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Governance & Membership

Pringle, Miles President Headshot

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2024 President's Messages

Let’s Meet Up at the Annual Meeting

June 2024
It is important for attorneys to meet in person. Spending time with our colleagues will improve our careers, health and professional civility. Despite our move to a digital world, interpersonal relationships are as important as ever. According to the Journal of Management, “Networking can significantly impact one’s ability to establish contacts, get interviews for jobs, and identify and cultivate mentors.”[1] Moreover, building relationships improves our ability to influence and be an advocate for our clients.

20 Years Later: Time for an OBA Dues Increase

May 2024
In my January article, I laid out three main goals for the year. One of them was to evaluate the financial future of the Oklahoma Bar Association and the appropriateness of a dues increase. The House of Delegates last voted to raise dues 20 years ago, in 2004, to the current $275 amount, which would equate to approximately $445 in 2023 and likely more today as inflation persists.

Law Day

April 2024
May 1 is Law Day, and the theme established by the American Bar Association is “Voices of Democracy.” According to the ABA, “Law Day provides an opportunity to understand how law and the legal process protect our liberty, strive to achieve justice, and contribute to the freedoms that all Americans share.” Nationally, Law Day was brought into being by Dwight D. Eisenhower through a proclamation in 1958.

Legal Deserts

March 2024
In February, members of OBA leadership attended the 2024 Midyear Meeting for the National Conference of Bar Presidents. This event was a great opportunity to learn from peers around the nation and receive updates on hot topics. We engaged in roundtable discussions and presentations on subjects such as engagement between the bench and the bar.
One of the most important programs I was able to attend was titled “Legal Deserts: Why They Matter and What Bar Associations Can Do.” The speakers were Jerry Kilgore, former Virginia attorney general and chair for the Appalachian School of Law Board of Trustees, and St. Mary’s University School of Law Dean Patricia Roberts. The program description framed the issue that, “There are 1,300 counties that have less than one attorney per 1,000 residents  and 54 counties with no lawyer at all … The effect on access to justice is profound.”

We Want You!

February 2024

Whether or not you take advantage of everything, you get a lot out of your OBA membership. The CLE Department puts on high-quality programming. The communications team and Board of Editors create and curate high-quality publications. The practice management professionals negotiate discounted rates on great services that can help you run your law office. Just to name a few.

Setting Goals for the New Year

January 2024

I am humbled and excited to serve as the Oklahoma Bar Association president for 2024. As a native Oklahoman and third-generation attorney, it is an honor to serve our honorable profession. I hope to make you proud.

Perhaps you feel it too, but I believe we are at a moment of great change. That means the practice of law is in the midst of change as well. For example, our demographics are shifting. The OBA has more members over the age of 80 than under the age of 30. Nevertheless, Oklahoma’s population and the number of businesses continue to grow. That means lawyers are needed to serve the needs of more clients than ever.