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Oklahoma Bar Journal

April 2021 | Law Day

Feature Articles

Law Day 2021: Advancing the Rule of Law – Pandemic Edition
By Ed Wunch
What a year it has been! On March 9, 2020, I submitted my Law Day article for the April bar journal. On March 12, I was honored to host our student contest winners at the Supreme Court Courtroom at the Capitol with Chief Justice Gurich and 2020 OBA President Susan Shields.

Law Day Contest Winners
The OBA Law Day Committee thanks Oklahoma educators, students and their families for participating in the 2021 Law Day Contest. With a theme of “Advancing the Rule of Law Now,” the contest reminds all of us that we the people share the responsibility to promote the rule of law, defend liberty and pursue justice.

History of Law Day
Law Day was conceived by the late Hicks Epton, a Wewoka attorney who served as Oklahoma Bar Association president in 1953.

Pro Bono: More Important Now Than Ever
By Katie Dilks
Oklahomans’ lives and work have been upended by COVID-19, and those in the legal field are no exception. Over the past year, we have adjusted to the “new normal” of videoconference proceedings, emailed court filings, remote networking and yes, even remote pro bono work.

Plus Articles

Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Section Note: Probate Venue (aka Jurisdiction) Is Important
By Kraettli Q. Epperson
There is a specific statute in Title 58: Probate Procedure, Chapter 1: Jurisdiction, Section 5: Venue of Probate Acts, that identifies the proper county (venue) for filing a probate or administration case in the district courts in Oklahoma.

Use of a Revocable Living Trust as a Preferable Alternative to Probate: General Observations and Pitfalls to Avoid, Part 1
By Maria Tully Erbar and Andra Erbar Peterson
This article is intended to address some of the potential factual circumstances which in due diligence should be explored, as well as situations where unforeseen circumstances can involve a trust in unwanted battles between the laws applicable to wills and contract and property law-based principles of trusts.

Oklahoma Mock Trial Goes Virtual
By Andrea Medley
The Oklahoma High School Mock Trial Program went virtual in 2021. Last fall, faced with a decision to either forego competition this year or attempt a virtual competition season, the Mock Trial Committee began the daunting task of putting together a virtual competition. Equipped with the funding and support of the Oklahoma Bar Foundation, the committee purchased a software platform to host Oklahoma’s first virtual mock trial competition.