The Oklahoma Bar Journal January 2023

F or Y our I nformation

NEWOBA BOARD OF GOVERNORS OFFICERS AND MEMBERS TO BE SWORN IN JAN. 20 Chief Justice M. John Kane IV will swear in Brian T. Hermanson of Ponca City as OBA president on Friday, Jan. 20 at the Oklahoma Bar Center. New officers to be administered their oaths of office will be President-Elect Miles T. Pringle of Oklahoma City, Vice President D. Kenyon Williams Jr. of Tulsa

COURT OF CIVIL APPEALS ELECTS NEW LEADERSHIP E. Bay Mitchell III of Oklahoma City will serve as chief judge, and Deborah B. Barnes of Tulsa will serve as vice chief judge. The fol lowing have been selected to serve as presiding judge for their respec tive divisions: Brian J. Goree, Oklahoma City, Division I; Jane P. Wiseman, Tulsa, Division II; Thomas E. Prince, Oklahoma City, Division III; Gregory C. Blackwell, Tulsa, Division IV. These posi tions are all a one-year term that began Jan. 1. Oklahoma Supreme Court. He is from Oklahoma City and was appointed to the court in 2017. Judge Hudson also currently serves as vice presiding judge, having been elected to that posi tion by the court in January 2021. He is from Guthrie, was appointed to the court in 2017. COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS JUDICIAL ASSIGNMENTS ANNOUNCED The five judges of the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals voted in conference to name Scott Rowland presiding judge and Robert Hudson vice presiding judge of the court for 2023 and 2024. Judge Rowland has served as presiding judge since Aug. 1, 2021, finishing the term of Justice Dana Kuehn, who was appointed to the IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES Don’t forget, the Oklahoma Bar Center will be closed Monday, Jan. 16 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Monday, Feb. 20 in observance of Presidents Day.

and Past President James R. Hicks of Tulsa. New board members to be sworn in are John E. Barbush, Durant; Nicholas E. Thurman, Ada; Jana Lee Knott, El Reno; Timothy Lee Rogers, Tulsa; and Caroline M. Shaffer Siex, Tulsa.

OKLAHOMA SUPREME COURT ELECTS LEADERSHIP FOR 2023-2024 The Oklahoma Supreme Court has

elected M. John Kane IV to serve as chief justice for a two-year term that began Jan. 1. Dustin P. Rowe was elected to serve as vice chief justice for the same biennium. Justice Kane was appointed to the state’s highest court in 2019 by Gov. Kevin Stitt. He has served as vice chief justice since January 2021 and previously served as district judge in Osage County beginning in 2005.

Justice Rowe was also appointed to the Oklahoma Supreme Court in November 2019. Prior to his appellate appointment, he had been in private prac tice since 2001 and had been serving as a judge with the Chickasaw Nation. Justice Kane Justice Rowe

JOHN MORRIS WILLIAMS WAY In honor of past OBA Executive Director John Morris Williams’ nearly 20 years of service to the OBA, 18th Street in front of the bar center has been renamed John Morris Williams Way. We congratulate him on his retirement and are grateful for his dedication and lead ership throughout the years!

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THE OKLAHOMA BAR JOURNAL