VP's Corner: More Than Words

VP'S CORNER

Mike Esmond

TCBA Vice President 2021-2022

More Than Words

With Veterans Day approaching, this month is a perfect time to recognize TCBA members who have dedicated their time to assisting veterans of our country’s armed forces. Many of these efforts are driven by the TCBA Military/ Veterans Committee and its cochairs Judge David Guten and Mitchell Garrett. Both Judge Guten and Mitchell have military experience themselves - Judge Guten serving in the Air Force and Mitchell being a former Marine. Among the TCBA members who have generously supported the committee’s activities are Terry Funk, Travis Barnett, Anita Anthony, Ken Miles, and Jim Milton.

The stated mission of the Committee is to organize volunteer lawyers to help veterans merge back into civilian life and assist in legal issues. To accomplish that mission, Committee members have partnered with veteran organizations like the Coffee Bunker, a peer run dropin center designed to help veterans with the transition to family and community life. Volunteers regularly spend time visiting with veterans in such supportive environments and helping them with veteran-related legal issues. docket, presided over by Judge Nightingale, that provides participating veterans the opportunity to complete a judicially-supervised treatment plan and avoid jail.

In addition, the Committee has hosted CLE’s on militaryrelated legal issues in various practice areas including family law, probate, estate planning, and real estate, and has been instrumental in recognizing Tulsa’s veterans and showing appreciation by coordinating an ever-growing contingent of TCBA lawyers, non-lawyers, veterans and non-veterans to march in the annual Veterans Day parade.

It’s easy to say we support our veterans and troops. The TCBA Military/Veteran Committee volunteers are backing up those words with action. We can be proud to have them representing the Association and truly grateful to them and all of the veterans whose lives they touch for their service.

Beyond the core mission of the Committee, members have found other ways to make an impact. As you’ve no doubt heard, the Committee is holding a virtual fitness challenge that will start this month (as an Air Force veteran myself, I’m disappointed that golf and beach volleyball aren’t among the eligible fitness activities, but I look forward to participating anyway). The funds raised by the challenge will benefit the Tulsa Veterans Treatment Court – a program that diverts eligible veteran defendants with substance dependency and/or mental illness who are charged with non-violent criminal offenses to a specialized