The Oklahoma Bar Journal May 2023

Y oung L awyers D ivision

A Tradition of YLD Service By Caroline M. Shaffer Siex

T HE OBA YOUNG LAWYERS Division was established in 1966 to provide an avenue for Oklahoma’s young lawyers to work on bar-related and public service-related projects. While the term “young” is in the divi sion name, the YLD encompasses any lawyer who has been in practice for fewer than 10 years, regardless of age. Ten years just refers to your “practice age.” In writing this article to explain our division’s history, I reviewed articles going back more than a decade to see how the YLD has changed and evolved. I found that no matter who the chair was, what “hot issues” were buzzing around or how time passed, the YLD never swayed from being the “service

Oklahoma Bar Journal “YLD to Continue Dedication to Public Service.” Judge Tucker discussed how the YLD board was compil ing “legal handbooks” to assist volunteer lawyers in providing the highest- quality legal advice. The handbooks were also distributed to veterans and active members of the armed services. In 2012, under YLD Chair Jennifer Kirkpatrick, the division received two ABA YLD Awards of Achievement: first place for overall activities and achievements and second place for Outstanding Service to the Public Project for the young adult guide project. I could go on about how YLD chairs brought something to the table every year. However, the human attention span is not infinite. Today, the YLD is continuing to carry the torch. The division now has legal handbooks referred to as the Young Adult Guide . The guide provides helpful legal information tailored to those new to adult hood. The information helps new adults, parents, teachers and school administrators. Recently, it was presented as a PowerPoint during the 2023 Oklahoma Children’s Behavioral Health Conference, so

arm” of the bar. Here are just a few examples of the amazing work of YLD leadership: In 2010, YLD Chair Molly Aspan established the “Statewide Community Service Project Day.” Each YLD director assembled young lawyers in their dis trict for a service project benefiting public libraries. The goal was to get every thing “done in a day.” The event provided an avenue for lawyers across Oklahoma to network while giving back to their local communities. In 2011, YLD Chair Judge Roy D. Tucker titled his first article in the January

Past OBA YLD leaders Molly Aspan, Hannah Hawkins, Jennifer Castillo and Briana Parmele attend the ABA YLD meeting in February 2010.

86 | MAY 2023

THE OKLAHOMA BAR JOURNAL