The Oklahoma Bar Journal January 2024

B ar F oundation N ews

Meet 2024 OBF President Allen Hutson

Why did you decide to be a lawyer? I always looked up to my uncle, Doug Jackson, who is an attorney in Enid; I thought it would be neat to follow in his footsteps. Practicing law also seemed like it would be easier than farming. It is most days. What is one thing you’re glad you tried but would never do again? I’m a pretty big chicken, so I generally avoid risky situations or ingesting something too exotic. I will certainly never tube behind a boat driven by some of my college buddies again. Are there any social norms that completely baffle you? Where do I start? I’m certainly baffled that some kids have never experienced a really good sun burn because they would rather play on an iPad than go outside. Or maybe their parents are just better at monitoring the application of sunscreen. What is your biggest pet peeve with modern technology? Zoom. Teams. Any other technology that allows folks to avoid one-on-one interaction. I get it. These communication platforms make things more efficient and were certainly necessary during COVID, but I’m afraid we may end up with a generation that can’t effectively communicate in person. I really sound like a grumpy old man. Next, I will be telling everyone to get off my lawn. What is on your bucket list? Well, I hope to spend as much time with my family and friends as the good Lord allows. Outside of that, I would like to go to a Ryder Cup in Europe so that I can chant, “USA! USA! USA!” (perhaps with a cold beer in one hand). Explain the leadership roles you hold in professional and/or community settings and why these responsibilities are important to you. This is going to sound bad, but I have a 10-, 8- and 5-year-old, so I have limited some of my involvement and focused my attention solely on the good work the Oklahoma Bar Foundation does for the courthouses and people of Oklahoma. The OBF is the best-kept secret in Oklahoma, and it is important to me to help change that. What would you tell current law students and young associates about the importance of professional and civic responsibility? Being a lawyer has its good days and bad days. But you will never have a bad day when you are using your skills as a lawyer to help someone who needs it. Some of your most grati fying cases will be the ones where you get a hug and a thank you at the end. What are your goals as the 2024 OBF board president? The OBF is in the best shape it has ever been in. It has nothing to do with me. The execu tive leadership and Trustees over the last few years have worked tire lessly to ensure the long-term success and viability of the OBF. My goal is to continue the upward trajectory and identify people and programs across Oklahoma that need the OBF’s help. The OBF has resources, and we intend to use them to help as many Oklahomans as we can.

Allen Hutson

Oklahoma City University School of Law

Law School:

2010

Graduation Year: Current Employer:

Crowe & Dunlevy and as a shareholder in the Labor & Employment Group I’m from Marlow, so I tell everyone I work in a

Location:

tall building in downtown Oklahoma City.

Above: The Hutson family attends a Chicago Cubs game at Wrigley Field.

78 | JANUARY 2024

THE OKLAHOMA BAR JOURNAL