OBA Annual Meeting 2012 “Homecoming” is the theme for the 2012 Annual Meeting (Sheraton Hotel downtown Oklahoma City). The theme reflects the fall season and a passion shared by many Oklahomans – a love of sports and all the fun and festivities that accompany spectatorship at our state’s numerous athletic events! But most importantly, Homecoming is your chance to “come home” for our annual gathering where we may socialize, network, learn, elect new leaders, and conduct the important business that guides our association. The Annual Meeting Committee and bar staff have spent hundreds of hours working to make this Annual Meeting one which encourages us to celebrate our profession. This meeting is your opportunity to enjoy the company of some of the best attorneys in our profession. If you haven't attended the Annual Meeting before — or it's been awhile — 2012 is THE year to check out all the opportunities.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT ANNUAL MEETING
When is the Annual Meeting this year? Wednesday, November 14; Thursday, November 15; and Friday, November 16
How much is the registration fee for Annual Meeting? Registration fee, payable to the OBA, is only $60 through October 22nd and then $85 after October 22nd. Follow this link to register http://www.amokbar.org/Register.aspx. You do NOT pay the registration fee to the OBA Family Law Section (“FLS”). OBA FLS Members may attend the Family Law Section Meeting and Thursday OBA FLS CLE at no charge. See information below for details.
What do you get as part of the registration fee? Registration fee includes: • • • • • • • • •
Wednesday continental breakfast in hospitality area Wednesday timeouts/hospitality President's Tailgate Party Wednesday 7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. Thursday timeouts/hospitality ‘At the Hop’ sock hop Thursday 7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. Live entertainment Book signings Convention gift Vendor's Expo
An attorney is not required to register for the OBA Annual Meeting in order to attend the Thursday OBA FLS meeting/CLE; however, the registration fee is a great bargain, and all of 1
FLS members are greatly encouraged to support our Bar Association and register. You can pay only the registration fee to the OBA and enjoy the many benefits! Attending the Annual Meeting offers attorneys an opportunity to network with other professionals in addition to the entertainment during the evening events. Your registration fee includes a continental breakfast in the hospitality area Wednesday morning, the President’s Tailgate Party, “At the Hop” sock hop dance and reception featuring Dave and the Wavetones, a booksigning by renowned sports writer and commentator Frank Deford and Oklahoma author Bob Burke, convention gifts and the Vendors Expo.
What is the difference between the OBA Annual Meeting events on Wednesday, November 14th and the OBA Family Law Section events on Thursday, November 15th ?
Wednesday, November 14, 2012: On Wednesday, the OBA CLE Department offers four tracks of CLE presentations: Family Law, Criminal Law, Recent Developments and Sports Law. You can attend any of the 4 program tracks, and you do not have to attend only the family law track on Wednesday. You can “mix and match”! In order to attend this CLE you must register for the Annual Meeting and pay the CLE registration fee to the OBA. http://www.amokbar.org/CLE/CLETracks.aspx. On Wednesday, November 14th, the OBA Family Law Section does not offer any CLE separate from the OBA CLE. The FLS CLE Chair coordinated the speakers for the Wednesday Family Law CLE track; and as you can see from the line-up, it is a great presentation with a variety of topics.
Thursday, November 15, 2012 is the OBA Family Law Section Annual Meeting and CLE! Any member of the OBA Family Law Section is welcome to attend the meeting and CLE (5 hours, no ethics credit) and there is no additional charge to attend. The meeting and CLE are in a NEW LOCATION THIS YEAR – the OBA Center 1901 N. Lincoln
Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK 73105. There is plenty of free parking at the Bar Center. The program begins at 8:30 a.m. and ends at approximately 5:00 p.m. Breakfast and Sign in begins at 8:00 a.m. Elections for 2013 officers; 2012 OBA FLS awards will be announced; the Attendance Appreciation prize drawing occurs; and there will be many drawings for great prizes, including one lucky attorney who wins a certificate to attend any ABA Family Law Section CLE or OBA Family Law Section CLE in 2013.
The first 250 OBA FLS Members to sign in on Thursday at the Bar Center for the CLE will receive a free messenger bag! 2
The Annual Luncheon will take place from noon (12PM) to 1:45 p.m. Thursday, November 15. Cost to attend is $35. Seating is limited! The first 30 people to register for Annual Meeting will be given a FREE ticket to the Annual Luncheon. Send confirmation of your paid Registration for Annual Meeting to tchilders@jonesgotcher.com, and you will receive your Annual Luncheon Ticket on Thursday (Nov. 15th) when you sign in for the FLS Meeting & CLE. There will be free bus service from the Bar Center to the Sheraton and back to the Bar Center during lunch time. Even if you don’t want to attend the Luncheon, you can take the shuttle to the Sheraton and enjoy Bricktown, and then back to the Bar Center for the afternoon CLE program.
Am I required to complete a registration form to attend the OBA Family Law Section Annual Meeting and CLE held on Thursday, November 15, 2012?
No. Any member of the OBA FLS is welcome to attend the Thursday event at no cost, and no registration is required. Attendance to this meeting and CLE are included in your annual membership dues of $25. All you have to do is show up on Thursday, sign in, receive your CLE materials with goodie bag, and be prepared to be educated by our two CLE presenters. If you are not yet a member of our Section, you may pay $25 on the day of the CLE as dues for 2012 and receive the pleasure of full member benefits, including CLE credit.
What are the OBA FLS CLE presentations on Thursday? There will be two CLE speakers this year for a total of 5 hours CLE credit, no ethics credit. 1. Professor Robert G. Spector Robert G. Spector is the Glenn R. Watson Chair and Centennial Professor of Law Emeritus at the University of Oklahoma College of Law. He will present his highly anticipated programs: THE HIDDEN LAW: AN ANALYSIS OF UNPUBLISHED FAMILY LAW CASES FROM THE COURT OF CIVIL APPEALS and RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN FAMILY LAW 2011-2012. His presentation is the highlight of our meeting each year, and you don’t want to miss this important event. Professor Spector writes and lectures extensively on family law topics. He received the Chair’s Award from the Oklahoma Bar Association’s Family Law Section in 1994 and 1997 for significant contributions to the development of family law, and in 1990 was named the Outstanding Family Law Attorney. He has also received the Earl Sneed Award for significant contributions to Continuing Legal Education by the Oklahoma Bar Association in 1991.
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He was a member of the Governing Council of the American Bar Association’s Family Law Section for ten years. He also chaired the Committee on Marital Torts and served as ViceChair of the Law School Curriculum Committee. He is currently the Vice-Chair of the Family Law Committee of the International Law Section. He serves as a consultant to the Oklahoma Bar Association’s Section of Family Law. He is the author of Oklahoma Family Law: Cases and Materials, Oklahoma Family Law: The Handbook and Oklahoma Family Law: Statutes and Rules Annotated, all published by Imprimatur Press and over 100 articles on family law. He also serves as the Associate Editor of the Family Law Quarterly, and is a member of the Board of Editors of Divorce Litigation and the American Journal of Family Law. 2. Dr. Sol R. Rappaport, a Licensed Clinical Psychologist The keynote speaker this year is Dr. Sol R. Rappaport, a Licensed Clinical Psychologist specializing in Forensic Psychology, from Libertyville, Illinois. Dr. Rappaport will present 2 topics:
The Science Behind Removal (Relocation): a Risk Assessment Approach. This presentation educates the practitioner on a scientific approach to relocation determination. Attendees will gain an understanding of how issues of removal should be addressed by an evaluator and what the research says about the impact of removal and relocation on children. Additionally, attendees will also gain an understanding about the impact of removal and relocation on children as well as how to challenge a poorly written evaluation that addresses removal. Reasons to support relocation and removal will also be addressed.
Deconstructing a Child Custody Evaluation This presentation will provide attorneys with an understanding of what differentiates a valid child custody evaluation report from a poor evaluation. Vital components of evaluations are reviewed as well as guidelines custody evaluators should follow in conducting child custody evaluations. Additionally, attendees will learn what they might see in an evaluation that should raise concerns about the validity of the evaluation. This will be tied in with cross-examination procedures for how to challenge a problematic custody evaluation.
Dr. Rappaport has been appointed in over 500 custody evaluations in the last 16 years and has testified throughout Northern Illinois. Dr. Rappaport has presented nationally to a variety of professional audiences on custody and other topics. He has trained both attorneys and mental health professionals on the use of psychological testing in custody evaluations. He has also trained other mental health professionals in how to conduct custody evaluations. He consults 4
with and trains attorneys in cross examination techniques. In addition to his forensic practice, Dr. Rappaport is a co-founder of a therapeutic day school for children and adolescents with autism. He performs educational testing and risk assessments for school districts and police agencies. For more information about Dr. Rappaport, visit his website at http://www.counselingconnections.net/index.html.
What is there to do in the evening during Annual Meeting? For Wednesday and Thursday evenings, the OBA has planned fantastic events for members and a guest who pay the registration fee ($60 before October 22nd and $85 after October 22nd). Some of the events include the President’s Tailgate Party Wednesday night from 7PM to 11PM; the ‘At the Hop’ Reception on Thursday night from 7PM to 11PM. Visit this link to learn more about the evening activities: http://www.amokbar.org/Events.aspx. The OBA Family Law Section will host a Hospitality Suite on Wednesday night and Thursday night from 9:30PM – 12PM (midnight) in the Sheraton Hotel, Oklahoma City. Plan to stop by for some light snacks, beverages and socializing – and some great door prizes.
Now that I have decided to attend the OBA Annual Meeting, what do I do next?
Mark your calendar so you can attend in Oklahoma City on November 14th, 15th and 16th.
Make your hotel reservation. Contact the Sheraton Hotel at 405-235-2780. Call by Oct. 22 and mention “Oklahoma Bar Association 2012” for a special room rate of $98 per night.
Send in your registration form to the OBA by October 22nd to get the early registration discount of $60.
Be one of the first 30 to send Tamera Childers confirmation of your paid registration to receive a FREE ticket to the Annual Luncheon when you sign in Thursday morning at the Bar Center for the FLS meeting and CLE.
Tell others not to miss the 2012 OBA Annual Meeting!
For more information go to http://www.amokbar.org/Home.aspx.
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