2025 Chair

Taylor C. Venus

Taylor C. Venus is a native of Ponca City who graduated from OSU with bachelor's degrees in economics and finance. While attending OSU, Mr. Venus had the honor to be Pistol Pete. Thereafter, he obtained his J.D. and MBA at OU. While in law school, he served as the articles editor for the Oil and Gas, Natural Resources and Energy Journal and as an officer or representative in multiple student groups.

Mr. Venus has a passion for serving his local community and supporting other regional and statewide organizations. In Enid, Mr. Venus is the president of the Enid Public Schools Foundation, a member of Rotary and AMBUCS and actively volunteers with several other entities in Garfield County. Outside his local community, he is the current chair-elect of the OBA YLD, a member of his fraternity alumni board and president of the Cherokee Strip OSU Alumni Chapter.

In his time out of the office, Mr. Venus enjoys spending time with his friends and family, golfing, hunting and being an armchair expert on his favorite sports teams and political views.

Immediate Past Chair

Laura Talbert

Laura Talbert is the chief legal officer for the Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs. Ms. Talbert graduated from the OU College of Law in 2012. In her free time, she enjoys playing volleyball and cheering on the Sooners. She has been on the YLD board for seven years and is excited to continue serving.

 

 

 

 

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UNCONTESTED ELECTIONS

The following persons have been nominated. They are running uncontested and will be declared elected at the OBA YLD meeting in July.

Chair-Elect

Alexandra “Allie” J. Gage

Alexandra “Allie” J. Gage graduated from the TU College of Law in 2019. She currently works as a civil litigation attorney at Doerner, Saunders, Daniel & Anderson LLP.

Ms. Gage has always had a strong commitment to community service and mentorship. Before attending law school, she lived and worked in the Eastern European country of Kosovo, where she served as a community center coordinator for a center in the nation’s capital. After returning, she followed her call to a legal career at the TU College of Law. She enjoyed serving as a mentor in law school and continues to support and encourage new lawyers and law students entering their legal careers.

After the COVID-19 pandemic left its mark on Oklahoma, Ms. Gage sought to find a way to further serve her recovering community. In that effort, she joined the OBA YLD as a member of the Board of Directors for District 6 and most recently served as treasurer. She dove headfirst into her duties and continues to show her willingness to serve the YLD and its members. She now seeks to continue her service on the Executive Committee as the board’s chair-elect.

Secretary

Clayton M. Baker

Clayton M. Baker is a partner at Davis & Thompson PLLC in Jay. Mr. Baker graduated from Midwestern State University in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and political science. He received his J.D. from the TU College of Law in 2015 with honors. Mr. Baker and his wife, Joanna, moved to Grove in 2015 and have enjoyed raising their family on Grand Lake ever since. They have two beautiful daughters, Gentry (7) and Everly (2). Most of their free time is spent chasing Everly, cheer practice and football games for Gentry and running their homemade ice cream shop, Back Porch Ice Cream.

Mr. Baker’s practice areas include probate, trusts and estate planning, real estate and civil litigation. Mr. Baker has represented clients throughout northeast Oklahoma and regularly practices in Delaware, Ottawa, Craig and Mayes counties. He currently serves as a municipal court judge for Bernice and as the president of the Delaware County Bar Association. He is a graduate of the OBA Leadership Academy and has served on the YLD Board of Directors since 2015. Mr. Baker enjoys giving back to his community as much as he can and serves on the Board of Directors for the Delaware County Children's Special Advocacy Network and the Grove Rotary Club.

Treasurer

Randy G. Gordon

Randy G. Gordon joined the Shawnee law firm of Stuart & Clover PLLC in 2021 as a partner, bringing his wealth of litigation and creditor’s rights knowledge from his previous employment. He remains a dedicated OSU fan despite receiving his J.D. from his dreaded rival, OU.

He currently serves on the OBA YLD Board of Directors, which has been personally and professionally enriching. He enjoys serving on a board that serves not only the legal community but the statewide community at large through philanthropic efforts. Mr. Gordon also serves as the head of the community outreach committee of Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Shawnee.

Mr. Gordon shares two sons with his fellow partner, Breanne. They keep him busy! In his spare time, he loves trying new foods and watching college football. Go Pokes!

District 3

Matthew Shelton

Matthew Shelton is an Oklahoma City attorney, practicing primarily in the areas of civil litigation, employment law and cannabis law. He is currently a member of the OBA YLD board and is the leader of the Membership and New Attorney Orientation committees. Mr. Shelton was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, and comes from a family of firefighters. He moved to Oklahoma City four years ago for law school after receiving his bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri – Kansas City. His goal for his career is to gain as much knowledge of the law to be able to help anyone with any legal issue that comes his way.

District 6

Dillon Hollingsworth

Dillon Hollingsworth is a member at Barrow & Grimm PC, where he has practiced in the areas of business litigation, real estate, construction and surety law and medical marijuana since graduating from the OU College of Law in 2019. Mr. Hollingsworth helps clients on a variety of fronts, including litigation, regulatory issues and general corporate concerns.

Mr. Hollingsworth is resigning his position, and the position will be filled by appointment soon, pursuant to Rule 4.3 of the OBA YLD bylaws.

District 9

Mary McCann

Mary McCann is a dedicated and accomplished attorney from El Reno. She earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism from OSU in 2018 and her J.D. from the OCU School of Law in 2021. During her academic journey, Ms. McCann had the privilege of interning at the White House in 2018, gaining invaluable experience in the nation's capital.

After law school, Ms. McCann joined the Bass Law Firm, where she honed her skills in probate and estate planning from 2021 to 2023. She currently practices in those areas at the Bedlam Law Firm in Yukon. Ms. McCann is passionate about helping individuals and families navigate complex legal matters with compassion and expertise.

Outside of her legal work, Ms. McCann is an avid runner and enjoys staying active in her community. Her commitment to excellence, combined with her warm and approachable demeanor, make her a respected member of the legal profession. 

At-Large

Dillon Hollingsworth
            See bio above

Mary McCann
            See bio above

Dayten Israel

Dayten Israel is a graduate of the OU College of Law and currently operates a solo practice, Launchpointe Legal, that provides transactional legal services to startups and emerging ventures. He also serves as the director of Startup OU at the University of Oklahoma, a regional entrepreneurship hub that offers numerous consulting and training programs across new venture creation, technology commercialization, fundraising and workforce development in central Oklahoma. Mr. Israel is also a founding member of the OU Entrepreneurial Law Center, where he currently serves as a legal and business advisor supporting clinical intern operations for startup and small business clients.

Since joining the OBA in 2021, he has served on several committees, including the Strategic Planning, Diversity and Law Schools committees. His involvement in the Law Schools Committee has allowed him the opportunity to explore gaps in legal education and perceived access issues for soon-to-be attorneys in the state. Mr. Israel has also held a position as an at-large director on the YLD Board of Directors for the last three years, where he has supported community service activities and general board operations.

Chase McBride

Chase McBride attended TU, where he received his bachelor’s degree in finance and a minor in economics. He attended graduate school at OU, where he received both his J.D. and MBA. He also has received a certificate in law and entrepreneurship from the OU College of Law and a certificate in sustainable investing from the Harvard Business School. His areas of practice largely include general litigation, business/corporate and contract litigation, family law, criminal defense and the protection of civil and property rights.
He has successfully argued in front of Oklahoma's highest courts, defended federal business litigation actions, organized multi-million-dollar business transactions and successfully defended three first-degree murder charges. He has also successfully represented four separate Oklahoma police chiefs in wrongful termination or election disputes and defended multiple politicians in the Tulsa area against defamation claims. Mr. McBride currently represents several large businesses across the state. He is also the city attorney for Salina and Pryor.

His writings have been published in the Oklahoma Bar Journal regarding court-ordered grandparental rights, interlocutory appeals and Oklahoma construction trusts, all topics on which he has also presented CLE courses.