Liberty Bell Award 2022 Michael Willis
The Tulsa County Bar Foundation is proud to announce this year’s Liberty Bell Award recipient is Michael Willis. The Liberty Bell Award is given to a non-lawyer who has promoted better understanding of the rule of law, encouraged great respect for law and the courts, stimulated a sense of civic responsibility, or contributed to good government in the community. It is also one of the most prestigious awards presented by the TCBF.
the repository for legal instruments that affect land title, the office is crucial to the legal foundation in our county. In his five years as County Clerk, Michael has modernized the office. He has released hundreds of thousands of documents for online viewing. He has created a mapbased land record system where every resident of Tulsa County can now get a copy of their deed online for free. Michael Willis was elected as the Tulsa County He focuses his staff on customer service, which is not Clerk in 2016 and began his service in 2017. Prior to common in government.” running for County Clerk, Michael served Tulsa County as Chief Deputy County Commissioner and Public In addition to his service to the County as the Information Officer for almost seven years. County Clerk, Michael is involved heavily in the Tulsa Community and volunteers hundreds of hours per year Local attorney Austin Bond has worked with in law enforcement as a Reserve Deputy Sheriff and Michael on multiple Veterans’ projects and initiatives has since 2009. “Besides being an innovative leader and for several years and says “He is a highly capable consummate public servant, Michael’s civic involvement and dedicated public servant to the people of Tulsa is truly inspiring” comments Assistant District Attorney County and our Veterans. When Tulsa began its national James G. Rea. He actively advocates for the recruitment model specialty Veterans Treatment Court Program, of Veterans by first responder entities, is a member of Michael worked tirelessly behind the scenes to fight Leadership Tulsa and Tulsa’s Young Professionals, for County resources and support for the program and serves on boards including that of Rebuild Oklahoma, has continued to do so to this day. Since he became Tulsa Sports Commission, INCOG, Friends of The County Clerk, he has led several Veterans’ initiatives MET and the OU Master of Public Administration and support programs through his office and the wider Advisory Board, and has served on several other county government. He has spent countless hours at community and non-profit boards over the years. He Veterans’ and civic organizations explaining County has also volunteered his service at the state level serving benefits and access, and personally scanning Veterans as Governor’s appointee to the Board of Directors for and active duty Service Members’ records and discharge the Office of Juvenile Affairs from 2014 until October documents into the County Clerk’s Office program for 2016. recording military discharge papers and supplying free certified copies for Veterans in Tulsa County. Michael Michael Willis is truly an asset to the County and has also been an indispensable asset to the Tulsa and its Veterans and is an outstanding individual who works Broken Arrow Veterans Day Parades and multiple hard to support the foundation of law in our county. Veterans job fairs.” He was born in Tulsa and grew up in West Tulsa Judge William LaFortune added that Michael’s and Sapulpa. He attended the University of Oklahoma “service as Tulsa County Clerk is what makes him an where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Public Affairs and excellent candidate for the Liberty Bell Award. The Administration, and a Master of Public Administration. County Clerk's Office, while not directly tied to the courts, is a significant piece of the legal system. As
