A Message from the President
Jim Milton
Serving Members & Community in New Ways I am writing this column on May 7. We are a materials, and assisted in the production of a webinar little more than a week away from May 18, when the on the issue. The EPPT’s task force on pandemiccourts are to be re-opened. By the time you receive related issues continues to operate on a statewide basis this issue of the Tulsa Lawyer, there may be further addressing various issues that impact attorneys in the developments. And certainly by that time, any news or trust and probate area. analysis regarding the Supreme Court Administrative The TCBA then took on a role of advocating Orders (SCADs) and Tulsa County Administrative for inclusion of legal professionals within the essential Orders (AOs) will be out of date. But I do want you to functions under the statewide restrictions imposed in know that the TCBA has been hard at work reviewing March. While many attorneys (including myself) began SCADs and AOs, providing comments on the urgent working from home for a period of time, attorneys and issues faced by our Judges and other elected officials. law offices needed to remain open to some extent in At the outset of the pandemic, when it became order to read the mail, handle emergencies and pressing clear that access to clients and courthouses would be matters, and otherwise assist clients. Some law offices restricted, the TCBA led the way in addressing the use closed, others remained open. But fortunately, the of remote online notaries under the Oklahoma Remote flexibility was allowed for these choices to be made. Online Notary Act, with the result that the OBA Estate During this same time period, the TCBA closed Planning, Probate & Trust Section (“EPPT”) (chaired its doors to the public and began working remotely. by Dan Woska) published a position paper, distributed This required the TCBA to reexamine several of its
2 Tulsa Lawyer
