland County Bar Association & Pontotoc County Bar Association

Hicks Epton Law Day Award
for individuals or organizations for noteworthy Law Day activities
2008 Winners: Bryan County Bar Association and Tulsa County Bar Association

Golden Gavel Award
for OBA Committees and Sections  performing with a high degree of  excellence
2008 Winner: Work/Life Balance Committee

Liberty Bell Award
for nonlawyers or lay organizations for promoting or publicizing matters regarding the legal system
2008 Winner: Central Oklahoma Association of Legal Assistants, Oklahoma City

Outstanding Young Lawyer Award
for a member of the OBA Young Lawyers Division for service to the profession
2008 Winner: Christopher L. Camp, Tulsa

Earl Sneed Award
for outstanding continuing legal education contributions
2008 Winner: Julie Simmons Rivers, Oklahoma City

Award of Judicial Excellence
for excellence of character, job performance or achievement while a judge and service to the bench, bar and community
2008 Winners: Judge Doyle Argo, Oklahoma City & Judge Vicki Robertson, Oklahoma City

Fern Holland Courageous Lawyer Award
to an OBA member who has courageously performed in a manner befitting the highest ideals of our profession
2008 Winner: Robert J. McCarthy, El Paso, Texas

Outstanding Service to the Public Award
for significant community service by an OBA member
2008 Winner: S. Douglas Dodd, Tulsa

Award for Outstanding Pro Bono Service
by an OBA member
2008 Winner: Jim Webb, Oklahoma City
Joe Stamper Distinguished Service Award

to an OBA member for long-term service to the bar association or contributions to the legal profession
2008 Winner: Bob E. Bennett, Ada         

Neil E. Bogan Professionalism Award
to an OBA member practicing 10 years or more who for conduct, honesty, integrity and courtesy best represents the highest standards of the legal profession
2008 Winner: Judy Hamilton Morse, Oklahoma City

John E. Shipp Award for Ethics
to an OBA member who has truly exemplified the ethics of the legal profession either by 1) acting in accordance with the highest standards in the face of pressure to do otherwise or 2) by serving as a role model for ethics to the other members of the profession
2008 Winner:  Ronald Main, Tulsa

Alma Wilson Award
to an OBA member who has made a significant contribution to improving the lives of Oklahoma children
2008 Winners: Renée DeMoss, Tulsa & Judge Richard A. Woolery, Sapulpa

Trailblazer Award
to an OBA member or members who by their significant, unique visionary efforts have had a profound impact upon our profession and/or community and in doing so have blazed a trail for others to follow
2008 Winner: Judge Thomas S. Landrith, Ada

Ms. Hildebrant, who serves as OBA Awards Committee chairperson, is trial court administrator for Oklahoma County District Court.

This article first appeared in Vol. 80, No. 13 of the Oklahoma Bar Journal.