The Oklahoma Bar Journal October 2026

2026 OBA AWARDS

GENERATIONS OF JUSTICE

YEARS STRONG 2026 OBA ANNUAL MEETING

present a case with confidence. In doing so, she helps train a new generation of lawyers to advo cate effectively while remaining grounded in the rule of law. Judge Hammond has likewise devoted herself to the civic and professional life of her community through organizations including the Rotary Club of Oklahoma City, the Downtown Exchange Club, and the Ruth Bader Ginsburg American Inn of Court. Her involvement reflects a belief she has demonstrated throughout her career: that the responsibility of a judge does not end when court adjourns. It includes strengthen ing the legal profession, building relationships within the commu nity and helping others under stand and have confidence in the institutions of justice. That commitment has even extended beyond Oklahoma. Through the Congressional Office for International Leadership’s Open World Program, Judge Hammond has helped foster relationships between American judges and members of the international judi ciary for years. Most recently, she coordinated a visit by a delegation of Armenian judges to Oklahoma, creating an opportunity for judges from two very different legal systems to exchange ideas about courts, judicial independence, jury trials and the rule of law.

judgment and professionalism to each of them. That commitment has been particularly evident this year. Although eligible to retire earlier in 2026 after a quarter century on the bench, Judge Hammond chose to remain and continue serving her court and her colleagues. She has regularly covered domestic, misdemeanor, felony prehearing conference and arraignment dockets while repeatedly stepping forward when another judge or another court room needed assistance. For Judge Hammond, ser vice has never been limited to the docket bearing her name. She understands that the work of a courthouse is shared work, and that justice depends upon judges who are willing to shoulder responsibility when and where it is needed. Her colleagues know that when Judge Hammond agrees to take an assignment, she will arrive prepared, understand the matters before her, and she will give every case the careful consideration it deserves. Her commitment to the legal profession also reaches beyond the courthouse. As an adjunct professor at the OCU School of Law for 10 years, Judge Hammond teaches Pretrial Litigation for Criminal Law, help ing prepare future attorneys for the responsibilities of advocacy. She teaches students not simply how to argue a case, but how to understand and respect the rules that govern the process, how to prepare thoroughly, and how to

The following awards will be pre sented during the Annual Awards Luncheon on Thursday, Nov. 12. AWARD OF JUDICIAL EXCELLENCE

Judge Lisa Hammond, Oklahoma County Judge Lisa Hammond has served the people of Oklahoma

For 25 years,

County from the trial bench with distinction, professionalism and an enduring commitment to the administration of justice. Her career reflects the qualities at the heart of the Oklahoma Bar Association’s Award of Judicial Excellence: integrity, service, leadership and a genuine devo tion to the rule of law. Perhaps no quality better defines Judge Hammond than her willingness to serve wherever she is needed. During her career as a special judge, she has presided over some of the court system’s most demanding dockets, includ ing family and domestic matters, juvenile cases and criminal pro ceedings. Each requires a different command of the law, a different temperament and an understand ing that the matters before the court are often among the most consequential moments in the lives of the people who appear there. Judge Hammond has brought preparation, patience, sound

54 | OCTOBER 2026

THE OKLAHOMA BAR JOURNAL