Participating in the OBA's numerous community service activities is the best way for attorneys to show the public the compassionate side of lawyers working together as a group to make a difference in the lives of others in our society. Attorneys involved benefit from the personal satisfaction of sharing with others - and enhance the legal profession's image for all lawyers.

Many of the OBA's community service programs are projects of the Young Lawyers Division, but attorneys don't have to be a YLD member to become involved. To sign up for a YLD project, contact Mark Osby in Yukon at (405) 354-5276.

Ask A Lawyer - a one-day project held during Law Week to offer the public free legal advice from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. by calling designated local and toll free phone numbers, sponsored by the OBA and county bar associations, last year 400 attorneys volunteered and helped 2,329 people with legal problems.

Ask A Lawyer TV show - a one-hour television program that offers the public three lively panel discussions about legal issues or topics; show produced by the OBA Law Day Committee and OETA for broadcast throughout the state.

Citizenship/Americanism/Patriotism (CAP) -  promotes citizenship, Americanism and patriotism among the youth of Oklahoma through a program educating high school seniors of the rights and responsibilities attendant to being a citizen of the United States, YLD project.

Clients' Security Fund - a fund created by the OBA Board of Governors in 1965 for the purpose of reimbursing losses to clients as a result of dishonest conduct of persons practicing law in Oklahoma and to maintain the integrity and good name of the legal profession as a whole.

Consumer information brochures - pamphlets on 14 topics covering commonly asked questions; topics are wills, probate, joint tenancy, home buying, tenant rights & duties, landlord rights, divorce, small claims court, employee rights, bankruptcy, trial juror information, lawyers & legal fees, living wills (brochure, card & form) and resolving conflicts & disputes; OBA distributes the brochures free to courthouses and libraries throughout the state, OBA Communications Committee project.

Disaster Legal Assistance - assists victims of disasters by providing free legal advice in coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, OBA Committee and YLD project. This committee is active only in the wake of a disaster which results in a need for its services.

Fundraising for public television - every year 25 attorneys volunteer one evening during OETA's fund drive to take pledges from viewers to support education television statewide, attorneys make individual financial contributions on behalf of the OBA to earn a senior executive producer sponsorship level.

Gift of Life Project - educates bar members about organ and tissue donations and encourages participation in organ sharing networks, YLD project..

Law-Related Education - an OBA department that works to establish citizenship education in Oklahoma's education system and provides citizenship education projects for lawyers and non lawyers; LRE helps students develop the knowledge, skills, understanding and attitudes necessary to function effectively in our democratic society; included in this program is a newsletter mailed to 13,000 teachers, teacher training sessions for more than 3,400 teachers, OBA/County Bar teacher appreciation receptions, traveling law exhibits used by more than 18,000 teachers and students, as well as the Oklahoma Mock Election Program where last school year 237,000 students actually cast votes.

LRE library/resource room - thousands of resource items available either free or for loan to teachers and lawyers; items include lesson plans, posters, books, audiotapes and over 740 video tapes; teachers and students utilized the resource room for research projects; located at the Oklahoma Bar Center; last year 294,654 resource items were distributed.

Lawyers in the Classroom Program - hundreds of judges and lawyers participate each year by going into classrooms across the state, more than 200 attorneys were trained last year, tens of thousands of students were reached, OBA LRE project.

Legal Guide for Young Adults in Oklahoma - a free publication that summarizes for young people their new rights and legal responsibilities when they celebrate their eighteenth birthday, produced by the OBA Law Related Education Committee and The Daily Oklahoman with assistance from the Oklahoma County Bar LRE Committee.

Mock Trial - a statewide mock trial competition in which high school students in grades 9 - 12 model the roles of attorneys and witnesses, trials are heard by actual judges in courtroom settings, by interpreting, analyzing and portraying the major issues of a case, students obtain a unique insider's perspective of the American legal process, participants develop poise and confidence through both individual and team efforts, state championship team advances to national competition, hundreds of judges and attorneys volunteer to serve as attorney coaches, trial judges, scoring panelists and trial site coordinators, YLD project.

Oklahoma CloseUp - a program sponsored by the OBA that is an in-depth study of state government which offers opportunities for students and teachers to meet face-to-face with those who directly affect the issues and government of Oklahoma, OBA LRE project.

oklahomafindalawyer.com - the Oklahoma Bar Association does NOT refer attorneys to consumers, provide legal advice, license or regulate paralegals or other non-lawyers. As a community service, the OBA does provide a directory of its attorney members who have given their permission to have their names published in this directory. Go to www.oklahomafindalawyer.com. Check out the OBA's [Lawyers and Legal Fees] brochure for tips on how to select an attorney, what to expect when you hire an attorney and typical fee arrangements.

Non-Profit Business Law - provides fledgling non-profit businesses with legal assistance, working in conjunction with the Oklahoma Center for Non-profits, YLD Project.

Peaceful Resolution for Oklahoma Students (PROS) - a program cosponsored by the OBA and Administrative Office of the Courts that teaches young people alternative non-violent ways to resolve problems, boasts a 90% success rate; teachers and administrators from more than 350 schools have been trained, OBA LRE project.

Pro bono activities for legal services - pro bono efforts by private attorneys increase the amount of free civil legal services to poor and elderly Oklahomans offered through Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma and Oklahoma Indian Legal Services.

Programs Advancing Citizenship Education Institute (PACE) - created eight years ago, the PACE Institute for Oklahoma teachers is two one-week courses of intensive, in-depth study on how to teach law-related education in grades kindergarten through twelve; every year 50 teachers are selected to attend this expense-paid training to learn innovative ways to teach subjects such as law, government, rights, values, responsibilities and community participation; as a result of the institute, teachers prepare students to become participating citizens in our society with a respect for law and our government and for the professionals who work in these areas; PACE institute graduates return to their schools and within one year hold 120 training courses to share the knowledge they learned with other Oklahoma teachers; more than 1,500 teachers and 20,000 students benefit from this teacher training every year, OBA LRE project.

Religion and the Law - draft and distribute a handbook for religious professionals and religious organizations and institutions which addresses common legal issues concerning these individuals and entities. It is also expected that a seminar for religious professionals will be conducted on issues such as tort liability, employment law, sexual misconduct, taxation, religious liberty and other, YLD Project.

Seniors Handbook - a 70-page reference guide for senior citizens containing useful practical information on various legal topics of interest to seniors, distributed free of charge, YLD project.

Sports Law - provides high school athletes and coaches with information regarding issues relating to careers in professional sports, YLD project.

Tolerance Education Project - promotes tolerance among children in Oklahoma for differences in race, religion, national origin and others, all of which make the melting pot of America. Volunteers speak to grade school children with a presentation promoting tolerance, YLD project.

Volunteers Booklet - a publication for volunteers addressing their legal rights and responsibilities, distributed free of charge, YLD project.

Volunteer/pro bono activities - over 50 percent of Oklahoma attorneys spend three or more hours a week on professional legal volunteer work, 70 percent of state attorneys spend three or more hours a week on civic, community,  charitable work, source: 2002 OBA Membership Survey.