The Oklahoma Bar Journal January 2023

JOHN E. BARBUSH Governor – District No. Two Durant

MICHAEL R. VANDERBURG Governor – District No. One Ponca City

Background: Born in

Oklahoma City. Raised in the suburbs of Chicago. Attended college on an athletic scholarship and am proud to be the first member on either side of my family to graduate

Background: I come from a military family and

moved around when very young, but I was raised in Little Rock, Arkansas, for the majority of my youth. My family consists of my

from college. Returned to Oklahoma for law school, where I had the good fortune to meet my future wife. Moved from Edmond to Durant in January 2022 so my wife, Judge Amy J. Pierce, could serve the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma as the chief district court judge. We have two children: Ella, a senior, and Mac, a freshman. I enjoy watching my kids compete in their respective sports, golf and “lake life” since the relocation. Education: Bachelor’s degree in business administra tion from Ambassador University before attending the OCU School of Law What is your most important goal during your service on the OBA Board of Governors? To serve in such a way that the judges and attorneys who mentored and assisted me throughout my legal career would be proud Why is it important for OBA members to serve and volunteer? If those who witnessed and benefitted from the service of others to our bar association are not willing to step up when necessary, eventually the bar association as we know it will no longer exist. What challenges are OBA members encountering, and how can the OBA help find solutions? I believe a lack of mentorship on both ends of the legal career spectrum (new attorneys having to go out on their own straight out of school who “don’t know what they don’t know” and older attorneys who are on their own who might not realize it is time to transition into a different role or retire) is one of the biggest issues the bar association is facing. I know from my time in the Bar Leadership Academy that it was an issue the OBA recognized. I hope that during my time as governor, the OBA will figure out ways to encourage collaborations between these two groups on each side of the spectrum because, to me, that seems like a possible solution. I believe the “business” of private practice is the biggest obstacle to coming up with a solution. What’s your favorite OBA member benefit? The Oklahoma Bar Journal

wife, Linda; two adult children, Robert Vanderburg and Lauren Manaugh; plus three grandchildren, Isaac, Cort and Ellie. Linda and I are semi-retired and live in Ponca City, where I do volunteer work, serve as a juvenile judge for municipal court and recently took up golf. Education: A bachelor’s degree in political science and a J.D., both from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas What is your most important goal during your service on the OBA Board of Governors? I want to see improvement in the communication between the state bar and the county bar associations, but I am also working on legislative amendments on how the court system (all levels) treats the truly indigent. Why is it important for OBA members to serve and volunteer? Lawyers frequently see people in their worst moments and in conflict situations. Volunteering allows us to help improve the lives of others without the issue of adverse litigants or the stylized conflict of courts. There can be more creativ ity in the problem-solving skills we already possess. What challenges are OBA members encountering, and how can the OBA help find solutions? The biggest challenge I see is that the aging bar is not recruiting enough young people to replace the older generations of lawyers. Even now, we do not reach all the people who could benefit from legal advice. This problem is, therefore, likely to get worse rather than better. What’s your favorite OBA member benefit? Widely available CLE opportunities in a variety of formats What technology gadget could you not function without? Laptops and cell phones – no question What’s the best book you’ve read this year? I am currently reading The 1619 Project.

42 | JANUARY 2023

THE OKLAHOMA BAR JOURNAL