Pursuant to the provisions of Rule 14.1, Rules Governing Disciplinary Proceedings (RGDP), 5 O.S. 2021, ch. 1, app. 1-A, the following is the Annual Report of grievances and complaints received and processed for 2025 by the Professional Responsibility Commission and the Office of the General Counsel of the Oklahoma Bar Association.

THE PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY COMMISSION

The Professional Responsibility Commission is composed of seven persons – five lawyers and two non-lawyers. The lawyer members are nominated by the President of the Oklahoma Bar Association, subject to the approval of the Board of Governors. The two non-lawyer members are appointed by the Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma Senate, respectively. Members serve for a term of three years with a maximum of two terms. Terms expire on December 31st at the conclusion of the three-year term.

Lawyer members serving on the Commission all or part of 2025 were Chairperson Matthew C. Beese, Broken Arrow; Vice-Chairperson Jennifer Castillo, Oklahoma City; Alissa Preble Hutter, Norman; Robin Rochelle, Lawton; and Molly Aspan, Tulsa. The Non-Lawyer member was James W. Chappel, Norman. There was one non-lawyer term vacant during 2025. Commission members serve without compensation but are reimbursed for actual travel expenses.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Professional Responsibility Commission considers and investigates any alleged ground for discipline, or alleged incapacity, of any lawyer called to its attention, or upon its own motion, and takes such action as deemed appropriate to effectuate the purposes of the Rules Governing Disciplinary Proceedings. Under the supervision of the Commission, the Office of the General Counsel investigates all matters involving alleged misconduct or incapacity of any lawyer called to the attention of the General Counsel by grievance or otherwise, and reports to the Commission the results of investigations made by or at the direction of the General Counsel. The Commission then determines the disposition of grievances or directs the instituting of a formal complaint for alleged misconduct or personal incapacity of a lawyer. The Office of the General Counsel prosecutes all proceedings under the Rules Governing Disciplinary Proceedings, supervises the investigative process, and represents the Oklahoma Bar Association in all reinstatement proceedings.

OBA MEMBERSHIP STATISTICS

Total membership of the Oklahoma Bar Association as of December 31, 2025, was 19,064 attorneys. The total number of members included 12,036 males and 7,028 females.

VOLUME OF GRIEVANCES

During 2025, the Office of the General Counsel received 198 formal grievances involving 139 lawyers and 933 informal grievances involving 745 lawyers. In total, 1,131 grievances were received against 844 lawyers. The total number of grievances and lawyers receiving same differs because some lawyers received multiple grievances. In addition, the Office of the General Counsel processed 175 items of general correspondence, which is mail not considered to be a grievance against a lawyer.

On January 1, 2025, 171 formal grievances were carried over from the previous year. The carryover accounted for a total caseload of 369 formal investigations pending throughout 2025. Of those grievances, 128 investigations were completed by the Office of the General Counsel and presented for review to the Professional Responsibility Commission. Therefore, 241 formal grievances remained pending as of December 31, 2025.

The time required for investigating and concluding each grievance varies depending on the seriousness and complexity of the allegations and the availability of witnesses and documents. The Commission requires the Office of the General Counsel to report monthly on all informal and formal grievances received and all investigations completed and ready for disposition by the Commission. In addition, the Commission receives a monthly statistical report on the pending caseload. The Board of Governors is advised statistically each month of the actions taken by the Commission.

DISCIPLINE IMPOSED BY THE PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY COMMISSION

Formal Charges. During 2025, the Professional Responsibility Commission voted the filing of formal disciplinary charges against 8 lawyers involving 23 formal grievances. In addition, the Commission also oversaw the investigation of 11 Rule 7, RGDP formal disciplinary charges filed with the Chief Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

Private Reprimands. Pursuant to Rule 5.3(c), RGDP, the Professional Responsibility Commission has the authority to impose private reprimands, with the consent of the lawyer, in matters of less serious misconduct or if mitigating factors reduce the sanction to be imposed. During 2025, the Commission administered private reprimands to 32 lawyers involving 45 formal grievances.

Letters of Admonition. During 2025, the Professional Responsibility Commission voted to issue letters of admonition to 39 lawyers involving 43 formal grievances, cautioning that the conduct of the lawyer was dangerously close to a violation of a disciplinary rule. 

Dismissals. The Professional Responsibility Commission dismissed 61 formal grievances that had been received but not concluded due to the resignation pending disciplinary proceedings of the respondent lawyer, a continuing lengthy suspension of the respondent lawyer, death of the respondent lawyer, or disbarment of the respondent lawyer. Additional formal grievances were dismissed after the investigation confirmed that the allegation could not be substantiated by clear and convincing evidence.

Diversion Program. The Professional Responsibility Commission may also refer respondent lawyers to the Discipline Diversion Program where remedial measures are taken to ensure that any deficiency in the representation of a client does not reoccur in the future. During 2025, the Commission referred 28 lawyers to the Discipline Diversion Program for conduct involving 53 grievances.

The Discipline Diversion Program is tailored to the individual circumstances of the participating lawyer and the misconduct alleged. Oversight of the program is by the OBA Ethics Counsel with the OBA Management Assistance Program staff involved in programming. Program options include Trust Account School, Professional Responsibility/Ethics School, Law Office Management Training, Communication and Client Relationship Skills, and Professionalism in the Practice of Law. In 2025, instructional courses were taught by OBA Assistant General Counsels Katherine Ogden and Tracy Pierce Nester, OBA Management Assistance Program Director Julie Bays, and OBA Ethics Counsel Richard Stevens.

As a result of the Trust Account Overdraft Reporting Notifications, the Office of the General Counsel is able to monitor when lawyers encounter difficulty with management of their IOLTA accounts. Upon recommendation of the Office of the General Counsel, the Commission may place those individuals in a tailored program designed to instruct on basic trust accounting procedures. This course is also available to the OBA general membership as a continuing legal education course. Through a new member benefit, all OBA members may receive free access to a comprehensive trust accounting and billing software program tailored to solo practitioners and small law firms.

2025 Lawyer Participation in Diversion Program Curriculum
Diversion Program Curriculum	Number of Lawyers
Communication and Client Relationship Skills	14
Professionalism in the Practice of Law	11
Professional Responsibility/Ethics School	7
Client Trust Account School	8
Law Office Consultations	3
Law Office Management	6
Lawyers Helping Lawyers Consultation	3
Ethics Counsel Consultation	1

SURVEY OF GRIEVANCES

To better inform the Oklahoma Supreme Court, the bar, and the public of the nature of the grievances received, the number of lawyers receiving grievances, and the practice areas of misconduct involved, the following information is presented.

Formal and informal grievances were received against 884 lawyers. Therefore, fewer than five percent of the lawyers licensed to practice law in Oklahoma received a grievance in 2025.

A breakdown of the types of misconduct alleged in the 198 formal grievances opened by the Office of the General Counsel in 2025 is as follows:

Of the 198 formal grievances, the area of practice is as follows:

The number of years in practice of the 139 lawyers receiving formal grievances is as follows:

The largest number of grievances received were against lawyers who have been in practice for 26 years or more.

DISCIPLINE IMPOSED BY THE OKLAHOMA SUPREME COURT

In 2025, discipline was imposed by the Oklahoma Supreme Court in 23 disciplinary cases. The sanctions are as follows:

 

Disbarment

Respondent	Order Date
James Albert Conrady	10/14/2025
Ronald Edward Durbin	10/21/2025

 

Resignations Pending Disciplinary Proceedings Approved by Court

(Tantamount to Disbarment)

Respondent	Order Date
Logan Michael Jones	01/13/2025
Andrea Beth Fryar	02/10/2025
Jessica Lyn Brown	09/08/2025
Wesley Blake Hulse	09/15/2025
Kassie Nicole McCoy	09/29/2025
Tracy S. Zahl	10/06/2025
Brian Lovell	10/06/2025
Kelsey Alison Baldwin	12/08/2025
Charles Brady Morris	12/15/2025

 

Disciplinary Suspensions

Respondent	Length	Order Date
Isaac Shields	6 Months	03/25/2025
Mosemarie Boyd	6 Months	04/29/2025
Ledger Wade Newman	Interim	06/30/2025
James Albert Conrady	Interim	07/30/2025
Ryan Alexander Keith	Interim	09/08/2025
Cassity B. Gies	6 Months	09/23/2025
David Phillip Spielman	Interim	12/15/2025

 

Confidential Discipline

Respondent	Type	Order Date
	Private Reprimand	04/07/2025
	Private Reprimand	10/20/2025

 

Rule 7, RGDP Dismissals

Respondent	Order Date
Toni Himes Capra	10/27/2025
Kylie Danielle Ray	09/08/2025
Julia Allen	09/08/2025

There were 11 discipline cases filed with the Oklahoma Supreme Court as of January 1, 2025. During 2025, 21 new formal complaints were filed for a total of 32 cases before the Oklahoma Supreme Court during 2025. On December 31, 2025, 11 cases remained open before the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

Type of Discipline Imposed	Disbarment	RPDP	Disciplinary Suspension	Confidential Suspension	Public Censure	Dismissals
Number of Attorneys Involved	2	9	7	2	0	3
Age of Attorney
21-29 years old	0	0	0	0	0	0
30-49 years old	1	6	4	2	0	1
50-74 years old	0	3	2	0	0	2
75 or more years old	1	0	1	0	0	0

 

REINSTATEMENTS

On January 1, 2025, there were three Petitions for Reinstatement pending before the Professional Responsibility Tribunal and one Petition for Reinstatement pending with the Oklahoma Supreme Court. There were five new Petitions for Reinstatement filed in 2025. In 2025, the Oklahoma Supreme Court granted two reinstatements, denied three reinstatements, and dismissed two Petitions for Reinstatement. On December 31, 2025, there were two Petitions for Reinstatement pending before the Professional Responsibility Tribunal and two Petitions for Reinstatement pending before the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

UNAUTHORIZED PRACTICE OF LAW

Rule 5.1(b), RGDP, authorizes the Office of the General Counsel to investigate allegations of the unauthorized practice of law (UPL) by non-lawyers, suspended lawyers and disbarred lawyers. Rule 5.5, ORPC, regulates the unauthorized practice of law by lawyers and prohibits lawyers from assisting others in doing so.

Requests for Investigation. In 2025, the Office of the General Counsel received 22 requests for investigation of the unauthorized practice of law. The Office of the General Counsel fielded many additional inquiries regarding the unauthorized practice of law that are not reflected in this summary.

Practice Areas. Allegations of the unauthorized practice of law encompass various areas of law. In previous years, most unauthorized practice of law complaints involved non-lawyers or paralegals handling family law matters. However, in 2024 and 2025, UPL complaints involving litigation matters exceeded the other categories.

Referral Sources. Requests for investigations of the unauthorized practice of law come from multiple sources. In 2025, the Office of the General Counsel received more than 40% of UPL complaints from judges and licensed lawyers.

Respondents. In 2025, most requests for investigation into allegations of the unauthorized practice of law complained about non-lawyers holding themselves out as having specific training in the law.

Enforcement. In 2025, the Office of the General Counsel took formal action in eight matters. Formal action included issuing cease and desist letters, initiating formal investigations through the lawyer discipline process, referring a case to an appropriate state and/or federal enforcement agency, or filing the appropriate district court action. Ten matters were closed after corrective action was taken, and the remainder of the matters remain under investigation.

CLIENTS’ SECURITY FUND

The Clients’ Security Fund was established in 1965 by Court Rules of the Oklahoma Supreme Court. The Fund is administered by the Clients’ Security Fund Committee, which is comprised of 14 lawyer members and 3 non-lawyer members. The Committee members are appointed in staggered three-year terms by the OBA President with approval from the Board of Governors. In 2025, the Committee was chaired by lawyer member Micheal Salem, Norman. Chairman Salem has served as Chair for the Clients’ Security Fund Committee since 2006. The Fund furnishes a means of reimbursement to clients for financial losses occasioned by dishonest acts of lawyers. It is also intended to protect the reputation of lawyers in general from the consequences of dishonest acts of a very few. The Board of Governors budgets and appropriates $175,000.00 each year to the Clients’ Security Fund for payment of approved claims.

In years when the approved amount exceeds the appropriated amount, the amount approved for each claimant will be reduced in proportion on a pro rata basis until the total amount paid for all claims in that year is $175,000.00. The Office of the General Counsel reviews, investigates, and presents the claims to the committee. In 2025, the Office of the General Counsel presented 27 claims to the Committee. The Committee approved 10 claims, denied 12 claims, and continued five claims into the following year for further investigation. In 2025, the Clients’ Security Fund paid a total of $146,845.00 on 10 approved claims.

CIVIL ACTIONS (NON-DISCIPLINE) INVOLVING THE OBA

The Office of the General Counsel represented the Oklahoma Bar Association in several civil (non-discipline) matters during 2025. Several cases carried forward into 2026. The following is a summary of all 2025 civil actions against or involving the Oklahoma Bar Association:

• Winningham v. Gina L. Hendryx, Oklahoma County Case No. CJ-2023-3789. On July 7, 2023, Plaintiff filed an action for declaratory relief. The Oklahoma Bar Association moved to dismiss the matter. After hearing argument, this matter was dismissed on November 2, 2023. Winningham has since filed post-trial motions, and the Oklahoma Bar Association has responded. On July 15, 2025, the Court dismissed the matter for failure to prosecute.
• BlueviewTam Farm, LLC, et al., v. Jones Brown, et al., Tulsa County Case No. CJ-2023-3033. Ronald Durbin filed a class action suit on behalf of multiple plaintiffs alleging a variety of causes of actions against the Oklahoma Bar Association and two staff members. The Oklahoma Bar Association defendants have not been served. On June 27, 2025, this matter was dismissed for failure to obtain service within 200 days.
• Durbin v. Oklahoma Bar Association, et al., United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma, Case No. CIV-24-603. On December 12, 2024, Plaintiff filed a 326-page Complaint against the Oklahoma Bar Association and in excess of 90 other defendants. This matter was dismissed on January 23, 2025.
• Lowery et al. v. OBA et al., Oklahoma Supreme Court Case No. MA-122831. Plaintiffs filed Writ of Mandamus and Prohibition and Application for Restraining Order on January 31, 2025. Per the Court’s Order, the OBA declined to respond. Plaintiffs’ relief was denied on March 31, 2025.
• Trupia v. John Roberts, et al., United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, Case No. CIV-25-621. Plaintiff filed a Complaint against Miles Pringle in his capacity as Oklahoma Bar Association President, United States Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, and William Bay, President of the American Bar Association. Plaintiff sought to have all Oklahoma Bar Association members certified as a defendant class for purposes of prosecuting a class action against them. The OBA filed a motion to dismiss. The Court dismissed the matter on September 30, 2025.
• Trupia v. John Roberts, et al., United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, Case No. 25-6172. Plaintiff appealed the dismissal of his case in CIV-25-621. This appeal is pending, with briefing due February 12, 2026.
• Stephens v. State of Oklahoma, et al., United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma, Case No. 25-cv-00322-SHE-SH. Plaintiff filed a Complaint against multiple defendants on June 26, 2025. The OBA filed a motion to dismiss the matter. This case is pending.
• Durbin v. OBA, et al., United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma, Case No. 25-cv-00393-GKF-JFJ (Durbin II). Plaintiff filed a Complaint against multiple defendants on July 28, 2025. This case is pending.
• Eisenberg v. OBA, Oklahoma Supreme Court Case No. 123520. Petitioner filed for a Writ of Mandamus and served the OBA with same on October 27, 2025. The OBA filed its response on November 13, 2025. The Supreme Court treated Petitioner’s Writ as an Application to Assume Original Jurisdiction and denied Petitioner relief on November 24, 2025. Petitioner filed a Request for Clarification on November 25, 2025.
• McKee v. DHS Payne County Director, et al., United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, Case No. CIV-25-1353. The OBA filed a motion to dismiss the matter. This case is pending.
• Jones v. State of Oklahoma, et al., United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, Case No. CIV-25-1383. Plaintiff filed suit against multiple defendants. The Court sua sponte dismissed the Complaint and Amended Complaint on January 12, 2026. The OBA was not named a defendant in the Second Amended Complaint.
• McKee v. Honorable Susan Worthington, et al., Oklahoma Supreme Court Case No. MA-123567. Petitioner filed a Petition for Writ of Mandamus and Application to Assume Original Jurisdiction on November 20, 2025, stemming from a juvenile deprived action. The OBA is named as a Respondent. On January 12, 2025, the Oklahoma Supreme Court dismissed the proceeding.
• Lutnes v. Honorable Susan Worthington, et al., Oklahoma Supreme Court Case No. MA-123568. Petitioner filed a Petition for Writ of Mandamus and Application to Assume Original Jurisdiction on November 20, 2025, stemming from a juvenile deprived action. The OBA is named as a Respondent. On January 12, 2025, the Oklahoma Supreme Court dismissed the proceeding.
• Roberts v. Worthington, et al., United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, 7:25-cv-129-O-BP. Plaintiff filed a Complaint against the OKC County Bar but served the OBA. The OBA filed a motion to dismiss. The matter is pending and subject to transfer to the Western District of Oklahoma.

ATTORNEY SUPPORT SERVICES

Out-of-State Attorney Registration. In 2025, the Office of the General Counsel processed 723 new applications and 662 renewal applications submitted by out-of-state attorneys registering to participate in a proceeding before an Oklahoma Court or Tribunal. Out-of-State attorneys appearing pro bono to represent criminal indigent defendants, or on behalf of persons who otherwise would qualify for representation under the guidelines of the Legal Services Corporation due to their incomes, may request a waiver of the application fee from the Oklahoma Bar Association. Certificates of Compliance are issued after confirmation of the application information, the applicant’s good standing in his/her licensing jurisdiction and payment of applicable fees. All obtained and verified information is submitted to the Oklahoma Court or Tribunal as an exhibit to a “Motion to Associate.”

Certificates of Good Standing. In 2025, the Office of the General Counsel prepared 1,489 Certificates of Good Standing/Disciplinary History at the request of Oklahoma Bar Association members.

ETHICS AND EDUCATION

During 2025, lawyers in the General Counsel’s office presented in excess of 40 hours of continuing legal education programs to county bar association meetings, lawyer practice groups, OBA programs, all three state law schools, and various legal organizations. In these sessions, disciplinary and investigative procedures, case law, and ethical standards within the profession were discussed. These efforts direct lawyers to a better understanding of their ethical requirements and the disciplinary process and informs the public of the efforts of the Oklahoma Bar Association to regulate the conduct of its members. The Office of the General Counsel worked with lawyer groups to assist with presentation of programming via in-person presentations and videoconferencing platforms.

The lawyers, investigators, and support staff of the General Counsel’s office also attended continuing education programs in an effort to increase their own skills and knowledge in attorney discipline. These included trainings by the Oklahoma Bar Association (OBA), the National Organization of Bar Counsel (NOBC), and the Organization of Bar Investigators (OBI).

RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED this 6th day of February, 2026, on behalf of the Professional Responsibility Commission and the Office of the General Counsel of the Oklahoma Bar Association.

Gina Hendryx, General Counsel
Oklahoma Bar Association