The Oklahoma Bar Journal May 2024

B ar N ews

Proposed Dues Increase: Stay Up or Play Catch-Up

By John Morris Williams

I BEGAN MY TENURE AT THE OBA on May 1, 2003. As excited as I was to assume the position, I soon learned there were some serious challenges at hand. The most press ing issues were directly related to the financial position of the associ ation. The financial reserves were so thin that CLE collections had to be closely monitored to ensure we could meet payroll. There were absolutely no resources to fix the leaking roof, remove 15,000 square feet of asbestos or make major technological updates. In sum, the place was broken, dirty, had years of deferred maintenance, and even the bathrooms smelled bad. In 2004, the OBA increased dues from $175 to $275 and still had the cheapest bar dues in the country for all the functions the OBA performs. A few states may look cheaper, but when you see their add-ons, the

than when I first came to the OBA, although the membership has increased by more than 3,000. After the last dues increase, we spent 10 years playing catch-up.

cost of licensing has always been a bargain in Oklahoma. In today’s dollars, the current dues have lost most of their value. Yet, the OBA operated for 20 years on what was

predicted at the time of the last dues increase to only last six years. The OBA has always been conservative with dues dollars and provided great value. Much of this has to do with the innovation and creativity of the staff. Speaking of staff, the OBA actually has fewer employees

This graph demonstrates the percentage increase of consumer prices over a period of one year in several categories of goods. This graph has been modified to display precise percentage increases. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, https://bit.ly/3QfAoiM.

This graph demonstrates how the buying power of $275 has declined over the past 20 years. Available from https://bit.ly/3UiiwVq.

This graph shows the annual rate of inflation since 2004. In 2004, the rate of inflation was 2.66%, compared to 3.48% in 2024. Available from https://bit.ly/3UiiwVq.

68 | MAY 2024

THE OKLAHOMA BAR JOURNAL