Business & Personal Wellness Matters
A Message from the President
Kara Vincent 2021-2022 TCBA President
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Annual Luncheon 2021 / 2022 Come celebrate a year of accomplishments with us!
Thursday, August 18th
TULSA LAWYER
In this Issue
August 2022
2
So Long...Farewell Kara Vincent
6
Summer Public Interest Intern Social
8
TCBA Annual Report 2021-2022 • Membership • Scholarships • Community Giving • Law Week • Programs • Community Outreach • Capital Improvements
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TCBA Spotlight Lawyers Helping Lawyers
20
Affinity Bar Mixer
21
Law Day Featured Speaker - Scott B. Goode
22
The Importance of Generosity By Shelagh Tallman, M.S, R.N.
24
Courthouse Badge Update
25
Why You Should Renew Your Membership 2022-2023
26
Lawyer Well-Being
28
Eat Out for a Cause
29
Take Me Out to the Ball Park Member Night with the Drillers!
30
Cultivate Calm Clients
32
Community Leader Impact Award
33
Grapevine
34
Need a Space to Hold a Meeting?
35
Classified Ads
36
Committees, Sections, Contact Us
A Message from the President
Kara Vincent
“So Long… Farewell” This is my final article for the Tulsa Lawyer and the title says it all. I hear the tune from the Sound of Music running in my head. This has been a great year and it’s flown by. So much activity in such a short period of time, and my efforts are insignificant when considered in comparison to the efforts of the TCBA’s Members. They have volunteered, contributed (financially and physically), and supported this organization to expand its influence by educating, assisting and empowering the membership and the larger community. I’m proud and honored to have served this past year, and I thank each of you for the support you’ve given to me. 20222023 is going to be an excellent year under Phil Hixon’s leadership, and I’m excited to see his plans implemented. Here’s to the continued success of the Tulsa County Bar Association! While most of my articles this past year have covered topics dealing with the larger community and our role in it, this month I’m going to provide some information that solo and small firm attorneys can use for themselves in navigating the process of planning. Understanding how revenue and expenditures relate is critical to success in business. As with all areas of life,
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if you don’t know where you are, you can’t plan your path forward. My hope is that this tool will help you plan – which will lead you to success. I also hope that it’s not as boring as it may first appear. Additionally, for those of you in larger firms, you may not be involved in the planning for the whole business, but this information can be extremely helpful in setting personal production and generation goals for the year. I’d like to say that I came up with this while diligently combing through resources, but I can’t. The concepts and numbers presented here have been with me since my auditing days and have been used by many for a long time. They are also applicable for any profession in which revenue is tied to a billing rate and the tracking of time worked on a project. Several years ago, I led a class for the Women In Recovery participants on budgeting. Because of the circumstances which led them to become part of the program, I was sure some of them believed that they were being shown concepts that they somehow missed or just didn’t pick up. I made sure to point out that these concepts might be new to them, but they were new to many people because they just aren’t taught in our schools. The same holds true for the information below. It’s not a matter of intelligence or ability to learn. Any kind of planning and budgeting related to financial matters is all really just a product of calculations, but if you’ve never been introduced to the concepts or the information, planning will be a challenge. My hope is that if you fall into that category, this information will help you better plan for yourself and your practice.
Production and generation planning and Number Of Hours Available To Work vs. Number Of budgeting can be considered a result of the interplay Hours Worked/Production: between several components: There are 2,080 work hours in a year. However, that assumes there are no vacation days, sick days or • Billing Rate For The Attorney holidays. That’s not realistic. So, to determine the • Number Of Hours Available To Work vs. Number number of hours that an employee can work, those days Of Hours Worked/Production must be subtracted out. For example: • Utilization And Realization Total number of hours in year: 2,080 • The Amount Of Work There Is To Do/Generation Less: Vacation hours: (80) Once you have these pieces, you can calculate an PTO: (40) estimated revenue number either for a group of people Holidays: (68) or for yourself individually. Having this information Continuing Education: (12) available allows you to plan better and as the saying goes – no one plans to fail, they fail to plan. Here are how the components break down:
Total number of hours available to work:
1,880
Billing Rate For The Attorney:
Now, you can budget the total number of hours that the employee could possibly work. Depending There is a general rule of thumb for determining on the firm and the dynamic. The total number could what the billing rate of an attorney should be. Some be over 1,880. It depends on the environment and the calculate it to be 3x the base salary and some say it latitude provided for work/life balance. In the end, the should be as much as 5x that amount. The multiplication budget or goal for the employee is a factor of company factors are there to cover overhead1, employment costs, policy, employment agreements, and the amount of and to allow for revenue. If you’re using 4x the salary work available to the employee to do. Whatever it amount, the calculation looks something like this: winds up being, this number, multiplied by the hourly Yearly Salary: $75,000 rate of the employee (calculated above) will help to determine what kind of revenue can be generated from Broken down into an the employee’s work. hourly amount: $36.062 Hourly billing rate:
$144.24
Once the overhead and employment expenses are covered, the billing rate can be adjusted to create an increased revenue stream, but if you don’t have a billing rate high enough to cover the expenses, you will lose money because there are only so many hours in the day and so many days in the week. As you’ll see in the numbers below, even the greatest employee is human and there is a limit to what can be generated through his or her efforts.
1 The overhead amount varies significantly depending on fixed and variable costs. You can see what those overhead costs are per person generally by taking total expenses and dividing it by the number of people in your company. 2 Per hour amount is salary divided by 2,080 work hours in a year
Utilization And Realization: Utilization is the number of hours worked when compared to the total numbers budgeted. For example, if I expect an employee to bill 1,800 in a year and they bill 1,500, that employee’s utilization is 83.33%. In a perfect world, utilization would be 100%, but we are all human. There will be some inefficiencies in work. It just happens and often times, it’s created by the clients. So, just know that in planning, if you expect 100% utilization from your employees, you will fall short. Realization is how much of a billed hour is collected. If an employee bills 15 hours and has a $200 per hour billable rate and if all of that employee’s time is billed, the invoice to the client is $3,000. The reality is, though, that some of that time may be reduced due to inefficiencies. So, maybe only $2,750 of that time gets billed and collected. That means that only 92.6% of that time has been “realized” in collected funds. There can also be a reduction in the realization if the client winds up not paying their bill in full.
Utilization and Realization work together. If an employee bills a high number of hours but is wasting time, his or her utilization will be stellar. However, when it comes time to bill, the hours worked may not actually be billed and so the realization will look awful. The interplay has to work and as with all things in life, it’s a balancing act. The Amount Of Work There Is To Do/Generation All of the above calculations are great, but if there are no clients, they are meaningless. I’ve included this component last because setting goals for production help you to determine what kind of generation needs to be accomplished. If you’ve completed the calculations and know that the billing rate of the attorney needs to be $150 per hour and that based on the budget for that attorney he or she is going to bill 1,800 hours that year, then you need to have 1,800 hours of work for that employee. If you also need to have billable hours, you will need to generate enough for both of you. That can seem daunting, but it can also give you comfort in knowing when you need to hire the next attorney and can assist you in determining when you should hire additional support staff to free up the attorneys to focus on billable time and not administrative tasks.
goals. It gives you a goal to shoot for and you’ll be able to tell whether or not those goals are being met. Face it, when you have a small firm there are administrative tasks that everyone does because it takes everyone to make it run, but once you reach a level of growth, these number will help you better determine the allocation of duties for maximum efficiency. The Total Picture:
All of the above information works together and some of the components can work against each other. Again, it’s a balancing act. And, there are a myriad of ways for these numbers to work together. For example, as a business owner, you can plan for a reduction in revenue and net income in a year that you bring on a new associate because you know that some of your production will be reduced. However, that may free you up to do more marketing which can increase your generation – generation that might not otherwise have occurred. So, your production goes down, but your generation goes up and eventually, you’re back to having enough work to keep both the associate and you at capacity for work. It’s not an exact science and it is subject to personalities and personal goals, but if you understand how these components work together, you’ll Additionally, depending on the type of work be able to better plan for the path ahead and ultimate you do, if you have matters you do routinely, you can success. develop a workflow of the tasks that are associated with that type of matter and how long it takes to accomplish Sincerely, each one. By going through this exercise, you’ll be able Kara Vincent to determine how many of a particular type of matter you TCBA President, 2021-2022 need to be able to meet the generation and production
Mark your calendars! OBA Annual Meeting November 2nd, 3rd, & 4th cartoonresouce/Adobe Stock 4 Tulsa Lawyer
Summer Public Interest Intern Social The Oklahoma Access to Justice Foundation partnered with TCBA to host Tulsa's first annual Summer Public Interest Intern Social on June 22. This fun, casual event gave legal interns from six different organizations a chance to mingle with each other and attorneys from several Tulsa's legal non profits, including Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, Still She Rises, Tulsa Lawyers for Children, Housing Solutions, and the YWCA. Attendees stayed cool with gourmet ice pops from Frios. We're looking forward to celebrating the amazing work of these dedicated public interest interns every summer!
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June 22nd - Bar Center
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Labor Day Trivia The Labor Department was the first Cabinet agency led by a woman: Frances Perkins. Six women have held the title since then, giving us the record not just for the first, but for the most women secretaries as well. Many of the women who followed in Perkins’ footsteps have blazed their own trails. Elaine Chao and Hilda Solis were the first Asian American and Hispanic women in the Cabinet, respectively. Alexis Herman was the first African American to serve as secretary of labor. And Elizabeth Dole was the first woman to lead two different departments for two different presidents (Labor and Transportation). https://www.dol.gov/ Laura McGinnis • July 27, 2021
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TCBA SPOTLIGHT
Lawyers Helping Lawyers Scott B. Goode
About Lawyers Helping Lawyers What is one way you’ve seen the program’s work make a difference? The best example I have seen of LHL working was in my own life. I was a private practitioner and didn’t have any other lawyers around to help me stay grounded. In 2008, I lost my father to lung cancer and found myself unable to control my drinking and prescription pill use. In 2013, I attempted suicide and was told about LHL. I called and was sponsored by a very successful attorney in Tulsa. Just the fact that this gentlemen was who he was, worked for the Firm he worked for, and had previously gone through a life event like I was dealing with at that time, made me feel so much better because I realized, I wasn’t alone. Other, more successful attorneys, had gone through something similar, and, on top of that, had come out the other end happy, healthy and successful. I needed to know that I was not alone. It still took me a few years to finally get permanently sober and healthier when it came to my mental health, but I was most definitely showed the way by LHL. I am forever grateful. What are areas of opportunity for the program? The importance of Mental Health is starting to be recognized in our profession and in the general population. We are starting to find that our mental health is just as important as our physical health. We need to put just as much time and work into sustaining our mental health as we do in sustaining our physical health. This idea is finally starting to be accepted in the legal community as well. Just a few years ago it was unheard of for a lawyer to feel free to discuss negative mental health issues with their employer. As of this year, a new study shows that over one-half of practicing lawyers in the country felt open to letting their employers know they were having mental health troubles. With acceptance finally starting to occur, now we need to ensure that there are programs that lawyers can take advantage of when they need help. LHL needs to have the funding to be able to bring on a fulltime executive director. We need an expert in this field, working full time, in order to fulfill this need for 18 Tulsa Lawyer
programing. Having a practicing lawyer attempting to do this while already working over full-time in their practice is not good enough. What are the main obstacles that stand between you and your mission? Funding is the main obstacle keeping us from being able to hire a full-time executive director for LHL. Jeanne Snider and Peggy Stockwell were the prior chairpersons of LHL and worked tirelessly to get the necessary funding for an executive director and, in 2019, was able to get the needed money for a part time director. However, COVID 19 and the shutdown kept LHL from using most of these funds and thus, the budget was cut in half for 2022. What do you wish more people knew about the program? I wish people knew numerous things about LHL. The biggest issues that lawyers need to know is, first and foremost, this program is completely anonymous. I remember being overly frightened to call the number and relay that I was suffering from substance abuse disorder due to the thought that I was calling the Bar Association, who licenses me as an attorney, and “telling on myself.” This program is not connected with the Bar Association in that way. Absolutely no information that comes into LHL is relayed to the Bar. There are situations where lawyers using LHL services sign releases and have their LHL sponsor testify for them at their reinstatement hearing, but that is the only situation where information is relayed outside of LHL. Another piece of information I wish more people knew of about LHL is that every member of the OBA gets 6 free sessions with a therapist per year. Just paying your dues and being a member gets you these free sessions. Also, it doesn’t necessarily have to be with the therapist that LHL contracts with. Members can apply for their six free sessions with their own therapist. This, of course, is not guaranteed but happens quite often. There is no formal measurement regarding the effectiveness of the LHL program. Really, the more calls
we get to the hotline, the happier we are. We know that the mental health issues are out there. The only real question is, are members recognizing them, and, when they do, do they know that the LHL program is there to help. Thus, the more calls we get, the more free therapy sessions are handed out, and the more people LHL mentors are working with the better. The only real way to check the effectiveness of a program like this are the studies that are conducted on the current mental health of the legal community at large.
program. It’s nice to get with a group of lawyers that fully understand the mental and emotional strain that we lawyers deal with on a daily basis. It helps us see that we are not alone. We laugh and cry and discuss ways in which to deal with these strains in healthier ways. Without question, our group discussions are my favorite part of being a member of the LHL committee. The Tulsa Discussion Group is here at my office at 5:30pm on the second Thursday of each month.
Resourcing and Opportunities Where does most of your funding come from? The LHL committee is funded by members of the Bar through their private donations and a certain amount of money is allocated from the Bar Association itself. This is truly the only connection that LHL has with the OBA. Said funding is not in any way contingent upon data sharing with the LHL committee. The lion share comes from the OBA, and that amount is supplemented by private donations from individual bar members. We need more funding in order to hire an expert in mental health to act as a full time executive director of LHL. We also need to maximize exposure of LHL to the individual members of the OBA. What would make the greatest difference in helping the program get better at what it does? Without question the full time executive director would make the greatest difference in helping the program get better at what it does. Having a practicing lawyer attempt to run this program in their off time is just not giving LHL the attention it needs to be able to reach and help as many OBA members as possible.
Getting Involved If anybody out there is interest in this program, they are welcome to contact me or any other committee members or sponsors at anytime to discuss it. Also, there is data online regarding this committee and each and every other states comparable program.The LHL committee meets every other month and we host, both in OKC and here in Tulsa, a group discussion (OKC is on the first Thursday of every month and Tulsa is on the second Thursday of every month). At this group meeting anyone and everyone that is a member of the Bar is welcome to come and discuss anything and everything relevant to attorney wellbeing and the LHL
If you need support...reach out! Oklahoma City Meetings are held 6-7:30
p.m. on the dates listed below. In-person meetings in Oklahoma City are held at the office of Tom Cummings, 701 NW 13th St., Oklahoma City. The group will also meet virtually at the same time using BlueJeans. Email debraj@okbar.org for login information. Meeting Dates: Aug. 4, Sept. 1, Oct. 6, Nov. 3, Dec. 1.
Tulsa Tulsa Meetings are held 5:30-6:30 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month at the office of Scott Goode, 1437 S. Boulder Ave., Ste. 1200, Tulsa. scottbgoode@gmail.com
Meeting Dates: Aug. 11, Sept. 8, Oct. 13, Nov. 10, Dec. 8.
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Law Day Featured Speaker:
Scott B. Goode
Scott B. Goode is the co-owner and managing partner at Military Law Group, the Tulsa liaison for the Oklahoma Lawyers Helping Lawyers Assistance Program and is the featured speaker at this year’s Annual Meeting.After serving in the U.S. Navy onboard USS Enterprise, CVN65, launching and recovering aircraft on the flight deck, Scott studied Business at Northeastern State University and received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Tulsa in 2005. In addition to being a certified Native American Lawyer, he also has expertise in criminal defense, divorce, paternity, child support, property and debt distribution, and civil litigation. He thoroughly enjoys representing veterans, reservists, and active-duty men and women of the Armed Forces.
The Lawyers Helping Lawyers Program has a long history of supporting legal professionals through difficult times. From the beginning, as an informal network of attorneys in recovery to the current structure of a formalized committee, the purpose and mission has remained a constant – be there for each other.
Thursday, August 18th See page 5 for details!
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The Importance of Generosity By Shelagh Tallman, M.S, R.N. Have you considered pro bono work? Let me ask this another way. Do you consider yourself a generous person? Because I believe that in our hearts, we know how important it is to share and give to others (and how good it makes us feel when we do). When I was asked to write an article on the importance of generosity, I knew it would be a challenging task. After all, I know that many days I don't always succeed in living altruistically. However, at Parkside, our mission is to provide mental health and support services, and that also means cultivating a healthy mind through the practice of generosity. Don't take my word for it. A 2020 study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that those who volunteer for as little as two hours per week can substantially lower their risk of early death, become more physically active, and improve their sense of well-being compared with those who don't volunteer. And this study was not a fluke, as the findings were based on interviews and surveys from nearly 13,000 participants. With our world in constant panic and flux over the past few years, now might be a particular moment in history when society needs your pro bono services more than ever. While I'm not an attorney, I can imagine that law firm work can sometimes be monotonous, with hours of tedious research, motion writing, and endless phone calls. Consider pro bono work, which adds variety, inspiration, and an opportunity to get out from behind your desk. I'm sure it's also often a welcome break from the daily drill! Additionally, pro bono work will introduce you to important and worthwhile causes and issues. By participating in pro bono work, older attorneys can finesse their skills. In comparison, younger attorneys can develop them – with potential tasks ranging from client communication to strategizing, negotiating, legal writing, and courtroom work. It doesn't hurt that the "Gen Z" age group (born between 1997 and 2012) also places significant importance on social issues and giving back. (I can't think of a better way to engage the next generation of young attorneys, can you?) In my research on pro bono work, I also found one of the most significant pro bono projects in the history of American jurisprudence. Immediately following the events of September 11, 2001, the American Association for Justice (AAJ) called for a moratorium on any lawsuits related to the attacks and
encouraged the enactment of a 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund. With the creation of the Fund, AAJ pledged that it would provide FREE legal representation for all 9/11 victim families. Lawyers from across the country participated in the program, which is truly an example of legal pro bono work at its best. Representing the victims of 9/11 was a massive and incredibly worthwhile undertaking, involving thousands of attorneys' time, talents, and expertise throughout the United States and Canada. Also, it proved to be a great example of how attorneys can effectively pool their resources and make a significant difference on a large scale. Think about the ways that you can get involved. From helping homeowners in foreclosure to working with the homeless, there are many opportunities to give back. For example, this year, regional law firm Conner and Winters announced they would donate 500 pro bono hours to aid Afghans who fled the Taliban takeover of their country with immigration needs. Yet, where to get started? I genuinely believe that the key to meaningful and successful community service and pro bono work is to find something you are personally interested in and make it your cause. I always consider the words of Lily Tomlin when she said, "I always wondered why someone doesn't do something about that. Then I realized I was somebody." Get involved and be that SOMEBODY. And, if you're looking for short-term events to give back, I highly encourage you to consider Parkside Psychiatric Hospital & Clinic. Aside from inpatient and outpatient treatment services, Parkside provides a food pantry and a patient assistance program for some of Tulsa's most vulnerable citizens. Consider hosting a food drive, donating financially, or volunteering for our 5k charity run on Saturday, October 8, 2022. (For more information, please see www.TulsaDogRun. com or contact Fundraising Director Derek Frazier. His contact info is below.). Remember, the act of giving back and a commitment to pro bono work is an integral and fulfilling part of any career. Whether it's an individual effort, a small group of lawyers, or a concerted nationwide cause, I encourage you to get out there and make a difference!
“That's what I consider true generosity: You give your all, and yet you always feel as if it costs you nothing.” ~ Simone de Beauvoir
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Sheelagh Tallman, M.S., R.N., is the Director of Nursing at Parkside Psychiatric Hospital & Clinic in Tulsa, OK. She has been a Parkside associate since 2017. If you would like to support Parkside's food pantry & patient assistance program through a food drive or financial donation, please contact Fundraising Director Derek Frazier at (918) 586-4251 or dafrazier@ parksideinc.org. Serving the community since 1959, Parkside's mission is to provide outstanding mental health and support services. Parkside is a not-for-profit psychiatric hospital and outpatient clinic that has helped those coping with mental health and substance abuse problems. Parkside's Assessment and Referral service is now located at 1239 S. Trenton Ave. and can be reached 24 hours daily at (918) 588-8888. For more information, visit www.parksideinc.org.
Foundation Donation Notice On your TCBA dues statement you have the option to unite with your colleagues to support the Tulsa County Bar Foundation by making a $10 tax deductible donation. These contributions will go towards the Foundation’s continued support of its missions, operations, and repairs and maintenance expenses of TCBF property. With your help, the Tulsa Bar Foundation can make an even greater impact in the 2022-23 fiscal year. All dues paying members are automatically enrolled, but you have the option to opt out of making the contribution. 24 Tulsa Lawyer
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Lawyer Well-Being The American Bar Association has established a national task force on lawyer well-being. The purpose of the task force is to create a movement to improve well-being in the legal profession. On the first page of its first report, the task force states: “To be a good lawyer, one has to be a healthy lawyer. Sadly, our profession is falling short when it comes to well-being….Studies reveal that too many lawyers and law students experience chronic stress and high rates of depression and substance use. These findings are incompatible with a sustainable legal profession, and they raise troubling implications for many lawyers’ basic competence. This research suggests that the current state of lawyers’ health cannot support a profession dedicated to client service and dependent on the public trust.”
Williams, TCBA Executive Director. “We have been doing free CLE at the Bar Center for our members for many years. By delivering CLE in the law firm offices, this will save the attorneys the time of driving to the Bar Center. It will also allow the firm’s non-attorney staff to attend and learn more about wellness. Attorneys and staff from other law firms can be invited to attend. The workshops are all about audience participation, with lots of discussion, brainstorming, problem solving, and fun. The lunch hour would be a great time to present these workshops.” The free 50 minute workshops are for 1 hour of CLE credit. TCBA members can choose a workshop on any or all of the topics below: •
Stress ◦ Prevention ◦ Coping
The task force has made many recommendations, including:
•
Sleep
•
Healthy Eating
•
•
Physical Activity
•
What Your Firm Can Do to Encourage Healthy Living
Leaders Should Demonstrate a Personal Commitment to Well-Being
•
Legal Employers Should Establish Policies and Practices to Support Lawyer Well-Being
•
Bar Regulators should Modify the Rules of Professional Responsibility to Endorse Well-Being as Part of a Lawyer’s Duty of Competence
•
Bar Regulators should Expand Continuing Education Requirements to Include Well-Being Topics
The report made recommendations for specific educational topics about lawyer well-being, including stress management, healthy eating, physical activity and better sleep. The Oklahoma Bar Association and Tulsa County Bar Association are doing their part to make attorney well-being important. The OBA rules now allow CLE credit for many programs with attorney well-being topics. TCBA is now offering free live CLE workshops on healthy living topics for TCBA members in the convenience of their own office. “We may be the only bar association in the country doing this”, says Tami 26 Tulsa Lawyer
These CLE topics are approved for by the OBA and TCBA. The CLE on stress management qualifies for regular or ethics CLE credit, at the option of the attorney. Comprehensive written materials on all topics are provided. The workshops will be delivered by one or more members of the TCBA Wellness Team. The team members have done workshops on the same topics for the OBA and the program evaluation comments described them as “excellent facilitators”. The wellness team members are volunteering their time for the TCBA. The team members are: • Jill Warnock, MD, PHD, a Tulsa psychiatrist who works as a clinical professor at OSU Tulsa Medical School •
Allen Barrow, a founding member of the Tulsa firm of Barrow and Grimm who established a wellness program at his firm over 10 years ago
• John Lieber, and attorney and registered nurse who has led workshops for different bar associations, including the TCBA, on a variety of health topics.
To schedule a workshop or for more information, contact Julie Rivers at julier@tulsabar.com or contact TCBA Wellness Team member John Lieber at jlieber75@cox. net
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Member Happy Hour at Fassler Hall Thursday, July 14th - Join us next time!
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Take Me Out to the Ball Park Member Night with the Drillers!
Cultivate calm clients Crisis is inherent in the reasons that clients seek our help, yet the phenomenon is rarely acknowledged in the legal field. The result: traumatized clients. At a recent ABA CLE, “Redefining Crisis Management: Supporting a Lawyer’s Wellbeing by Supporting the Client’s Wellbeing,” a panel of crisis management experts presented steps for lawyers to reduce the effects of client trauma and the inevitable stress associated with the legal process.
On the outside, clients want to appear cool, calm and collected as they try to reassure employees, family and themselves while they develop a coping strategy, said Solomon. But internally, it’s a different story: “You’re scared. You wonder, is this going to threaten my career? Is this going to threaten my livelihood? What are people going to think about me?” The plight of clients often affects the well-being of their lawyers, too.“
“Crisis impacts every part of our lives,” said Meredith Parfet, founder and CEO of the Ravenyard Group, a crisis management consultancy. And it is complex, requiring a multidimensional approach to deal with it. Crisis has a physical and emotional impact, but also a spiritual dimension, explained Parfet, who is also a hospice chaplain.
Lawyers wade around in crisis all the time,” Solomon said. “We pride ourselves on being detached, but we are definitely people who are at risk of secondary trauma and experiencing that crisis pain ourselves.”
For clients, a legal problem can be traumatizing on multiple levels, said Aaron Solomon, director of strategy and legal liaison at Ravenyard.
Map out the litigation process and establish clear goals for clients. Doing so creates structure and order. “Things are coming at you from every single direction,” Parfet said. “Getting a sense of ‘How do I do the hundred
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Here are four tips to deal with the multidimensional aspects of crises for clients — and their lawyers:
things that are being asked of me’ is a matter of setting priorities.” That doesn’t mean establishing an outcome. “The hallmark of crisis is that nothing stays the same and that you cannot control the outcome,” she said. Ask yourself what are the one, two or three things that are your priorities and establish what is most important. Clearly communicate the strategy to clients. Give your client space to be vulnerable. Clients need adequate outlets for their emotions. Check in with them about their fears, which they may not be expressing. This outreach signals your support for them. “Sometimes I think people want to perform in front of their lawyers like they’re going to be fine, and it’s all business as usual, and that’s not their inner experience of it,” Parfet said.
Take care of yourself first. By addressing your stress, you can better assist your clients. Set limits. It’s OK to tell clients they can’t call you at 7 a.m. “You are protecting your own well-being by setting those limits,” Parfet said. And it will make you more effective as a lawyer. Take a walk around the block. Feel the sun on your face. Make self-care a habit, especially during intense times of crisis. “These are things that when we overlay them on our technical skill, when we bring as much of our training as our humanity to bear, we get a setting where people feel safe to be creative, to think out loud, to support one another,” Parfet said. “Redefining Crisis Management: Supporting a Lawyer’s Wellbeing by Supporting the Client’s Wellbeing” was sponsored by the ABA Law Practice Division. It is one of more than 600 CLEs and webinars available for free on demand to ABA members.
Be an active listener. “This seems really obvious,” said Parfet. “And yet active listening suggests listening for what’s not being said, or for tone, or for well-being versus just listening to the content.” A valuable question: This article if from the American Bar Association YourABA “How are you holding up?” Also, redirect a client away monthly email. June 13, 2022. Reprinted with permission from the existential, which is unanswerable, to concrete from the American Bar Association. questions that offer a path forward.
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2022 Tulsa Juneteenth Community Leader Impact Award
Kevinn Matthews
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Kevinn Matthews was honored with the 2022 Tulsa Juneteenth “Community Leader Impact Award." This award was developed to honor persons who are making significant contributions to the Tulsa community through their time, actions, talents, and dedication to the Black community. Because of his leadership, services, and contributions throughout the year countless lives have been impacted and The Tulsa Juneteenth Inc. is honored to stand beside Kevinn as he and they continue the important work that is so greatly needed.
Grapevine News TULSA SENIOR SLOW PITCH SOFTBALL The Tulsa Senior Black Sox need several players for the summer and fall seasons. Summer season games are played Monday and Wednesday evenings starting at 6:30 in Broken Arrow. Ages 59 to 70+ with basic softball skills. Team especially needs a short stop and outfielders, but all who wish to play are welcome. If you’ve played ball before, this a great chance to get outdoors, get some exercise, get a little friendly competition, have some fun, and meet new people. Don’t think you can’t do it. Lots of guys are out here after not playing for 20+ years and we all have a great time. C’mon out and play ball…..you’ll be glad you did. For details, contact Steve at snovicklaw@aol.com.
After spending the last 19 years of a 40 plus year career practicing law as a sole practitioner – effective July 1, 2022, Dwight L. Smith joined and become “Of Counsel” to the Tulsa law firm Robinett Swartz & Duren. As of July 5, 2022, Mr. Smith’s new contact information is: Dwight L. Smith Robinett Swartz & Duren 624 South Boston Avenue, Suite 900 Tulsa, OK 74119 918-592-3699 DSmith@robinettlawfirm.com www.robinettlawfirm.com
Bar Center Summer Hours Fridays closing at 2pm, June 3rd - September 2nd Would you like to contribute to Tulsa Lawyer? Email tulsabarnews@yahoo.com or michael@tulsafirm.com
Pilates Yoga Fusion
Pilates Fusion incorporates exercise from different workout styles – including barre, yoga, strength training and cardio to give a modern twist to mat Pilates. Similar to mat Pilates, this style has a deep focus on the core and emphasizing moves that will tone, stretch, and elongate muscles. What better way to end your work week!
Starting in July
Free & Live Streaming from TCBA
Fridays 12:15-12:45p
Need a Space to Hold a Meeting?
Benefactor's Room
With the TCBA offices newly remodeled and repurposed spaces, you have the opportunity to rent the meeting rooms for mediations, depositions, staff meetings & classes…or whatever you may need! Each room upstairs will accommodate various size needs from 2 – 26 and most have A/V capabilities. We also have the Seminar Room downstairs that will accommodate a classroom size of 80. We have rates for both Members and non-members of the Association. If you would like to check the availability, contact Julie Rivers at julier@tulsabar.com
Boardroom
Seminar Room (shown as classroom set up)
Deposition Room
Past President's Room
34 Tulsa Lawyer
Classified Ads Jon Starr Mediator and Arbitrator Contact DRC for scheduling 918-382-0300
The Bar Cener will be closed Monday, Sept. 5th
Position for Litigation Associate Attorney in Tulsa McDaniel Acord, PLLC is recruiting an Associate Attorney to assist our clients in civil litigation and family law within a strong team setting that focuses on client service and maximizing outcomes. Our practice includes challenging procedural and technical issues, and the successful candidate will possess strong analytical and advocacy skills. We use the latest technology to maximize efficiency. Our Firm provides excellent benefits and rewards performance. We are looking for the right attorney to join our team who will take pride in the service we deliver and fit within our family-oriented, friendly, and low-key firm environment. Candidates should have 2 to 5 years litigation experience that reflects skill in legal research, drafting memoranda, briefs and discovery, taking depositions, managing document production, and oral argument. Candidates should submit a recent writing sample and CV to smcdaniel@ok-counsel.com
August Birthday Celebrations? We are striving to take care of our members as well as taking care of the community. If there’s anything we can do to help you, please let us know. We are here to support your business and we want you to be successful. By being a member of the TCBA, you are also a member of the Tulsa County Bar Foundation. As a general rule, the funds that come into the Foundation are the result of a fundraising event for our community and the monies raised are immediately distributed back out into the community through non-profit organizations. In an effort to assist the Foundation, we have implemented a monthly “Fund the Foundation” program. To participate we are asking each member who has a birthday this month to consider making a donation to the Foundation. You can do so with the QR Code to the below.
If you are not currently a Fellow, please consider joining that program. As a thank you (and let’s be honest, an encouragement to other members), if you donate before the 10th of the month we will include a shout out to you in the next issue of Tulsa Lawyer Magazine. If you wish to donate or join the Fellows program, please contact Tami Williams or Julie Rivers and they can assist you. We value your membership & Happy Birthday! Sincerely, Kara Vincent, TCBA President
Tulsa Lawyer 35
2021-2022 TCBA CONTACTS, COMMITTEE & SECTION CHAIRS
www.tulsabar.com
PHONE: 918-584-5243 FAX: 918-592-0208 1446 South Boston, Tulsa, OK 74119-3612 Executive Director Tami Williams tamiw@tulsabar.com Ext. 1002 Membership Director CLE, Sections & Committees Julie Rivers julier@tulsabar.com Ext. 1001
Front Desk Coordinator General Inquiries
frontdesk@tulsabar.com Ext. 1000 Accounting accounting@tulsabar.com
Lawyer Referral & Community Resource Navigator Jeril Haug jerilh@tulsabar.com Ext. 1003
Tulsa Lawyer Editor - Michael Taubman michael@tulsafirm.com Associate Editor - Milly Dunlap Tulsa Lawyer Submissions - tulsabarnews@yahoo.com
TCBA OFFICERS
President................................................................ Kara Vincent Past President.........................................................Kimberly Moore President-Elect.........................................................Philip D. Hixon Vice President.......................................................... Mike Esmond Secretary..............................................................Stephanie Jackson Treasurer................................................................. Lesa Creveling Budget/Internal Operations..................................Michael Taubman Foundation President ............................................Hon. Ann Keele Director at Large (1) Large Firm.................................Austin Birnie Director at Large (2) Large Firm.......................... Philip Hixon Director at Large (1) Medium Firm........................Jennifer Struble Director at Large (2) Medium Firm.................. Kara Pratt Director at Large (1) Small Firm...........................Linda Morrissey Director at Large (2) Small Firm...........................Tamera Childers Director at Large (2) Public Sector.........................Hon. Ann Keele ABA Delegate............................................................. Molly Aspan OBA Delegate................................................................Rick White Library Trustee (1)......................................................Kim Vojvoda Library Trustee (2)........................................................ Julie Evans Presiding Judge .......................................... Hon. Doug Drummond U.S. District Court .................................. Hon. John Heil Tulsa Municipal Court............................. Hon. Gerald Hofmeister TU Law School Student Representative............... Matthew Blewitt
FOUNDATION APPOINTMENTS
Law Day ......................................................................Lizzie Riter Community Outreach................................................ Ashley Webb Golf Chair.......................................................... ...Kimberly Moore Scholarship Chair........................................................Randy Lewin
Submission, Grapevine & Advertising- Visit www.tulsabar.com Subscriptions to Tulsa Lawyer are available for $40.00 a year to those who are not Tulsa County Bar Association members or others who do not currently receive the publication. Contact tamiw@tulsabar.com
FOUNDATION
President.............................................................. ...Hon. Ann Keele Foundation Vice President............................................Justin Munn Treasurer..................................................................... Philip Hixon Trustee....................................................................... Lizzie Riter Trustee........................................................................Chad McLain Trustee......................................................................... Jim Gotwals Trustee................................................................Catherine Hoopert Trustee...........................................................................Rick White Trustee..................................................................Michael Taubman TCBA President..........................................................Kara Vincent TCBA Pres. Elect....................................................Philip D. Hixon
COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS
Access to Justice..........................................Pansy Moore-Shrier Animal Law..................................................... ..........Katy Inhofe Bench & Bar.................................................... Kevinn Matthews Children & the Law......................................... ........Lizzie Riter Children & the Law Vice Chair..........Timothy Michaels-Johnson CLE ................................................................. ...Michon Hughes Diversity Development...........................................Deborah Reed Fee Arbitration................................................. ...........Gary Crews Law Related Education................................................................. Lawyer Referral............................................... .......Karen Wilkins Membership Services....................................................Kara Pratt Mentoring......................................................... .................................. Military/Veterans ............................................ ...Mitchell Garrett Military/Veterans Co-Chair.............................. Hon. David Guten Nominations & Awards.................................... ..Kimberly Moore Pro Bono............................................................... Mac Finlayson Professionalism................................................ ...........Rick White Public Relations....................................................Steve Layman Social Media.........................................................Collaborative Special Events.................................................. .......Natalie Sears Tulsa Lawyer.................................................... Michael Taubman Young Lawyers Division..............................Colton Richardson Young Lawyers Division............................... ........Billy Duncan
SECTION CHAIRPERSONS
ADR/Mediation..........................................................Melissa Fell Bankruptcy....................................................... ........Paul Thomas Business/Corporate.......................................... .............................. Criminal Law................................................... ........Daniel Levy Employment Law..............................................Kassidy Quinten Energy & Mineral Law.................................... .......Ryan Pittman Family Law...................................................... ..Jordan Dalgleish Health Law . .................................................... ............................ Health Law Vice Chair.................................................................. Juvenile Law.................................................... ..........Lizzie Riter Juvenile Law Co-Chair.......................Timothy Michaels-Johnson Litigation...............................................................Mark A. Smith Municipal Law.......................................................................TBD Paralegals/Legal Assistant.......................................Karlyn Apon Paralegal /Legal Assistants Vice Chair............ Kathyrn Keener Probate/Estate/Elder......................................... ......................... Tax ......................................................... .....Ashlee Crouch Technology ...................................................Pansy Moore-Shrier Workers Comp................................................. ............................ * Section Chairs will be updated as positions are filled. Tulsa Lawyer is a monthly publication of the TCBA. The TCBA does not necessarily share or endorse the opinions expressed in the materials published. The views are those of thoughtful contributors. Similarly, advertising does not imply endorsement by the TCBA of products or services or any statements concerning them.
Tulsa County Bar Association 1446 S. Boston Ave. Tulsa, OK 74119
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