Even as we endure the chilly winds of March, it is time to look forward to this summer’s Solo & Small Firm Conference, held June 22-24 at the Osage Casino Hotel in Tulsa. The conference website is www.okbar.org/solo
I know some of my fellow bar executives from other states follow my blog. I’d encourage you to check out the schedule for our conference. We think there are many good ideas for lawyer programming.
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
From the conference kickoff with the ever-popular “60 Tips in 60 Minutes” to the closing session of “What’s Hot and What’s Not in Law Office Management & Technology,” the Solo & Small Firm Conference combines fun social events with 12 hours of MCLE credit, including two hours of ethics. This means attendees can satisfy all the year’s MCLE requirements at this event. Also, look forward to a poolside cookout Thursday evening, and make sure to join us Friday night for the primary social event. Did I mention there will be door prizes at the final session, too?
The conference coincides with the Young Lawyers Division Midyear Meeting, so this year, we focused on offering more selections for young lawyers. There will be a young lawyer/new lawyer track offering each hour, including the session “How to Get the Most Out of Your Bar Association” with OBA President Brian Hermanson and OBA Executive Director Janet Johnson. Other sessions include “How I Manage My Small Firm Criminal Defense Practice” with Oklahoma City attorney Ed Blau and “Estate Planning – Help Your Clients Leave a Fortune and Not a Fight” with Tulsa attorney Mark Darrah. We expect to see many veteran lawyers in the young lawyer track; young lawyers may also find an educational opportunity in one of the other two sessions offered at the time.
GREAT SPEAKERS AND PROGRAMS
Stanley Tate, an entertaining and dynamic speaker who has previously presented at ABA TECHSHOW, will be our special featured guest this year. Mr. Tate will present “Carving Your Path: Developing a Successful Law Practice in a Niche Area of Law” (Friday) and “Everything You Need to Know About Student Loans in 2023” (Saturday). He will also join us for 60 Tips in 60 Minutes to open the conference. Check out his website, www.tateesq.com, for a look at a lawyer site focused on answering potential clients’ questions
Kenton Brice will be joining us again this year, presenting “Microsoft Word Add-Ins for Law Practice” and “Document Automation to Build an Unbundled Legal Product.” Mr. Brice is the director of technology innovation and the interim director of the Donald E. Pray Law Library at the University of Oklahoma College of Law.
OBA General Counsel Gina Hendryx will speak during a plenary session on “The Attorney/Client Relationship: Good, Bad & Questionable.” The Office of the General Counsel will also present an ethics program titled “So, You Just Received Your First, Second or Tenth Grievance: What Happens Next?” on Saturday afternoon. Another ethics presentation involves something many practicing lawyers have already encountered: “Ethical Considerations of Using Cash Apps” with OBA Ethics Counsel Richard Stevens and OBA Practice Management Advisor Julie Bays. This program will discuss what happens the next time a client wants to Venmo you the retainer.
There are many more educational sessions offered during the conference. “I Didn’t Know PDFs Could Do That” will be presented by Darla Jackson, director of the TU College of Law Mabee Legal Information Center. Robert Spector, Glenn R. Watson chair and esteemed centennial professor of law emeritus at the OU College of Law, will also provide an update on “Recent Developments in Family Law.”
DON’T MISS OUT!
Check out the conference website at www.okbar.org/solo for more information, registration and the schedule. You don’t want to miss out on this year’s great programs and events, so we encourage you to make an early decision and register before the June 5 early-bird deadline. We are going to have a lot of fun, and we hope to see you there!
