volume 81 u no. 5 u february 13, · pdf fileby casey ross-petherick 401 are indian nations...

Volume 81 u No. 5 u February 13, 2010

Vol. 81 — No. 5 — 2/13/2010 The Oklahoma Bar Journal 345

Don’t miss this year’s opportunity to visit with members of your Okla. Legislature as part of the OBA Day at the Capitol to get up-to-speed on the OBA legislative agenda. Register and meet at the Oklahoma Bar Center for the day’s briefing at 10:30 a.m. Lunch will be provided at noon. After lunch, head to the Capitol to visit with the legislators and attend a reception at the bar center at 5 p.m.

OBA DAY at the CAPITOL

Please RSVP if attending lunch to: [email protected], or call (405) 416-7014

10:30 - 11 a.m. Registration

11 - 11:10 a.m. Welcome — Allen M. Smallwood, President, Oklahoma Bar Association

11:10 - 11:25 a.m. Comments Re: Funding for the Courts — Chief Justice James E. Edmondson, Oklahoma Supreme Court

11:25 - 11:40 a.m. Legislation of Interest — Duchess Bartmess, Chairperson, Legislative Monitoring Committee

11:40 - 11:55 a.m. Oklahoma Association for Justice — Reggie Whitten, President, Oklahoma Association for Justice

11:55 a.m. - 12:10 p.m. Break — Lunch Buffet (Provided, please RSVP to [email protected])

12:10 - 12:25 p.m. Oklahoma Lawyers Association — Thad Balkman

12:25 - 12:35 p.m. Legal Aid — Status of Funding — Laura McConnell-Corbyn, LASO, Board Member Liaison OCBA

12:35 - 12:45 p.m. Bills on OBA Legislative Agenda — John Morris Williams

12:45 - 1 p.m. Legislative Process and Tips on Visiting with Legislators — Rep. Scott Inman

1 - 5 p.m. Meet with Legislators

5 - 7 p.m. Legislative Reception — Oklahoma Bar Center, Emerson Hall

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

346 The Oklahoma Bar Journal Vol. 81 — No. 5 — 2/13/2010

1.

2.


Plus410 OBALegislative

MonitoringCommitteeGearsUp

DePartments348 FromthePresident

413 FromtheExecutiveDirector

415 LawPracticeTips

418 Ethics/ProfessionalResponsibility

420 OBABoardofGovernorsActions

423 OklahomaBarFoundationNews

426 AccesstoJustice

427 YoungLawyersDivision

428 Calendar

430 ForYourInformation

434 BenchandBarBriefs

435 InMemoriam

414 EditorialCalendar

440 TheBackPage

Features 351 TribalSovereigntyvs.StateCourt

Jurisdiction:WhateverHappenedtoFederalIndianLaw?

By Klint A. Cowan

359 IndianIdentityBy Teresa A. Rendon

367 PracticingbeforeaTribalGamingRegulatoryBody

By Robin C. Lash and O. Joseph Williams

375 TribalWaterRights:TheNecessityofGovernment-to-GovernmentCooperation

By L. Susan Work

383 ApplicationoftheSexOffenderRegistrationandNotificationActinOklahomaIndianCountry

By Kelly Gaines Stoner and Shandi S. Stoner

389 TransfertoTribalCourtsinOklahoma

By C. Steven Hager

393 TheNeedforIncreasedResourcesinIndianLegalAid:OklahomaIndianLegalAidService

By Colline Wahkinney Keely

397 CurrentIssuesinIndianChildWelfarePolicy:FosterCarePaymentContracts

By Casey Ross-Petherick

401 AreIndianNationsSubjecttotheFederalFalseClaimsAct?AnExaminationoftheFederalFalseClaimsAct’sApplicabilitytoOklahomaTribes

By Mary R. Daniel andMaxwell Carr-Howard

Theme:IndIan Law

Editor:LeslieTaylor

contentsFebruary13,2010•Vol.81•No.5


the population of this countryprior to itsdiscoverybyEuro-peansinthe16thcentury.

I have in my office a mapdated 1887 that I found in anantiquestoreseveralyearsago.It is a beautiful multi-coloredmapreflectingtheassignmentsofareasof thestate tovariousIndiantribes,invariablyreflect-ingtreatyagreementsbetweenthe United States governmentand those tribes. Interestingly,

almosttheonlytownbynamelistedonthismapismyhome-townofTulsa.Thecentralpartof the state, including Okla-homa City and Guthrie, isunmarked as the date of themap was two years before therunof1889.

One can’t help but contrastthismapwiththatofacurrentstate map with the soberingthought that the only “sover-eign Indian territory” – otherthan reservations – left to

I remember a cartoon in The New Yorkermagazine some 15 to 20 years ago. The cartoonshowedwhatwereclearlytwoNativeAmericansontheEastCoastoftheUnitedStateswithfishinglinesinthewater.Onthehorizonwerewhatappearedtobeseveral multi-masted 17th century sailing shipsapproaching from the east. The fishermen had sar-doniclooksontheirfaceswithonecommenting,“Iseetroublecoming.”Thiscomicalandsuperficialcartoonunderstatesthecataclysmicclashofcivilizationswhichthiscontinentisstillattemptingtoresolve.Nowhere,perhaps, can the end result of this collision be morereadilyapparentthaninthestateofOklahoma.

Ifmymemoryofhistoryiscorrect,“Oklahoma”hasbeentranslatedfromtheChoctawIndianwordsmeaning“redpeople”–“ukla”meaning“people”and “humá” meaning “red.” Many non-NativeAmericansinterpretthattorefertotheforcedset-tlementofthisareaofthecountrysome150yearsagobywhat thenon-native culturehasdescribedasthe“FiveCivilizedTribes.”However,Isubmitto

youthatthe“LandoftheRedMan”shouldmoreaccuratelyrefertothisentirepartofthesouthernplainsoftheNorthAmericancontinent,whichwas populated by indigenous peo-ples long before any of us of Euro-pean or African descent ever laideyesonthisbeautifulprairie.

Afleetingglanceatacurrentmapofourstatewillreflecttheoverwhelminginfluence of Native American cultureas reflected in the numerous NativeAmerican names for towns and coun-ties.Thesereflectnotonlythelanguageof the Native American tribes whowere forced to come to this state, butthosewhotraversedthetallgrassprai-rieofthestateofOklahomaforcentu-ries if not millennia. These wouldinclude the southern Cheyenne, thePonca, the Comanche, the Kiowa, aswellasalltheothergroupscomprising

A fleeting glance at a current map

of our state will reflect the overwhelming

influence of Native American culture…

continued on page 412

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Oklahoma and its Native American Heritage

President Smallwood practices in Tulsa.

[email protected] (918) 582-1993

By Allen Smallwood


tHe OKlaHOma Bar JOurnal isapublicationoftheOklahomaBarAssociation.Allrightsreserved.Copyright©2008OklahomaBarAssociation.Thedesignofthescalesandthe“OklahomaBarAssociation”encirclingthescalesaretrademarksoftheOklahomaBarAssociation.LegalarticlescarriedinTHEOKLAHOMABARJOURNALareselectedbytheBoardofEditors.

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OFFICers & BOarD OF GOVernOrsAllenM.Smallwood,President,TulsadeborahReheard,President-Elect,EufaulaMackK.Martin,Vice President,OklahomaCityJonK.Parsley,Immediate Past President,GuymonJackL.Brown,TulsaMarthaRuppCarter,TulsaCharlesw.Chesnut,MiamiGlennA.devoll,EnidStevendobbs,OklahomaCityw.MarkHixson,YukonJerryL.McCombs,IdabelLouAnnMoudy,HenryettadavidA.Poarch,NormanRylandL.Rivas,ChickashaSusanS.Shields,OklahomaCityJamesT.Stuart,ShawneeMollyAspan,Tulsa,Chairperson,OBA/Young Lawyers Division

Bar Center staFFJohnMorriswilliams,Executive Director;GinaL.Hendryx,General Counsel;donitaBournsdouglas,Director of Educational Programs;CarolA.Manning,Director of Communications;Craigd.Combs,Director of Administration;TravisPickens,Ethics Counsel; JimCalloway,Director of Management Assistance Program;RickLoomis, Director of Information Systems;BeverlyS.Petry,Administrator MCLE Commission;JaneMcConnell,Coordinator Law-related Education;LorainedillinderFarabow,debbieMaddox,TedRossier,Assistant General Counsels;KatherineOgden,Staff Attorney,TommyButler,SharonOrth,dorothywalosandKrystalwillis, Investigators

NinaAnderson,ManniArzola,debbieBrink,MelissaBrown,BrendaCard,Sharondotson,MorganEstes,JohnnyMarieFloyd,MattGayle,SusanHall,BrandonHaynie,SuziHendrix,MistyHill,debraJenkins,JeffKelton,durrelLattimore,deboraLowry,HeidiMcComb,ReneeMontgomery,wandaReece-Murray,TracySanders,MarkSchneidewent,Robbinwatson,Laurawillis&RobertaYarbrough

eDItOrIal BOarD

EditorinChief,JohnMorriswilliams,News&LayoutEditor,CarolA.Manning,Editor,MelissadeLacerda,Stillwater,AssociateEditors:P.ScottBuhlinger,Bartlesville;dietmarK.Caudle,Lawton;SandeeCoogan,Norman;Emilyduen-sing,Tulsa;ThomasE.Kennedy,Enid;PandeeRamirez,Okmulgee;JamesT.Stuart,Shawnee;Leslied.Taylor,OklahomaCity;Januarywindrix,Poteau

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tHe OKlaHOma Bar JOurnal isapublicationoftheOklahomaBarAssociation.Allrightsreserved.Copyright©2010OklahomaBarAssociation.Thedesignofthescalesandthe“OklahomaBarAssociation”encirclingthescalesaretrademarksoftheOklahomaBarAssociation.LegalarticlescarriedinTHEOKLAHOMABARJOURNALareselectedbytheBoardofEditors.

THE OKLAHOMA BAR JOURNAL (ISSN 0030-1655) IS PUBLISHEd THREE TIMESA MONTH IN JANUARY, FEBRUARY, MARCH, APRIL, MAY, AUGUST, SEPTEM-BER,OCTOBER,NOVEMBERANddECEMBERANdBIMONTHLYINJUNEANdJULY.BYTHEOKLAHOMABARASSOCIATION,1901N.LINCOLNBOULEVARd,OKLAHOMACITY,OKLAHOMA73105.PERIOdICALSPOSTAGEPAIdATOKLA-HOMACITY,OK.POSTMASTER:SENdAddRESSCHANGESTOTHEOKLAHOMABARASSOCIATION,P.O.BOx53036,OKLAHOMACITY,OK73152-3036.SUBSCRIP-TIONSARE$55PERYEARExCEPTFORLAwSTUdENTSREGISTEREdwITHTHEOKLAHOMABARASSOCIATION,wHOMAYSUBSCRIBEFOR$25.ACTIVEMEM-BER SUBSCRIPTIONSARE INCLUdEdASA PORTION OFANNUAL dUES.ANYOPINIONExPRESSEdHEREINISTHATOFTHEAUTHORANdNOTNECESSAR-ILY THAT OF THE OKLAHOMA BARASSOCIATION, OR THE OKLAHOMA BARJOURNALBOARdOFEdITORS.

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FEBRUARY 201015 OBA Closed – Presidents Day16 OBA Civil Procedure Committee Meeting; 3:30 p.m.; Oklahoma

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17 OBA Law-related Education Close-Up; 8:30 a.m.; Oklahoma Bar Center, Oklahoma City; Contact: Jane McConnell (405) 416-7024

OBA Bench & Bar Committee Meeting; 12 p.m.; Oklahoma Bar Center, Oklahoma City and Tulsa County Bar Center, Tulsa; Contact: Jack Brown (918) 581-8211

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leGal FrameWOrK OF trIBal GOVernment GamInG

Indian gaming derives from tribal govern-ments’inherentauthorityovertheirterritory.In1987,theU.S.SupremeCourtupheldthetribes’authority to authorize, regulate and conductgamingwithintheirjurisdictions.7Thenextyear,CongresspassedtheIndianGamingRegulatoryAct(IGRA),8whichlimitedtribalgamingtotra-ditional games (Class I games) and bingo andgamessimilartobingo(ClassIIgames).9Beforeengaging in slot machine and other Las Vegasstyle gaming (Class III games), IGRA requires

tribes to negotiate a compact with the state inwhich the gaming will take place.10 Each state-tribalgamingcompactmustbeapprovedbytheSecretaryoftheInterior.11during2003and2004,Oklahoma’s Executive Branch and representa-tives of several Indian tribes negotiated thetermsandprovisionsofwhatwouldbecometheModel Tribal Gaming Compact.12 The compactauthorized the play of certain Class III games,and provided that nothing in its terms wouldalter state or tribal courts’ civil jurisdiction.13OklahomavotersalsoapprovedthecompactonNov.2,2004,asStateQuestionNo.712.14

Tribal Sovereignty vs. State Court Jurisdiction:

Whatever Happened to Federal Indian Law?By Klint A. Cowan

IndianLAW

In three recent decisions, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruledthat state courts have jurisdiction over tort actions arising attribalcasinos.1Thecourtreachedthisconclusioneventhough1)

statecourtshadnosuch jurisdiction2prior to theadoptionof theModel Tribal Gaming Compact,3 and 2) the compact specificallyprohibits anyexpansionof state court jurisdiction.4what’smore,thecourtdeclinedtoconsideraffidavitsfromGov.BradHenryandTreasurer Scott Meacham explaining that the negotiating partiesintendedthecompacttogiveexclusivejurisdictiontotribalcourts.5

Rather thanclarifying thesituation, theSupremeCourtdecisionshavecreatedthepotentialforcompactdisputeswitheachofthe32gamingtribesinOklahoma.Thesedisputeswilllikelyplayoutinmyriad negotiations, arbitrations, tribal-court actions, state-courtactions and federal-court actions over the next several years. Iftribesresolvethedisputesbyremovingcompactgamesfromtheirgamingfacilities,theresultcouldbeaseveredeclineinthestate’sexclusivityfees.6


As governments, tribes possess sovereignimmunity from civil actions, including tortactions.15wheretribeshavewaivedimmunityfor such actions arising in their jurisdictions,triballawappliesandtribalcourtshaveexclu-sive jurisdiction,unlessthestatehasacquiredjurisdiction through a Congressional authori-zation.16Inthecompact,thetribesagreedtoalimitedwaiverofsovereignimmunityfortortand prize claims, provided that the claimantfirstexhaustsatribaladministrativeprocess.17Ifthetribaladministrativeprocessisnotcom-pletedorthetimelimithaselapsed,thetribe’swaiverofsovereignimmunityisnoteffective.18The limited waiver extends only to suits in a“courtof competent jurisdiction,”which— ifread in isolation and not in conjunction withthe compact’s limitation on the expansion ofstate court jurisdiction — raises the questionwhether state courts can be courts of compe-tent jurisdiction for tort claims against tribalcasinos.19

state COurt JurIsDICtIOn BeFOre tHe COmPaCt

Beforethecompact,OklahomacourtslackedjurisdictionovercivilactionsarisinginIndiancountry20againstIndiansorIndiantribes.21Thislackofjurisdictionisnotamatteroftribalsov-ereignimmunityfromsuit,butafundamentalgapinthestate’sjurisdictionalcompetencecre-atedbyfederallaw.22ThegapderivesfromtheIndianCommerceClauseoftheU.S.Constitu-tion, which gives Congress plenary authorityover Indian tribes and Indian country.23 TheIndianCommerceClausedivests thestatesof“virtuallyallauthorityover IndiancommerceandIndiantribes.”24

In fact, Congress conditioned Oklahoma’sentryintotheuniononadisclaimerofjurisdic-tionoverIndiancountry,25andthestateconsti-tutioncontainstherequisitedisclaimer.26Otherstates’ courtsconsidering federalenablingactdisclaimerssimilartoOklahoma’shavefoundthat the disclaimer prevents the state fromexercisingjurisdictionovercivilactionsagainstIndians arising in Indian country.27 Federalcourtshave recognized thatOklahomacourtslackjurisdictionoversuchactions.28

Congress has provided a method, known asPublicLaw280,forstatestoassumejurisdictionover civil actions against Indians arising inIndiancountry,butthemethodrequiresconsentfromtheIndiantribeoverwhoseIndiancoun-try the state isadopting jurisdiction.29And the

tribalconsententailsmorethanamerepassageofa tribalcouncilresolution.Amajorityof thevoting tribalmemberswithin theaffectedareamustapprovethestate’sassumptionofjurisdic-tioninaspecialelectionconductedbytheSecre-taryoftheInterior.30Theprocedurealsorequiresthe state’s constitutional disclaimer to berepealed,31 and legislative action specificallydefiningthescopeofjurisdictiontobeacquired.32Oklahomahasneverattemptedtogainjurisdic-tionunderthisprocess,norhasanyOklahomatribeconsentedtosuchacquisition.33

reCent OKlaHOma suPreme COurt DeCIsIOns

Under federal law, then, it was clear at thetime the compact language was drafted thatthe state courts lacked jurisdiction over tortclaimsarisinginIndiancountryagainsttribes.whilethecompactcontainsalimitedwaiveroftribal sovereign immunity for tort actionsagainst tribalgaming facilities34 in“acourtofcompetentjurisdiction,”35italsounequivocallyprovidesthatnothinginthecompactexpandsthe state courts’ jurisdiction. “This Compactshallnotaltertribal,federalorstateciviladju-dicatoryorcriminaljurisdiction.”36Butifstatecourts lacked jurisdiction over tort actionsagainsttribesbeforethecompactandthecom-pactdidnotalterstatecourt’sjurisdiction,howdidthestateacquirejurisdiction?

ThefirsttimetheOklahomaSupremeCourtconsideredthatquestion,itfoundthatthestatehad not acquired jurisdiction. In Muscogee (Creek) Nation Gaming Comm’n v. Fitzgerald,37adistrict court had asserted jurisdiction over acasinopatron’s tortactionagainst theMusco-gee(Creek)Nation.TheNationsoughtawritofprohibitionfromtheSupremeCourtarguingthattheNation’scourtshadexclusivejurisdic-tion. By a vote of 6 – 3, the Supreme Courtgrantedthewrit,findingthattheNation’sjudi-ciaryhad“exclusivejurisdictionoverplaintiff’sclaim.”38Althoughthecourtissuednowrittenopinion, the writ suggested the court wouldupholdthestatusquoof tribalcourtsexercis-ing exclusive jurisdiction over civil actionsarisinginIndiancountryagainstIndiantribes.

After Fitzgerald, three similar cases reachedthe Supreme Court: Cossey v. Cherokee Nation Enterprises LLC, Griffith v. Choctaw Casino of Pocola, and Dye v. Choctaw Casino of Pocola.39Each involved personal-injury actions againsttribes arising at tribal casinos. Cossey wasdecidedfirstinJanuary2009.Itinvolvedaslip-


and-fall claim by a patron of the CherokeeCasinoinRoland,Okla.Thestatedistrictcourtfoundthatithadjurisdictionovertheclaimasa“courtofcompetentjurisdiction”underPart6ofthecompact,andcertifiedthequestionforappeal.40 The Supreme Court issued a frag-mented decision that included: 1) a pluralityopinion by four justices affirming the districtcourtandalsofindingthattheCherokeeNationcourts lacked jurisdiction over tort actions bynon-Indians against the Nation; 2) a concur-rencebytwojustices(whoalsojoinedtheplu-rality)whowouldhaveextendedthepluralityopiniontoallcompacttribes;3)aspecialcon-currence by one justice finding that the statecourts have concurrent jurisdiction with theNation’s courts; 4) a concurrence in part anddissentinpartbytwojusticeswhowouldhaveremandedforadeterminationofwhetherstatecourt jurisdiction would infringe tribal sover-eignty,and5)adissentbytwojustices.

As an initial matter, the plurality found —withoutanalysis— that theCherokeeNationitselfwasnot“entitledtosovereignimmunityfromsuit”because itwasconductinga“non-tribal business.”41 This holding was unneces-sary because the compact contains a limitedwaiverof sovereign immunityallowing tribalgaming facilities to be sued for tort claims inlimited circumstances.42 The holding also vio-lates established federal law providing thatIndian tribes’ immunity from suit extends tocommercialactivities.43Further,thecourt’ssug-gestionthatgamingisa“non-tribalbusiness”unrelated to the activity of furthering tribalself-government, contradicts Congress’ statedpurposeinpassingIGRA.44ThestatementalsoraisesthequestionwhetherOklahomalosesitsimmunitydefensebyofferingastatelottery.

The plurality’s central holding was that thestatedistrictcourthadjurisdictionoverthetortaction.Surprisingly,thisresultdidnotdependon the compact itself.45 Perhaps recognizingthat Part 9 of the compact — which preventsthecompactfromalteringthestate’spre-exist-ing civil-adjudicatory jurisdiction — requiressome basis for asserting jurisdiction over tortclaimsthatpredatesthecompact,thepluralityresurrected and extended its 1994 decision inLewis v. Sac and Fox Tribe Housing Authority.46

Lewis involvedanaction forspecificperfor-mance by purchasers of a Sac and Fox TribeHousingAuthoritymutualhelphometocon-vey title to the mineral estate. The housingauthority asserted that the state court lacked

jurisdiction because the home was located inIndian country over which the state lackedjurisdiction. The court acknowledged thatOklahomacourtshadnotacquiredjurisdictionthrough the Public Law 280 process. But thecourt found Public Law 280 does not bar thestate fromassertingsuch jurisdiction.Relyingonfederal jurisprudenceinvolvingstate-courtadjudication of federal-law claims, the courtheldthatstatecourtshaveconcurrentjurisdic-tionwithfederalcourtsover“any federal-lawclaim not explicitly withdrawn from theirauthoritybysomecongressionalenactment,solong as state judicature does not infringe ontribal self-government.”47 The court rejectedtheneed tocomplywithPublicLaw280asaprocessnecessaryforthestate’sacquisitionofjurisdiction and created a general rule, notfoundinfederalIndianlaworthelawofanyother state, that Oklahoma has jurisdictionovercivilactionsarising inIndiancountry—unless such jurisdiction has been explicitlywithdrawnbyCongressor infringeson tribalself-government.48

SeveralelementsdistinguishLewisfromtortactions arising in Indian country against atribe. First, according to the Lewis court, thelandatissuewasnotIndiancountry.49Second,Lewis involved an action against a state char-tered housing authority — not a tribal entity.Third,thefactsatissueinLewisclearlydemon-strated that state law governed the dispute.50Further,bythetimethecompactlanguagepro-hibitingthealterationofstatecourtjurisdictionwasdrafted,theLewistestseemedtobeadeadletter. Every subsequent state court decisionthatreliedonLewistofindstatecourtjurisdic-tionoveratribaldefendanthadbeenoverruledor reversed as a violation of federal Indianlaw.51ThecourthadnotappliedtheLewistestinanyotheractionsagainst Indiantribes,norhadanyotherstatecourtreliedonLewistocre-ate jurisdiction over civil actions arising inIndiancountry.

Evenso,theCosseypluralityreliedonLewis toestablishthepre-existingjurisdictionneces-sary to avoid the compact’s plain prohibitionagainst any expansion of state civil-adjudica-toryjurisdiction.52ThoughthepluralitydidnotexpresslyapplytheLewistwo-parttest,implic-itinitsdecisionwasafindingthattheexerciseofstatecourtjurisdictiondoesnotinfringeontribal government. This finding contradictsstatementsbytheU.S.SupremeCourtsuggest-ing that state courts’ exercise of jurisdiction


over civil actions arising in Indian countryagainsttribesimpermissiblyintrudesontribalself-governance.53 Justice Kauger recognizedthispointandexplainedthatifLewisservesasthebasisfortheplurality’sdecision,morefac-tual development at the trial court would benecessarytodeterminewhetherthetest’ssec-ondprongoustsstatecourtjurisdiction.54

In dicta, the pluralityalsofoundthattheChero-kee Nation courts lackjurisdiction over Cossey’saction. Applying federalcommon law governingtribal civil jurisdictionovernon-Indians—whichhadneverbeenappliedtoa case in which a non-Indianhad sued the tribeitself — the pluralityfound that the Nationlacked authority to regu-lateCossey’sgamingactivitiesinIndiancoun-try, and, therefore, lacked jurisdiction overCossey’s claim.55 Thus, according to the plu-rality, state courts have exclusive jurisdictionovertortactionssuchasCossey’s.

In his concurrence, Justice Colbert rejectedthe plurality’s reliance on Lewis. Instead, hereasoned that the phrase “court of competentjurisdiction”containedinthecompact’slimit-edwaiverofimmunitymustgivestatecourtsjurisdiction because otherwise it would beredundant.Ifthelimitedwaiverhadidentifiednocourt,itwouldplainlyhavenotgivenstatecourtsjurisdiction,butbyreferencing“acourtof competent jurisdiction” the drafters musthaveintendedtogivestatecourtsjurisdiction.56The concurrence also treated state law as thedefault background law, and found that “bynotchoosingbetweenstatelawandtriballaw,the parties brought patron tort claims underthe jurisdiction of state courts.”57 The concur-rence did not read the limited waiver in pari materiawithPart9’sprohibitiononstatecourtjurisdiction. Nor did the concurrence explainwhytriballawshouldnotbethedefault,giventhat the claims arise within the tribes’ Indiancountry—territoryoverwhichOklahomahasconstitutionallydisclaimedjurisdiction.

whilefivejusticesinCosseyfoundthatstatecourtshavejurisdictionovertortclaimsagainsttheCherokeeNation,theriftbetweentheplu-rality and concurring decision left seriousdoubtastohowthestatecourtshadacquired

suchjurisdiction.Thecourtrevisitedtheissueonlyfivemonthslater inGriffith,a tortactionagainst the Choctaw Nation. In Griffith, fivejustices joined a per curium opinion findingstatecourtsare“courtsofcompetent jurisdic-tion” under the Model Tribal Gaming Com-pact.Assuch,theGriffithdecisionpurportstoapplytoallcompacttribes,not justtheChoc-

taw Nation.58 Like theCosseyplurality,theGriffithcourt referenced Lewis,59and seemed to assumethatstatecourtshadjuris-diction over actionsagainst tribes for tribalactivities in Indian coun-try before the compactwas entered into. ThecourtcharacterizedPart9ofthecompactasexpress-ing intent “not to ‘alter’whatever court has adju-dicatoryjurisdiction,”and

asdoing“nothingtodefineacourtofcompe-tent jurisdiction.”60 In addition to Lewis, thecourtreliedonthestateconstitutionasasourceof jurisdiction.61AsJusticeKaugerput it,“themajoritymustassume,withoutdeciding, thatcourtsof theStateofOklahomaaregenerallycourts of competent jurisdiction to adjudicatetortclaimsagainstIndiantribesfortribalactiv-ityon tribal land.”62TheGriffithmajorityalsoabandonedtheCosseyplurality’sdecisionthattribalcourtslackjurisdictionovertortclaims.63

IncontrasttothepluralitydecisioninCossey,the Griffith Court found congressional authori-zation in the IGRA for state courts to acquirejurisdictionoveractionsagainsttribesarisinginIndian country.64 whether Congress intendedthis result is questionable. IGRA allows a tribeand a state to allocate civil jurisdiction “neces-saryfortheenforcementofcivillawsandregu-lations”thatare“directlyrelatedto,andneces-saryfor,thelicensingandregulation”ofgamingactivities.65Nofederalcourthasfoundthatthisphrase constitutes a Congressional authoriza-tion for states to acquire jurisdiction over tortactions arising from tribal activity in Indiancountry.66EvenifIGRAauthorizessuchacquisi-tion, the Oklahoma compacting parties clearlyprovidedthatthecompactwouldnotalterpre-existingstatecourtjurisdiction.67

Essentially, the Griffith majority treated thecompactasastatelaw—notasanagreementbetweentwosovereigns—andfoundthatthe

…the rift between theplurality and concurring

decision left serious doubt as to how the state courts had

acquired such jurisdiction.


phrase“courtofcompetentjurisdiction”inthelimited sovereign-immunity wavier includesstatecourts.Thecompactitselfdoesnotapplystate law or refer to state courts.68 The courtbased its decision on the compact’s failure tosay that tribal courts have exclusive jurisdic-tionor that tribal lawapplies totortactions.69But, as a matter of federal law, tribal lawappliestotortactionsarisingfromtribalactiv-ity in Indian country, and tribal courts haveexclusive jurisdiction over such actions. TheunderlyinglegalframeworkprovidesnoroomforstatelaworstatecourtjurisdictioninIndiancountry.Itwouldhavebeenredundantforthecompact to refer specifically to tribal law ortribalcourt.

Rather than clarifying which courts havejurisdictionovertortactionsagainsttribalcasi-nos,theSupremeCourthascreatedasituationthat will likely be litigated for years to come.Thecourt’smajorpremiseinCosseyandGriffithis that state courts had jurisdiction over tortactionsarisinginIndiancountryagainstIndiantribes before the compact. That assumptionappearstobeindirectconflictwithcontrollingfederallaw.Asaresult,eachtimeanothertribefacesatortactioninstatecourtanewchallengeto the state court’s jurisdiction will begin.Indeed,thesepost-Griffithjurisdictionalbattleshavealreadybegun.TheChoctawandChicka-sawNations initiatedacompactdisputewiththestatearisingfromtheGriffithdecision.70Thestateand the two tribesproceeded toarbitra-tionunderPart12ofthecompact.Thearbitra-torruledthatstatecourtslackjurisdictionovertort actions such as those at issue in Cossey, GriffithandDye.71TheChoctawNationisnowseekingareversaloftheGriffithandDyedeci-sionsbasedon the arbitrationaward.72Mean-while, the Comanche Nation has removed astatetortactiontofederalcourt,73onthetheorythatfederallawpreventsthestatecourtsfromexercising jurisdiction and creates a federalquestionsufficientforremoval.Tribesarealsoexploringnon-litigationremediestokeepstatecourts out of Indian country. These optionsinclude removing compact games from theirfacilitiesandstoppingtheexclusivityfeepay-mentstothestate—whichcouldsignificantlyaffectthestate’srevenues.

COnClusIOn

TheSupremeCourt’srecentdecisionsprovidesomelessonsfortribes,thestateandattorneys.Attorneys representing tort claimants shouldcontinuetofollowthetribaladministrativepro-

cess. Nothing in these decisions abrogates thecompactrequirementtoadheretotheadminis-trative steps. without exhausting the adminis-trativeremedies,thetribalwaiverofsovereignimmunityisnoteffective.74Untilthisareaoflawbecomesmoresettled,plaintiffs’counselshouldalso consider the drawbacks to filing in statecourt.Filingintribalcourtcouldsavetheplain-tiff timeandexpensesassociatedwithdisposi-tivechallengestostatecourtjurisdiction.despitethe decisions in Cossey and Griffith, tribes arelikelytovigorouslychallengeanyattemptbyastatecourttoassertjurisdictionoverthesetypesofcases.

Tribesshouldrequirethatanyinsurancepoli-cy reserve for the tribe the sole right toassigncounseltodefendanysuitagainstthetribeand,incaseswhereaninsurancedefenseattorneyisdefending the tribe, that the insurer’s counselcoordinate efforts with the tribe’s Indian lawcounselonmattersrelatingtojurisdiction,sov-ereignty and sovereign immunity. Cossey andGriffithdemonstratethatimportantsovereigntyissuesariseinseeminglyroutinetortandprizeclaims,andtribesneedtobeinthebestpositiontoresolvethoseissueswithoutthreateningtheirgovernmental interests. Tribes also shouldincludeclauses in their insurancepoliciespro-hibiting insurance counsel from raising tribalsovereignimmunityforinsurableclaimsabsentexpresstribalconsent.75

Thestategovernmentshouldrecognizethatthese decisions may result in a decrease incompact games, and, therefore, a decrease instate revenues. So far, however, the stateappears to recognize the problems raised bytheserecentSupremeCourtdecisionsandthestate executive branch has cooperated withseveraltribesinattemptingtorestoretheorigi-nalunderstandingofthecompactnegotiators:that tort actions against tribal casinos wouldnotbeheardinstatecourts.

1.Cossey v. Cherokee Nation Enterprises LLC,2009OK6,212P.3d447(Jan.20,2009);Griffith v. Choctaw Casino of Pocola,2009OK51,__P.3d__(opinionsfiledJune30,2009,butnotyetreleasedforpublication);Dye v. Choctaw Casino of Pocola,2009OK52,__P.3d__(opinionsfiledJune30,2009,butnotyetreleasedforpublication).

2.See Williams v. Lee,358U.S.217(1959)3.See3AO.S.§281(Compact).4.Compactpt.9.5.SeeApplicationofScottMeachamforLeavetoFileStatement,Dye

v. Choctaw Choctaw Casino of Pocola, No. 104,737 (Okla. filed May 15,2008);BriefofAmiciCuriaeBradHenryandScottMeacham1–6,Cossey v. Cherokee Nation Enters. LLC,No.105,300(Okla. filedMarch9,2009);Griffith,2009OK¶3(Kauger,J.concurringinpartdissentinginpart).

6.Thestatereceivesbetween4and10percentoftheadjustedgrossrevenuesfromtribalgamingoperations.Compactpt.11(A)(2).

7.California v. Cabazon Band of Mission Indians,480U.S.202(1987).8.Pub.L.No.100-497,102Stat.2467(Oct.17,1998)(codifiedat18

U.S.C.§§1166–1168,25U.S.C.§§2701–2721).


9.25U.S.C.§2710(a).10.25U.S.C.§2710(d).11.Id.12.AffidavitofScottMeacham,supran.5.13.Compactpts.4,9.14.Legis.Ref.No.335.15.See, e.g., Santa Clara Pueblo v. Martinez,436U.S.49(1978).16.See Williams,358U.S.217;25U.S.C.§1322.Federalcourtslack

diversityjurisdictionovertortactionsagainsttribesbecausetribesarenotcitizensofanystatefordiversitypurposes.Gaines v. Ski Apache,8F.3d726,729(10thCir.1993).

17.Compactpt.6(A),(C).18.Compactpt.6(A)(9).19.ThisarticlediscussestortclaimsbecauseeachoftheSupreme

Courtcasesconsideredatortclaim.Thecompactalsocontainsalim-itedwaiverofsovereignimmunityforprizeclaims.Compactpt.6(B),(C).Theanalysishereinappliestoprizeclaimsaswell.

20. 18 U.S.C. §1151 (defining Indian country). Indian countryincludes“Indianlands”onwhichtribalgovernmentgamingfacilitiesmaybelocated.25U.S.C.§2703(8).

21.Williams,358U.S.at223.22. Sovereign immunity and jurisdiction are “wholly distinct”

concepts that should not be conflated. Blatchford v. Native Village of Noatak,501U.S.775,786n.4(1991).

23.Const.art.I,§8.24.Seminole Tribe of Fla. v. Florida,517U.S.44,62(1996).25.Okla.EnablingAct§§1,3,34Stat.267(1906).26.Okla.Const.art.I,§3.27.See, e.g., Winer v. Penny Enters.,674N.w.2d9(N.d.2004).28.See, e.g., Indian Country U.S.A. v. Okla. ex rel Okla. Tax Comm’n,

829 F.2d 967, 976–81 (10th Cir. 1987) (holding that state had notacquired civil jurisdiction over Indians in the Creek Nation’s Indiancountry);Muscogee (Creek) Nation v. Hodel,851F.2d1439,1446(d.C.Cir.1988) (noting that“undercurrent law,Oklahomahasno jurisdictionoverIndians”inIndiancountry).

29.SeeActofAug.15,1953,67Stat.588(repealedandreenacted1968) (codified as amended at 18 U.S.C. §1162, 25 U.S.C. §§1321–26,and28U.S.C.§1360) (commonlyreferredtoasPublicLaw280).TheSupreme Court has even suggested that this method gives states nojurisdictionovertribesthemselves,butonlyoverindividualIndians.Bryan v. Itasca County, 426 U.S. 373, 389 (1976) (noting that “there isnotablyabsentanyconferralofstatejurisdictionoverthetribesthem-selves”).

30.Kennerly v. District Court,400U.S.423,428(1971);25U.S.C.§1326.31.25U.S.C.§1360.32.25U.S.C.§1322;Kennerly,400U.S.at427.33.See United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians v. Oklahoma ex rel.

Moss,927F.2d1170,1178n.17(10thCir.1991).34.Thewaiver is limitedtosuitsagainst the“enterprise,”which

thecompactdefinesas“thetribe....”Compactpt.3(13).35.Compactpt.6(C).36.Compactpt.9.37.No.104,726(Okla.July2,2007).38.Id.at1.39.Supran.1.Dye involvedthesameChoctawcasinoat issuein

Griffithandafactuallysimilartortaction.TheDyedecisioncontainsnoindependentreasoningbutreliesonthesubstanceoftheGriffithdeci-sion.Dye,2009OKat¶¶5–9.

40. Order denying Motion to dismiss, Cossey v. Cherokee Nation Enters. LLC,No.CJ,2006-762(RogersCo.dist.Ct.Oct.23,2007).

41.2009OK6¶6.42.Compactpt.6(C).43.See, e.g., Kiowa Tribe v. Mfg. Techs. Inc.,523U.S.751,760(1998)

(“Tribesenjoy immunity fromsuitsoncontracts,whether thosecon-tractsinvolvegovernmentalorcommercialactivitiesandwhethertheyweremadeonoroffareservation.”);Native American Distrib. v. Seneca-Cayuga Tobacco Co.,546F.3d1288, (10thCir.2008) (findingthat tribalsovereignimmunityshieldsatribalbusinessenterprise).

44.IGRA’spurposeis“toprovideastatutorybasisfortheopera-tionofgamingbyIndiantribesas a means of promoting . . . strong tribal governments.”25U.S.C.§2702(1)(emphasisadded).

45. The plurality “disagree[s] that state court jurisdiction over[t]histortclaimisderivedtotallyfromtheTribe’sconsenttosuitundertheCompact.”2009OKat¶6(watt,J.).Italsofound,relyingonPart9ofthecompact,thatthecompactcontainsnoallocationofjurisdictionunderIGRA.Id.at¶13.

46.1994OK20,896P.2d503.

47.Id.at¶32,516.48.Id.at¶12,508.49.Id.at¶22,513.50.Id.at¶21,513.Thecompactsuggeststhattribaltort law,not

statelaw,appliestotortclaimsbroughtunderthecompact.Seecom-pactpt.6(d)(4).Generalconflicts-of-lawprinciplessuggestthesame,given that thenegligenceand injurygivingrise toa tortclaimmustbothoccurwithintribaljurisdiction.

51.See Carl E. Gungoll Exploration Joint Venture v. Kiowa Tribe,1998OK¶11,975P.2d442,445.

52.Cossey,2009OKat¶9,212P.3dat453(watt,J.).53.See, e.g., Three Affiliated Tribes v. Wold Eng’g PC,467U.S.138,148

(1984).54.Cossey,2009OKat¶30(Kauger,J.concurringinpartdissenting

inpart).55.Cossey,2009OKat¶¶14–37(watt,J.).56.Cossey,2009OKat¶9(Colbert,J.concurring).57.2009OKat¶12(Colbert,J.concurring).58.Griffith,2009OKat¶6(percurium).59.Griffith,2009OKat¶30(percurium).60.Griffith,2009OK¶18(percurium).61.Griffith,2009OK¶18n.26(percurium).62.Griffith,2009OK¶10(Kauger,J.concurringinpartdissenting

inpart).63.Griffith,2009OK¶28(percurium).64.Griffith,2009OK¶11(percurium).65.25U.S.C.§2710(d)(3)(C)(i)and(ii).66. But see Doe v. Santa Clara Pueblo, 154 P.3d 644, 652–55 (N.M.

2007)(findingIGRAauthorizedstatecourtstoacquireciviljurisdictionover tort actions against tribes through the compacting process).Unlike the Oklahoma compact, the Pueblo’s compact included anagreementtoapplystatetortlawandexpresslyincludedstatecourtswithinthedefinitionof“courtsofcompetentjurisdiction,”capableofhearingtortclaims.Id.at647,655.

67.Compactpt.9.68.Griffith,2009OKat¶¶24–27(percurium).69.Griffith,2009OKat¶19(percurium).70.SeeArbitrationAward,ClassIIIGamingCompactJurisdiction-

RelateddisputesJointlyReferredtoBindingArbitrationbytheChoc-taw Nation of Oklahoma, the Chickasaw Nation and the state ofOklahomaAppx.1n.1(Aug.25,2009).

71.Id.at19.72.MotiontoHonorArbitrationAward,Griffith,No.104,887(filed

Aug. 27, 2009); Motion to Honor the Arbitration Award, Dye, No.104,737(filedAug.26,2009).

73.Muhammad v. Comanche Nation Casino,No.CIV-09-968-d(w.d.Okla.filedSept.1,2009).

74.Compactpt.6(A)(9).75.ForadiscussioncharacterizingCosseyandGriffithascasesthat

should have been settled rather than litigated on tribal sovereigntygrounds,seePostingofGabeGalandratoNorthwestIndianLawandBusinessAdvisor,www.nwindianbusinesslawblog.com(July6,2009).

Klint Cowan practices in the Oklahoma City office of Hobbs, Straus, Dean & Walker LLP, a national law firm dedicated to the representation of Indian tribes and tribal entities. His practice focuses on federal Indi-an law, gaming and litigation. He holds a J.D. from the Uni-

versity of Tulsa and a master-of-law degree from Oxford University. He is also involved in negotia-tions with the National Indian Gaming Commis-sion for tribal clients.

AbOuT THE AuTHOR


u The State of Oklahoma has the second largest American Indian population?

u In Oklahoma, there are over 1 million acres held in trust for the benefit of Indian tribes and over 1 million acres of restricted land held by individual Indians?

u The State of Oklahoma is second in the nation in the amount of revenue generated by Indian gaming?

u Indian Law is currently being taught at all three law schools in Oklahoma and TU and OU offer certificate programs in Indian law?

u The states of Montana, Washington, South Dakota and New Mexico now include Indian Law on their bar exams?

American Indian tribes in Oklahoma are an important and vital part of Oklahoma, its social fabric and economy. As home to 38 federally recognized Indian tribes, Indian tribal governments are a driving force in Oklahoma by providing jobs, economic devel-opment and infrastructure. As a result, Oklahoma lawyers have a growing need for knowledge of Indian law if they are to provide competent representation to their clients, Indians and non-Indians alike.

If you are interested in helping the Indian Law Section in getting Indian Law on the bar exam, please contact our Secretary at [email protected] and view our

White Paper at http://www.okbar.org/members/sections/indian08.htm.

If you are interested in joining the Indian Law Section, go to http://www.okbar.org/members/sections/sectiondues.pdf


raCIal DeFInItIOn OF InDIan IDentItY

duringthetimeofcontact1inthe16thcentury,theprevailingbeliefwasmonogenesis, that ideathat all humans shared a common ancestor.2Clearly, the Indians were humans who sharedthe same roots as Europeans, reasoned PopePaulIII.BecauseIndianswerehuman,theques-tionaboutwhethertheyhadsoulswasansweredin the affirmative, thus justifying missionaries’attemptstoofferthemsalvation.3ThenotionofIndiansbelongingtoadistinctandseparateredracewasespousedbythe18thcenturynaturalistCarolusLinneauswhodividedtheworld’speo-ple into white (Europeans), yellow (Asians),black(Africans)andred(Indians).Additionally,the term redskin, still popular (and muchmaligned) today as a sports team mascot,5reflected the first impressions of Euro-Ameri-cansastheysawmembersofcertaintribeswiththeirredwarpaintontheirbodies.6

Advancement in dNA research has changednotionsofraceforever.Raceisnolongerconsid-ered biologically determined. The Human

Genome Project has mapped human dNA andconfirmedthatthereareno“pure,distinctraces.”7Ithasdemonstratedthatthereisasmuchgeneticdiversity within what were traditionally calledracial groups as there are from group to group.Althoughscientificallyunsupported,race isstilla powerful concept that packs a hefty politicalandsocialpunch. It isa lens throughwhichweview,identifyandcategorizehumanbeingsbothphysicallyandculturally.

Skin color and facial features are often racialcharacteristics used to determine at a glancewhetherapersonisidentifiedasIndian.8wheth-erapersonappearstothecasualobservertobeIndiancandependonavastarrayofapparentphysical features: skin color, “straight hair, flatfeet,fingerprintwhorls,broadnoses,Mongolianspots, Asian eyes, earlobes connected at thebase,andshovel-shapedincisors.”9

IDentItY as a Cultural nOtIOn

ThiswastheidentityimposedonIndiansfromoutsiders.Columbuscalledthemindiosandper-ceivednotribaldifferences,buttoIndians,therewas no notion of pan-Indianism. Tribal identity

Indian IdentityBy Teresa A. Rendon

IndianLAW

Answering the question, “who is an Indian?” is not easy.Indeed,theresponsecouldbeyetanotherquestion,“whowants to know?” Is it a casual observer trying to deter-

mineifanindividualisIndiansolelybyhisphysicalcharacteris-tics?IsittheadmittingclerkattheIndianhospitalfiguringoutwhetherthepatientiseligibleforservices?Isitatribalemployeecheckingtoseeifanapplicantiseligibleforenrollment?OrisitajudgewonderingwhethertheICwA(IndianChildwelfareAct)appliestoacustodycase?Theanswersareasvariedastheques-tionsandariseasmuchfrompoliticalneedsasfromamazeoflegal,sociologicalandhistoricalsources.


was paramount. Each tribe had a name for itsown people such as the Cherokee aniyunwiyaandtheNavajodine,itsowndistinctlanguage,customs and ways of life. They did not seethemselvesasIndians,andviewedotherIndiantribesasdifferentfromthemselvesastheSpan-ishviewedtheFrenchandtheEnglish.10

Take the Cherokees, for example. Since thedays of the American Revolution, Cherokeeshave intermarried with whites.11 when theCherokeesspokeof“fullbloods”itwasnotsomuchaquestionofbiologybutofcultureandlanguage. “Full blood” was used to describethe person who participated fully in the cul-ture, shared the Cherokee world view andspoke the language.12 Being a biological fullblood was not always a predictor of howassimilated a Cherokee was, either. The issueof whether Cherokees would cooperate withthe federal government and remove them-selvestoIndianTerritorywasstronglyopposedbymanyfull-bloodtraditionalistswhileassim-ilatedCherokeeswereexpectedtoleantowardaccepting removal as an inevitability. JohnRoss, a mixed blood leader of the Cherokeesfought removal13 until the end, while Standwatie and the Ridges who were full bloodscooperated with the federal government andsigned a treaty ceding Cherokee lands andagreeingtoremoval.

In a 21st century blurring of tribal/raciallines,theCherokeeNationvotedtoremovetheFreedmen,formerslavesoftheCherokeeswhohad been members since the Treaty of 1866.14MarilynVann,presidentofthedescendantsofFreedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes, won-dered, “Is the Cherokee Nation a race or anation?”15 Principal Chief of the CherokeeNation Chad Smith explained the vote byannouncing that Cherokees voters must havefeltthat“anIndiannationshouldbecomposedofIndians.”16Thuswereturntotheinitialques-tion,“whoisIndian?”

selF-DetermIneD InDIan IDentItY

The2009SovereigntySymposiumfeaturedapresentation on trafficking in tribal member-ships.Itwasshockingtohearaboutthecynicalschemeoftheso-calledChiefThunderbird.Mr.Malcolmwebber,aliasGrandChiefThunder-birdIVoftheKaweahNation,createdanentiretribe for himself.17 Christening his newborntribe the Kaweah, webber anointed himselfchief complete with an indigenous-soundingname(Thunderbird).Thiswasdoneinspiteof

theBureauofIndianAffairs’(BIA)1984rulingthattheKaweahgrouphadnohistoricallinktoany American Indian tribe and that webberwasnotevenanIndian.18

webberproceededtoestablishaflourishingbusinessenterprisesellingtribalmembershipsto unwitting undocumented aliens. Thesealiens, often recruited through their Spanish-language churches, clung to the desperatehope that purchasing tribal affiliation wouldbuythemachancetostaylegallyintheUnitedStates. when the federal agents seized tribalrecords, it was discovered that 13,142 peoplehadalreadyenrolledandanadditional2,000to3,000 applications were yet to be processed.19TheAssistant U.S.Attorney from the state ofKansas,proudlyannouncedinhisSymposiumpresentationthat“ChiefThunderbird,”havingbeenfoundguiltyofsixfederalcharges,isnowalong-termguestofthefederalgovernmentatFt.Leavenworth,Kan.

leGal DeFInItIOn OF InDIan IDentItY

Imagineaskingawhiteperson,“Howmuchwhite blood do you have in you?” It soundsludicrous,doesn’t?HowoddwoulditbetoaskanAfrican-American person, “How black areyou?” As uncomfortable as these questionsmayseem,Indians20areofteninsituationsbothin socialandgovernmental contexts inwhichtheymustansweraquestionaboutthedegreeof Indian blood coursing through their veins.Although historically, there were names fordegrees of blackness, such as quadroon (1/4black)andoctoroon (1/8th), theonedroprulesimplifiedblackidentity,asleastasseenfromanoutsiderpointofview.Ifapersonhadonedrop of black blood, she was black, no morediscussion was necessary. Indian-ness is vari-ously defined, infinitesimally fractionalizedand complex. Currently, blood quantum, asrecorded among citizens of the CherokeeNation, runs the gamut from full-blood to1/2048th,amereeyedropperfull.21

Indian identity, as determined by the BIArequiresacertificateofdegreeofIndianbloodcardwhichhasbeenauthenticatedbytheBIAandthetribetowhichthepersonbelongs.22All38 of the federally recognized tribes of Okla-homa have their own regulations definingtribal membership. The rules focus on threemainareas:descendancy, blood quantumanddualenrollment.All38oftheOklahomatribesrequirethattheprospectivemembertraceher


directdescendancytoatribalmemberwhoislistedontheofficialrollsofthetribe.Thiscanbe the dawes Roll, tribal census rolls, tribaltownrollorotherofficialtribalroll.Addition-ally,1523ofOklahoma’s38federallyrecognizedtribes require a minimum blood quantumwhichrangesfrom1/224 to1/16.25Thelargestnumber of the Oklahoma tribes requiring aspecificbloodquantumissixwhichestablishathreshold of 1/426 and five which set 1/8 astheirstandard.27Sometribesexpresslyprohibitdual enrollment. In other words, these tribeswillnotadmitanyone,evenifthepersonoth-erwise qualifies, if that person is alreadyenrolledinanothertribe.

TheCherokeeNation,forexample,isoneofthemoreexpansiveoftribesintermsofnum-bers of people recognized as tribal members.Thetribesimplyrequires that itsmembersbedirect lineal descendants of an enrolled tribalmember.Althoughbloodquantumisirrelevantfor Cherokee tribal membership and notrecordedonthetribalcard,itisdulyrecordedon the BIA’s certificate of degree of Indianblood card. Questions of percent of Indianblooddocomeintoplay,however,whentribalmembers seek benefits such as “healthcare,housingandfoodcommodities”inwhichcase,

a biological standard, usually one-quarter ormoreIndianbloodisrequired.28

trIBal IDentItY

determinations of tribal membership areunder the jurisdiction of each tribe, but thefederal government exercises control overwhichgroupsarerecognizedastribes.duringthe ’60sand’70s,withthe“increasedpolitici-zation of Indian identity,” Indians began to“makedemandsuponthefederalgovernmentin myriad ways.”29 As Indians sued for landand water rights, staged sit-ins and testifiedbeforeCongress,theBIArealizedthatwiththerenewed interest in Indian rights surfaceddemands for recognition from unrecognizedtribes.Forthispurpose,theBranchofAcknowl-edgmentandResearch(BAR)wasestablishedin 1978. Some scholars summarize the BAR’smissionasoneof“cashandcolor,”aquestionof Indian racial identity and Indian gaming.30Moreplainlyput,withoutfederalrecognition,atribewillbeunabletoopenacasino.

Tribes,suchastheLumbeesofNorthCaroli-na,have learnedall toowell theburdensomeevidenciaryrequirementsrequiredbytheBAR.Inspiteoftheiryearsofattemptstoqualifyforfederal recognition, the Lumbees have yet toachieve official status. Having forsaken thebureaucratic path to tribal identity, the Lum-beeshavetakentheircausetoCongressintheform of the Lumbee RecognitionAct.31At thewritingof thisarticle, thisacthadpassed theHouseofRepresentativesandwasintheCom-mittee on IndianAffairs of the U.S. Senate. Ifpassed by the Senate, this act will recognizethatthestateofNorthCarolinahasrecognizedthat theLumbeeIndianshavebeenanIndiantribe since 1885 and that the Lumbees have“remained a distinct Indian community sincethetimeofcontactwithwhitesettlers.”32Final-lyandmostsignificantly,theact,ifpassed,willside-step the requirements of the departmentof Interior and bring an end to the Lumbees’decades-longstruggleforrecognitionbydeclar-ing that the Lumbee Indians should be “enti-tledtofullFederalrecognitionoftheirstatusasanIndiantribe.”33

InDIan IDentItY FOr InDIan CHIlD WelFare aCt

An“Indianchild”forpurposesoftheIndianChild welfareAct34 (ICwA) is defined as “anunmarriedchildundereighteenwhoisamem-ber of a federally recognized Indian tribe oreligible for membership in a federally recog-

Since the tribes are asserting their rights as tribes and not as

individuals, Indian identity in this federal act is framed differently than

that of the ICWA.


nizedtribeandthenaturalchildofamemberofanIndiantribe.”35OnepurposeofICwAwasto stem the tide of “wholesale removal ofNativeAmerican children from their familiesandtribesbystatesocialservicesagenciesandcourts,”36apracticecommonplacepriortothelaw’senactmentin1978.Although19thcentu-ryabusesinthefederalgovernment’sboardingschoolswerewellknown,itisastonishingthateven as late as 1971, the Bureau of Indianaffairswasremoving17percentofschool-ageIndian children from their native homes andplacing them in BIA boarding schools thatwerenotbeingheldresponsibletothemainte-nanceofthechildren’stribalconnections,lan-guageandculture.37Thetribecaninterveneonbehalfof Indianchildrensubject to childcus-todyproceedings(otherthandivorce),suchasguardianship,fostercareplacementandadop-tion, to ensure that placement remains in thetribewhenpossible.

InDIan IDentItY In tHe natIVe amerICan GraVes PrOteCtIOn aCt (naGPra)

Howwouldyouliketohaveyourancestors’remainsondisplayattheSmithsonian?doyoubelievethattherecouldbeascientificjustifica-tion for ransacking native graves? If you do,youareingoodcompanybecausepriortotheenactment of NAGPRA, some leading muse-umswouldhaveagreedwithyou.Accordingto noted professor, attorney and author Jaceweaver,38museumslootedgravesandgatheredthousandsofhumanskeletonstobestoredfordisplay. The practice was so prevalent that itwas“grimly jokedthat theSmithsonianInsti-tution in washington had more dead IndiansthantherewereliveIndians.”39

NAGPRAhasopenedthedoorsforthecul-turally affiliated Indian tribes and nativeHawaiianorganizationstoclaimtheirculturalitems,suchashumanremains,funeraryobjects,sacred artifacts and objects of cultural patri-mony.40 Since the tribes are asserting theirrightsas tribesandnotas individuals, Indianidentityinthisfederalactisframeddifferentlythan that of the ICwA. The act’s focus is on“cultural affiliation,” which is defined as “arelationship of shared group identity whichcanbereasonablytracedhistoricallyorprehis-toricallybetweenapresentdayIndiantribe…andanidentifiableearliergroup.”41Thisdefini-tion takes into account that a contemporarytribe may have to prove that it is culturally,geographically or historically linked to an

ancienttribewhichmayhavenolivingdirectdescendants.

A notable exercise of NAGPRA was in thecase of the Kennewick Man, known respect-fullyastheAncientOnebyNatives.42discov-ered by accident in 1996, the skeleton of thisancient human determined to be over 9,000years old caused a furor among anthropolo-gists,indigenouspeoplesandthefederalgov-ernment. Five Indian tribes, the Nez Perce,Umatilla, Yakama, wanapum and Colvilleclaimedthattheremainsweretheirsandshouldbegivenatraditionalburialinsteadofbecom-ing subject of a scientific inquiry. Of all thetribes,theUmatillawastheonethatfiledsuitunderNAGPRAclaimingthatthetribesharedaculturalrelationshipwiththeancientremains.The9thCircuitU.S.CourtofAppealsruledinits February 2004 decision that the tribe hadnotproventheexistenceofsuchaculturallinkas required by the act.43 The remains wereturnedovertoateamofscientistsinJuly2005to conduct detailed measurements and deter-mine,amongotherthings,causeofdeath.44

InDIan IDentItY In tHe InDIan arts anD CraFts aCt OF 1990

Imaginetheunwarytourist fromNewEng-landwho isheadingwestonHighway40onher way to California. She pulls into a truckstop/souvenirstandandselectssome“Indianartifacts”totakehomeasgiftsforfriendsandrelatives. To her chagrin, when Uncle Melvinunwrapsthegiftandturnsitupsidedown,hediscoversthatithasashinylittlestickeronitthat reads “Made in China.” This act wasenactedwitha two-foldpurpose: thatofpro-tecting the consumer from purchasing fakeIndian art and promoting tribal economicdevelopment by eliminating unfair competi-tion.45 Indian, as applied to the act, denotes aperson who is a member of an Indian tribe,whether it be state or federally recognized.46

Allowing for the fact that some well knownIndian artists may be culturally part of thetribe,butnotlegallymembers,theactalsoper-mits tribes, at their discretion, to certify non-membersasIndianartisans.47

InDIan IDentItY In eDuCatIOn laW

Oftheplethoraoflawspertainingtotheedu-cationofIndians,thesectionsoftheElementaryandSecondaryEducationActof1965(ESEA),48whichprovide for services for Indianstudentsinapublicschoolsettingarebeingexaminedinthisarticle.Oneofthegoalsofthelawistomeet


the educational needs of “low-achieving chil-dren in our Nations’ highest poverty schools,limited English proficient children, migratorychildren,childrenwithdisabilities,Indianchil-dren, neglected or delinquent children, andyoungchildreninneedofreadingassistance.”49ESEA’s definition of “Indian” is an individualwhois“amemberofanIndiantribeorband,asmembershipisdefinedbythetribeorband.”50Itadoptsanexpansiveviewofwhois“Indian”asit encompasses members of state recognizedtribesaswellasthoserecognizedbythefederalgovernment.

COnClusIOn

Even this short journey into Indian identityhas required us to step off onto shifting tec-tonicplatesofvaryingdisciplinesanddefini-tions. Each statute defines Indian in the waythatsuitsitsparticularpurpose.Framedbytheall-embracingscientific fact that thereare“nopure,distinctraces,” theamazingdiversityofanswersto“whoisanIndian?”isatantalizingmystery. Maybe the real answer lies not in“who wants to know?” but in “why do weneedtoknow?”

Author’s Note: The author wishes to thank OCU law student Natalia Jacobsen for assisting with the research for this article.

1.ContactreferstothetimewhenEuropeansencounteredIndiansintheAmericasinthelate15thandearly16thcentury.

2.Sturm,44.3.Sturm,44-5.4.Sturn,44-5.5.Theissueofsportsteammascotsiscoveredinmanyscholarly

works. devon Mihesuah covers this controversial topic very clearlyand succinctly in her work. Mihesuah, devon A., American Indians: Stereotypes and Realities.1957Atlanta:ClarityPress.

6.Sturm,44.7.Schaefer,RichardT.Racial and Ethnic Groups,11thedition.Upper

SaddleRiver,NJ:PrenticeHall,2007,12-13.8.Sturm,Circe.Blood Politics: Race, Culture, and Identity in the Chero-

kee Nation of Oklahoma.Berkley:Univ.ofCaliforniaPress,2002,14.9.Sturm,4.10.Sturm,30.11.Strickland,Rennard.Fire and the Spirits: Cherokee Law from Clan

to Court,49.Norman,OK:UniversityofOklahomaPress,1975.12.Strickland.13.Sturm.14.Thornton,Tony.“Tribalmembers’fatediscussed”The Oklaho-

man,March15,2006,15A.15.Thornton.16.Thornton.17. Hegeman, Roxana. “Fraud trial begins for disputed Indian

chief,” USA Today, www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-08-05-2588347752_x.htm.

18.Hegeman.19.Hegeman.

20.Ihaveintentionallychosentousetheterms“Indian”or“Amer-ican Indian” in this article rather than the term “NativeAmerican.”The University of Oklahoma Press, a prolific publisher of works onIndianhistory,philosophy,lawandliteratureusestheterm“AmericanIndian”or,ifknown,thenameoftheIndiannationtowhichtheper-sonbelongs.weaver,Jace.Other Words: American Indian Literature, Law, and Culture.Norman,OK:UniversityofOklahomapress,xiii.

IndianauthordevonMihesuahhasanotherview:“AlthoughitispreferabletorefertoIndigenouspeopleofthiscountrybytheirspe-cific tribal names, for the sake of space I opt for “Indigenes” or“Natives” instead of “Native Americans”... [M]y family and mostfriends and “Indians” I know say “Indians.” Indigenous American Women: Decolonization, Empowerment, Activism. Lincoln, NE: Univ. ofNebraskaPress,2003.

21.Sturm,2.22.Sturm,3-4.23.Absentee-Shawnee, Caddo, Cheyenne andArapaho, Coman-

cheFortSillApache,Iowa,Kialegee,Kiowa,Muscogee(Creek),Otoe-Missouria, Pawnee, Ponca, Sac & Fox, and United Ketoowah BandCherokee,andwichita.

24.Kialegee.25.Caddo,andFortSillApache,Iowa.26.Absentee-Shawnee,CheyenneandArapaho,Kiowa,Muscogee,

Otoe-Missouria,UnitedKeetoowahBandCherokee.27.Comanche,Pawnee,Ponca,Sac&Foxandwichita.28.Sturm,4.29.Cramer,ReneAnn. Cash, Color, and Colonialism: The Politics of

Tribal Acknowledgment, 16. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press,2005,7.

30.Cramer,xv.31.111thCongress,1stSession,HouseofRepresentatives,Report

111-103“LumbeeRecognitionAct.”32.LumbeeRecognitionAct,1.33.Lumbee,2.34.25U.S.C.§1901-63.35.25U.S.C.§1903(1).36. Jones, B. J., Tilden, Mark & Gaines-Stoner, Kelly. The Indian

Child Welfare Act Handbook,secondedition.Chicago:ABAPublications,2008,2.

37.Joneset al.,2.38.Other Words: American Indian Literature, Law, and Culture,Nor-

man:Univ.ofOklahomaPress,2001,158.39.weaver,158.40.25USC§3001,43CFR§10.41.25USC§3001.42.weaver,162.43.Bonnichsen, et al. v. United States, et al.,no.02-35994(9thCir.Feb.

4,2004).44.Adler,Jerry.“A9,000-Year-OldSecret.”NewsweekJuly25,2005,

vol.146,issue4,p.52.45.25USC§1159,25CFR§309.46.25USC§1159.47.25CFR§309.4.48.20USCChapter70.49.20USC§6301.50.20USC§7491(3).

Teresa Rendon is an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation, a staff attorney at Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma Inc., an adjunct professor in the Department of Sociology and Justice Studies at Oklahoma City University, and a doctoral student in history and phi-losophy of education at the Univer-sity of Oklahoma.

AbOuT THE AuTHOR


nOtICe OF InVItatIOn tO suBmIt OFFers tO COntraCt

THEOKLAHOMAINdIGENTdEFENSESYSTEMBOARdOFdIRECTORSgivesnoticethat it will entertain sealed Offers to Contract (“Offers”) to provide non-capital trial leveldefenserepresentationduringFiscalYear2011pursuantto22O.S.2001,§1355.8.TheBoardinvitesOffersfromattorneysinterestedinprovidingsuchlegalservicestoindigentpersonsduringFiscalYear2011(July1,2010throughJune30,2011)inthefollowingcounties:100% of the Oklahoma Indigent Defense system caseloads in Craig, Delaware, logan, mayes, nowata and rogers Counties, Oklahoma.

Offer-to-ContractpacketswillcontaintheformsandinstructionsforsubmittingOffersforthe Board’s consideration. Contracts awarded will cover the defense representation in theOIdSnon-capitalfelony,juvenile,misdemeanor,traffic,youthfuloffenderandwildlifecasesintheabovecountiesduringFY-2011(July1,2010throughJune30,2011).Offersmaybesub-mittedforpartialorcompletecoverageoftheopencaseloadinanyoneormoreoftheabovecounties.SealedOfferswillbeacceptedattheOIdSofficesMondaythroughFriday,between8:00a.m.and5:00p.m.the deadline for submitting sealed Offers is 5:00 Pm, thursday, march 11, 2010.

EachOffermustbe submittedseparately ina sealedenvelopeorboxcontainingone (1)completeoriginalOfferand two (2) completecopies.Thesealedenvelopeorboxmustbeclearlymarkedasfollows:

FY-2011OFFERTOCONTRACT TIMERECEIVEd:________________COUNTY/COUNTIES dATERECEIVEd:

TheOfferorshallclearlyindicatethecountyorcountiescoveredbythesealedOffer;how-ever, the Offeror shall leave the areas for noting the time and date received blank. SealedOffers may be delivered by hand, by mail or by courier. Offers sent via facsimile or inunmarkedorunsealedenvelopeswillberejected.SealedOffersmaybeplacedinaprotectivecoverenvelope(orbox)and,ifmailed,addressedtoOIdS,FY-2011OFFERTOCONTRACT,Box926,Norman,OK73070-0926.SealedOffersdeliveredbyhandorcouriermaylikewisebeplacedinaprotectivecoverenvelope(orbox)anddeliveredduringtheabove-statedhourstoOIdS,at1070Griffindrive,Norman,OK73071.Please note that the Griffin Drive address is nOt a mailing address; it is a parcel delivery address only.Protectivecoverenvelopes(orboxes)arerecommendedforsealedOffersthataremailedtoavoiddamagetothesealedOfferenvelope.all OFFers, InCluDInG tHOse sent BY maIl, must Be PHYsI-CallY reCeIVeD BY OIDs nO later tHan 5:00 Pm, tHursDaY, marCH 11, 2010 tO Be COnsIDereD tImelY suBmItteD.

SealedOfferswillbeopenedattheOIdSNormanOfficesonFriday,March12,2010,begin-ningat9:00AM,andreviewedbytheExecutivedirectororhisdesigneeforconformitywiththeinstructionsandstatutoryqualificationssetforthinthisnotice.Non-conformingOfferswillberejectedonFriday,March12,2010,withnotificationforwardedtotheOfferor.EachrejectedOffershallbemaintainedbyOIdSwithacopyoftherejectionstatement.

CopiesofqualifiedOfferswillbepresentedfortheBoard’sconsiderationatitsmeetingonFriday, march 26, 2010,atGriffinMemorialHospital,PatientActivityCenter(Building40),900EastMain,Norman,Oklahoma73071.


nOtICe OF InVItatIOn tO suBmIt OFFers tO COntraCt

witheachOffer,theattorneymustincludearésuméandaffirmunderoathhisorhercom-pliancewiththefollowingstatutoryqualifications:presentlyamemberingoodstandingoftheOklahomaBarAssociation;theexistenceof,oreligibilityfor,professionalliabilityinsur-anceduringthetermofthecontract;andaffirmationoftheaccuracyoftheinformationpro-videdregardingotherfactorstobeconsideredbytheBoard.Thesefactors,asaddressedinthe provided forms, will include an agreement to maintain or obtain professional liabilityinsurancecoverage;levelofpriorrepresentationexperience,includingexperienceincriminalandjuveniledelinquencyproceedings;locationofoffices;staffsize;numberofindependentandaffiliatedattorneysinvolvedintheOffer;professionalaffiliations;familiaritywithsub-stantiveandprocedural law;willingness topursue continuing legal education focusedoncriminal defense representation, including any training required by OIdS or state statute;willingnesstoplacesuchrestrictionsonone’slawpracticeoutsidethecontractasarereason-ableandnecessarytoperformtherequiredcontractservices,andotherrelevantinformationprovidedbyattorneyintheOffer.TheBoardmayacceptorrejectanyorallOfferssubmitted,makecounter-offers,and/orprovideforrepresentationinanymannerpermittedbytheIndi-gentdefenseActtomeettheState’sobligationtoindigentcriminaldefendantsentitledtotheappointmentofcompetentcounsel.

FY-2011 Offer-to-Contract packets may be requested by facsimile, by mail, or in person,usingtheformbelow.Offer-to-ContractpacketswillincludeacopyofthisNotice,requiredforms, a checklist, sample contract, and OIdS appointment statistics for FY-2005, FY-2006,FY-2007,FY-2008andFY-2010togetherwitha5-yearcontracthistoryforeachcountylistedabove.The request formbelowmaybemailed toOIdSOFFER-TO-CONTRACTPACKETREQUEST, Box 926, Norman, OK 73070-0926, or hand delivered to OIdS at 1070 Griffindrive,Norman,OK73071orsubmittedbyfacsimiletoOIdSat(405)801-2661.

************

reQuest FOr OIDs FY-2011 OFFer-tO-COntraCt PaCKet

Name:__________________________________________________________ OBA#:_____________________________

StreetAddress:__________________________________________________ Phone:_____________________________

City,State,Zip:__________________________________________________ Fax: _______________________________

County/CountiesofInterest:__________________________________________________________________________

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This article only touches on certain issuesinvolvedingamingregulationandisnotmeantto be all-inclusive. The main purpose of thisarticleistoprovidethelegalpractitionerwithageneralbackgroundoffederalIndianlawprin-ciplesthatapplyintheareaoftribalgaming,aswell as to provide some practical advice andinformationregardingthehearingsandappealsprocessbeforeatribalgamingregulatorybody.

leGal autHOrItY

In1988,CongressenactedtheIGRAasacom-prehensiveschemeforregulatinggamingactivi-tiesonIndianlands.TheIGRAwastheproductofseveralyearsofdiscussionsandnegotiationsbetween Indian tribes, the states, the gamingindustry,theadministrationandCongress,inanattempt to formulate a system for regulatinggaming on tribal lands. One of the principalgoalsfortheenactmentofIGRAwastoprovide

Practicing before a Tribal Gaming Regulatory body

Tips and Suggestions for the Legal Practitioner in Oklahoma

By Robin C. Lash and O. Joseph Williams

IndianLAW

InNovember2004,theState-TribalGamingAct1wasapprovedbyreferendumvoteandestablishedthewayforIndiantribesinOklahoma toenter intoamodel tribal-stategamingcom-

pactwiththestateofOklahomafortheplayofcertainClassIIIgames,asdefinedbytheIndianGamingRegulatoryAct(IGRA).2Since then, tribal gaming in Oklahoma has flourished and hasbeenaboontothelocaleconomiesinwhichcasinosandresortsare situated and has made Oklahoma a travel destination forpeople seeking gaming entertainment. despite the seeminglyeasydevelopmentoftribalcasinogamblinginOklahoma,how-ever,manypeoplearenotawarethatIndiangamingisaheavilyregulated industry and must comply with various federal andtriballawsandregulations.Althoughtribalgamingisprimarilyamatteroffederallaw,thetribeshavetheresponsibilityofbeingtheprimaryregulatorsofgamingwithintheirjurisdiction.


a statutory basis for operation of gaming byIndian tribes as a means of promoting tribaleconomic development, self-sufficiency andstrongtribalgovernments.

The IGRA divides Indian gaming activitiesintothreeclasses.First,ClassIgamingconsistsofsocialgamesforprizesofminimalvalueortraditional forms of Indian gaming.3 Class Igames are not subject to the IGRA and arewithintheexclusive jurisdictionofthetribes.4Second,ClassIIgamingconsistsofbingo,pull-tabs, lotto, other games similar to bingo andcertain non-banking card games.5 Class IIgamesarewithinthejurisdictionofthetribes,yet are subject to the IGRA and some federaloversightbytheNationalIndianGamingCom-mission (NIGC).6 Class III gaming consists ofall forms of gaming that are not includedwithinClass IorClass IIand includes,but isnotlimitedto,bankingcardgames,traditionalcasino games such as roulette and craps, slotmachines,pari-mutuelwageringonhorseanddogracesandjaialai,andlotteries.7

UndertheIGRA,anIndiantribewillbeableto conduct Class III gaming on tribal lands ifsuchactivitiesare:

(A)authorizedbyanordinanceor resolu-tionthat—

(i)isadoptedbythegoverningbodyofthe Indian tribe having jurisdictionoversuchlands

(ii)meetstherequirementsofsubsection(b),and

(iii)isapprovedbythechairman,(B)located in a state that permits such

gamingforanypurposebyanyperson,organization,orentity,and

(C)conductedinconformancewithatrib-al-state compact entered into by theIndiantribeandthestate....8

Tribeshavealwayshadthesovereignrighttoconduct economic development activities,including gaming, on land within their juris-diction. However, the IGRA is the statutorybasisinfederallawprovidingfortheauthori-zationofcertaintribalgamingonIndianlandswithout regard to any limitations under statelaw.TheNIGCisthefederalregulatoryagencyestablishedbytheIGRAresponsibleforenforc-ingfederalregulationslocatedinTitle25oftheCodeofFederalRegulations;however,itisthetribalregulatoryagenciesthatserveasthefirstline of defense in gaming regulation at thetriballevel.

Pursuant to the IGRA, tribal governmentsare designated as the primary regulators forClass I and Class II gaming on Indian lands,andtribesshallregulateconcurrentlywiththestateallClassIIIgamingonIndianlands.9Eachtribalgovernmentinturnplacestheimportantand essential responsibility for the regulationof gaming in the hands of its Tribal GamingAgency (TGA) or gaming commission. Theestablishment of each tribal gaming commis-sion and the delegation of power to regulategamingactivitieswithinthejurisdictionofthetribe, along with other regulatory powersentrusted to the gaming commissions, is out-linedineachtribe’sgamingordinancesubmit-tedbythetribeforapprovaltothechairmanoftheNIGC.

Eachgamingordinanceestablishesthetribe’sTGA or gaming commission and outlines thenumber of gaming commissioners for eachcommission, commissioner titles and duties,commission meeting requirements, licensingprocedures,parameters forpreliminarydeter-mination,hearings,finaldeterminations,sanc-tions and reports. In addition to listing com-prehensive gaming license requirements foremployees and vendors, the ordinance alsolists guidelines for tribal-state compacts andmanagement contracts. The ordinance is acriticalcomponentofthetribalgamingregula-toryregime.

GamInG reGulatIOn

Currently, there are 38 federally-recognizedIndian tribes in Oklahoma. Three Oklahomatribeshavenogamingatallwhiletheremain-ingOklahomatribesmayhaveoneorseveralgaminglocationsonIndianland10withintheirjurisdiction. Because tribal gaming on Indianland involves significant federal and triballegal restrictions, the regulatory side of tribalgaming is usually (and should be) separatefrom the management and operating side.IGRA does not require that an Indian tribeestablish a separate regulatory body to regu-late tribal gaming; however, many tribes inOklahoma have already established withintheir tribal laws a tribal gaming regulatoryagencyorauthority that servesas the regula-tory arm for the tribe’s gaming operations.These agencies or authorities are often desig-nated as the tribe’s gaming commission or, ifthe regulatory authority rests with a singleindividual,thegamingcommissioner.Thepur-poseofthetribe’sregulatoryagencyistoregu-late,monitorandenforcethelawsforgaming


activityforthetribeinordertoensurecompli-ancewithtribalgaminglawsandtheIGRA.

The duties of each gaming commission areestablishedineachtribe’sordinanceandmayinclude the duty to promulgate regulationsnecessary to administer the provisions of thegaming ordinance. Other examples of a gam-ingcommission’sdutiesare:

•processingalllicenseapplicationsandissu-inglicenses;

•determininglicensingfees;

•supervisingthecollectionoffeesandtaxesandauditingallreturns;

•reviewing all records, documents andfinancial accountabilities of licensees orenforcementofanyprovisionsofthegam-ingordinance;

•reviewingforapprovalordenialanyappli-cation or licensee, and to limit conditionstosuspendorrestrictanylicense;

•proposingfinesandpenalties;

•monitoringandplanningfortheprotectionofpublicsafetyandthephysicalsecurityofpatrons;

•reviewingandapprovingfloorplansandsur-veillancesystemsforeachgamingfacility;

•maintaining a list of patrons barred fromthegamingfacility;

•approvingtherulesofeachgame;

•commencingcivilorcriminalactionneces-sarytoenforcetheprovisionsofthegam-ingordinance;

•retaining legal counsel or other profes-sionalservices,includinginvestigativeser-vices,toassistthecommissionwithrespectto any of the issues over which the com-missionexercisesjurisdiction,and;

•preparingandsubmittinganannualoper-atingbudget.

Practicing Before a Tribal Gaming Commission

For some tribes, the tribal gaming commis-sionisthedesignatedtribalentityformakingdeterminations regarding tort or prize claimsmadebycasinopatrons.Anothercriticalroleofthe gaming commission is to issue rulings ordeterminations about the ability for an indi-vidual or entity to conduct gaming-related

business with the tribe’s gaming operation.Suchdecisionsmaybeintheformofapprov-ing, denying or withdrawing approval forgaminglicensesorsuchdecisionsmayinvolvethe investigation and enforcement against alicensed individual or entity for violations ofthegaminglaws.

Aswithanythingelse, the firststepapartyshould take is to determine the applicablerules.Appearing before a tribal gaming com-mission is usually considered an administra-tive process, and most gaming commissionshave their own procedural rules that governthe hearings and appeals process. A partyshouldalsodetermineifthetribehasageneraladministrative procedure code of laws thatmay supplement any specific rules promul-gatedbythegamingcommission.

Sometribesmaydesignatetheirgeneraladmin-istrative procedure code as the supplementingrules for any tort or prize claim procedure. Apartyshouldalsomakesuretheauthoritybeingexercised by the gaming commission is withinthescopeofauthorityoutlinedundertriballaw.Since the gaming commission is establishedunder tribal law, any attempt by the gamingcommission to take enforcement action outsidethedelegatedscopeofauthoritymaybesubjecttolegalchallengeinatribalcourt.Anotherbasisfor a possible legal challenge would be if thegaming commission takes action in a mannerthatisnotinaccordancewithaparty’sduepro-cessrightsasestablishedintriballaw.

Apartyshouldnotassumethatsubstantiveandprocedural rulesapplicable forone tribalgaming commission will be the same for thetribal gaming commission of another tribe.while most procedural rules will likely besimilar,thespecificdeadlinesandscopeofthe

In some instances, a party may have their initial hearing before a designated representative of the

gaming commission instead of the full panel of commissioners.


hearingandappealsmaydifferslightlyenoughthattheparty may be time barred for asserting certain claimsthatcouldotherwisebebrought.

The Hearing Process and Judicial Review

Insomeinstances,apartymayhavetheirinitialhear-ing before a designated representative of the gamingcommission insteadof the fullpanelofcommissioners.Inmostcases,thedesignatedrepresentativeisreferredtoastheexecutivedirector(orsomeothersimilar title)ofthegamingcommission.Apartywhoisaggrievedbyafinaldecisionoftheexecutivedirectormayseekahear-ing before the gaming commission for review of thatinitialdecision.Theparty shouldbeprepared topayafilingfee, tosubmittheproperreviewrequest(petitionfor review or appeal), and to submit all these require-ments to the proper party and within the timeframespecifiedundertriballaw.Thepartymayberequiredtoprovideintheirpetitionforrevieworappealthereason(s)fortheappealandthespecificreliefrequested.Mostoftheadministrativereviewproceedingscanbeconductedinformally;however,apartyshouldnottakethematterlightly and assume that the gaming commission willexcusealldeficiencieswiththeappealapplication.

dependingonthecomplexityoftheissues,theremaybeaneedtodevelopandsubmitforreviewanadminis-trativerecordconsistingofvariousformsofdocumenta-tion and evidentiary materials necessary for a properunderstanding of the issues. Also, the administrativerulesmayprovideforsomeformofdiscoverytobecon-ductedforanysignificantfactualissuesthatneedtobedeterminedandconsideredbythegamingcommission.

Mosthearingsintheappealsprocessareconductedinamanner less formal thancourtproceedings;however,the rulesapplicable to thehearingwill likelyallow forwitnessestobecalledtotestifyandforotherevidentiarymaterial to be submitted necessary for the party to beabletopresentfullyhisorhercasetothegamingcom-mission. If theprocedural rulesdonotprovidespecificrulesofevidence(orincorporatethefederalorstaterulesofevidence)thenadherencetogeneralrulesofevidencewilllikelyapply.Mostoftenthepartywillbegivenwidelatitudeinpresentinghisorhercasetothegamingcom-missioninordertomakesurethedueprocessrightsofthepartyarefullytakenintoconsideration.

Theoptionofhavingthedecisionofthegamingcom-missionreviewedbythetribalcourtorotheradjudica-tory authority will depend on the laws of the tribe.Sometribalgamingordinanceswillprovideforjudicialreview of a gaming commission decision while othertribalgamingordinancesmayprovideforthedecisionofthegamingcommissiontobefinalwithnoavenueofjudicialreview.Therulesofprocedurethatgovernthemethodandtimeframeforseekingjudicialreviewwillbebasedon tribal law.Theaggrievedpartymayalso

The following isacurrent listofaddresses for tribal gaming com-missions (also, OTGRA members)inOklahoma:

AbsenteeShawneeTribe15700E.Hwy9Norman,OK73026(405)360-9270

CherokeeNationP.O.Box627Tahlequah,OK74465(918)453-5769

Cheyenne&ArapahoTribesP.O.Box149Concho,OK73022(405)422-7752

ChickasawNationPMB228Ada,OK74820(580)310-0570

ChoctawNation3811ChoctawRd.durant,OK74701(580)924-8112

CitizenPotawatomiNation1601S.GordonCooperdriveShawnee,OK74801(405)878-4838

ComancheNation1915E.GoreBlvd.Lawton,OK73501(580)595-3300

delawareNationP.O.Box806Anadarko,OK73005(405)247-2292

EasternShawneeTribeP.O.Box350Seneca,MO64865(918)666-2435

Ft.SillApacheTribeP.O.Box1377Lawton,OK73501(580)919-5062

IowaTribeRR1Box721Perkins,OK74059(405)547-2402


havetorefertothetribalcodeforgeneralrulesofcivilpro-cedure that may govern the judicial review proceedingsaftertheadministrativeremediesarefullyexhausted.Thesegeneralrulesofcivilproceduremayprovidesupplementalinformation that is necessary for the party to fully takeadvantageofhisorherrightsofjudicialreview.

The hearing and appeals process is an administrativereviewprocessthatmustbefullyexhaustedbeforeapartymayseekanyapplicablejudicialreviewinthetribalcourt.For tort and prize claimsthatariseunderPart6ofaTribal-StateGamingCom-pact,11 some tribes havepromulgatedspecificrulesof administrative proce-dure that must be com-pleted before a claimanthas the right to take themattertocourt.Claimantsandtheattorneyswhorep-resent tort or prize claim-ants should be aware ofthe time limitations thatapply under the gamingcompactforsuchclaimstobe asserted. An attorneywho attempts to first fileanactionincourtforhisorher client without fullyexhausting administrativeremedies may find thelawsuitdismissedfor lackof jurisdiction and, whiletheactionwaspendingincourt,thatcertainadministrativedeadlineshavepassed,alltothedetrimentoftheclient.

Oklahoma Tribal Gaming Regulators Association

Indiangamingisabillion-dollarindustryingrossgamingrevenuesacrossthecountryandservestoprovideeconomicstimulus and independence for Indian governments andIndianpeople.Theroleofthetribalgamingregulatoristhatofawatchdogwithtwoprimarygoals:toprotecttheassetsof the tribes and to protect the integrity of gaming. Itbecomesclearthattribeswillspendsignificantamountsofmoneytofundtheregulationofthegamingindustry.

withsomuchatstake,itisimperativethatgamingregu-latorskeepupwitheveryissueandanyproposedchangesinthelawandintheindustrywhichmayimpactgaming.Itisimperativethatgamingregulatorybodiesmaintainontheir staff the most qualified personnel for the importantcompliance, audit, licensing and, in some cases, surveil-lance positions which are overseen by gaming commis-sions.Trainingforregulatorystaffisaccomplishedthoughin-house training or sending commission personnel to

KawNationP.O.Box141Newkirk,OK74647(580)362-2797

KickapooTribe25230E.Hwy62Harrah,OK73045(405)964-7322

KiowaTribe2439PonderosadriveChickasha,OK73018(405)222-0072

MiamiTribe202S.8TribesTrailMiami,OK74354(918)541-1357

ModocTribe418G.StreetSEMiami,OK74354(918)542-1190

Muscogee(Creek)NationP.O.Box580Okmulgee,OK74447(918)299-0870

OsageNation612LeahyPawhuska,OK74056(918)287-5399

Otoe-Missouria1916LakeRoadPoncaCity,OK74604(580)762-4442

OttawaTribeP.O.Box1185Miami,OK74354(918)541-9463

PawneeNationP.O.Box514Pawnee,OK74058(918)762-3624

PeoriaTribe8508S.Hwy69AMiami,OK74354(918)542-7140

QuapawTribeP.O.Box405Quapaw,OK74363(918)919-6031


professionaltrainingseminarsheldthroughoutthecountry.Asaresultoftheneedforqualitytrainingandestablishingvaluablenetworkingopportunities,professionalregulatoryorganizationshavebeenformedtomeettheneedsofgam-ingregulators–bothatthenationalandstatelevel.

Intheearly1990s, theNationalTribalGamingCommis-sioners/Regulators(NTGC/R)wasformedasanon-profitorganization with the goals to promote cooperative rela-tionshipsamongthecommissioners/regulator,topromoteexchangeof thoughts, informationand ideaswhich fosterregulatorystandardsandenforcement that lead toconsis-tentregulatorypractices,andtopromoteeducationalsemi-nars for commissioner/regulator training. Today theNTGC/Riscomprisedof64membertribesacrossthecoun-try, and non-tribal affiliate membership is available forgamingrelatedbusinesses.

Indecember2005,theOklahomaTribalGamingRegula-torsAssociation (OTGRA) was formed in response to thedesireofOklahomagamingregulatorstocreateacohesiveorganizationforthebenefitofIndiangaminginOklahoma.TheOTGRAwasformallyestablishedasanon-profitorga-nization under the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma Non-ProfitAct.ThepurposeandgoalsoftheOTGRAareasfollows:

•topromoteandencouragethehigheststandardsofeth-icsfortribalgamingregulationinOklahoma;

•to facilitate communication among Oklahoma tribalgamingregulatorsthroughnetworkingopportunities;

•to provide affordable training in Oklahoma for Okla-homatribalregulatorsandcasinomanagement;

•tocreateawiderrecognitionoftheimportanceofregu-lation in tribalgamingas itpertains tomeetingtribal,state and federal regulation requirements specificallyfortheprotectionoftheOklahomatribalgamingindus-tryandtopromoteandperpetuatetheintegrityofOkla-homatribalgaming,and;

•toconductandpromoteotheractivitiesthatenhancethegrowth and success of tribal gaming regulation for theeconomicbenefitoftribalgovernmentsinOklahoma.

The OTGRA is comprised of 30 member tribes, sevenassociatenon-tribalmembersintheformofgaming-relatedbusinesses, and three individual associate members. TheOTGRAholdsbi-monthlymeetingsacrossthestateappris-ingmembershipofimportantinformationonissuesrelatedto gaming. The OTGRA is the second largest regulatoryorganizationbehindtheNTGC/R,andthegrowthandsuc-cessoftheOTGRAisaprimeexampleofthehardworkanddedicationOklahomaregulatorscommittotheindustryofgaming in Oklahoma. For additional information aboutOTGRAandregulatorynews,legislativeupdates,meetinginformation, training information and links to other gam-ing-relatedsites,pleasevisittheofficialOTGRAwebsiteatwww.otgra.com.

SacandFoxTribeP.O.Box1086Shawnee,OK74802(405)273-1588

SeminoleNationP.O.Box631Seminole,OK74818(405)382-0046

Seneca-CayugaTribeP.O.Box451117Grove,OK74344(918)787-9703

ThlopthloccoTribeP.O.Box70Okemah,OK74859(918)560-6199

TonkawaTribeP.O.Box467Tonkawa,OK74653(580)628-2066

UnitedKeetoowahTribeP.O.Box746Tahlequah,OK74464(918)207-7551

wyandotteTribe64700E.Hwy60wyandotte,OK74370(918)678-2107

COnClusIOn

Apartywhoisfacingahearingorappeal before a tribal gaming com-mission should contact the appro-priate gaming commission for anyinformation regarding proceduralrules and regulations applicable tothehearingsandappealprocess.

Appearingbeforea tribalgam-ing regulatory body is not muchdifferent thanappearingbeforeanon-tribal administrative body.However, a party must under-stand and appreciate that not allIndiantribesfollowthesamerulesand regulations. Each tribe andeach tribal gaming commissionwill have their own rules andregulations that govern the pro-cess. Hopefully, the information


providedinthisarticlewillassistthepractitio-nerwithsomebasicconsiderationswhenprac-ticingbeforeaparticulartribalgamingregula-torybodyonbehalfofhisorherclient.

1.3AO.S.§261,et seq.2.25U.S.C.§2701-§2721.3.25U.S.C.§2703(6).4.Id.§2710(a)(1).5.Id.§2703(7).6. Id. §2710(a)(2). The NIGC is an agency of the federal govern-

ment,createdpursuanttoandundertheIGRA.7.Id.§2703(8).8.Id.§2710(d)(1).9.Id.§2710(d)(5).10. Under the IGRA, tribal gaming may only be conducted on

“Indianland,”whichisdefinedas:(A)all lands within the limits of any Indian reservation;

and(B)any lands title to which is either held in trust by the

UnitedStatesforthebenefitofanyIndiantribeorindi-vidualorheldbyanyIndiantribeorindividualsubjecttorestriction by the United States against alienation andover which an Indian tribe exercises governmentalpower.

25U.S.C.§2703(4).11.TheprovisionsofthemodelTribal-StateGamingCompactcan

befoundat3AO.S.§281.TribalgamingcompactscanbefoundattheNIGC’swebsiteatwww.nigc.gov.ThetortandprizeclaimprovisionsareinPart6ofthecompact.

12. Most hearing and appeals procedural rules allow a party toobtain legal counsel to represent the party during the process. Anattorneyconsideringrepresentingapartybeforeatribalgamingcom-missionandduringanyjudicialreviewprocessshouldfirstdetermineifthatattorneyisrequiredbytriballawtofirstbeadmittedtopracticebefore the tribal court and subject to all regulatory authority of thetribe, includinganyattorney’sfees limitationsthatmayapplyundertriballaw.

Robin C. Lash graduated from the OU College of Law in 2003 with a certificate of spe-cialization in Indian law. She joined the Miami Nation legal staff in 2004 and holds the posi-tion of lead in-house counsel for the Miami Nation, its 38 federal programs and its many

businesses. She was appointed to the Miami Nation Gaming Commission in 2004 and is the hands-on commissioner overseeing the implementation of rules and regulations for the tribe’s casino.

O. Joseph Williams is a mem-ber of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians from Choctaw, Miss. He is managing attorney and member with the law firm of Pitchlynn & Williams PLLC, headquartered in Norman. He practices in general litigation, business law, employment law, gaming, tribal taxation, Indian

child welfare, tribal economic development and tribal code development. He serves on the board for Okla-homa Indian Legal Services and is the immediate past chairperson for the OBA Indian Law Section.

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In 1963, the Supreme Court issued a decisionthat refutes any assumption that the state ofOklahoma automatically acquired ownershipand control over all water resources in Okla-homa. In that decision, Arizona v. California, thecourt applied the winters doctrine to Indianreservations established by executive order inArizona Territory and in California, notwith-standing theabsenceofanyexpress reservationof the water in the executive order. The courtfound that enough water from the ColoradoRiverwasreservedtoirrigateallofthepractica-bly irrigable acreage on the reservations, forfuture,aswellaspresent,needs.2Inreachingthisconclusion,thecourtexpresslyrejectedArizona’scontention of the applicability of “the doctrine

that lands underlying navigable waters withinterritoryacquiredbytheGovernmentareheldintrustforfutureStatesandthattitletosuchlandsisautomaticallyvestedintheStatesuponadmis-siontotheUnion.”3ThecourtfoundthatIndianwater rights vested at the time the reservationswerecreatedandwere“presentperfectedrights”entitledtoapriority.4

Oklahoma currently implements a dualsystemofriparianrights(whichestablishland-owners’waterrightstosurfacewatersflowingthroughorabuttingtheirlandsandtounderly-ing groundwater) and appropriative rights(which, when water resources are scarce,affordsaprioritytoclaimantsofwateraccord-ingtothosemakingsuchclaimsfirstintime).5

Tribal Water Rights: The Necessity of Government-to-

Government CooperationBy L. Susan Work

IndianLAW

tHe WInters DOCtrIne

ThenumerousfederallyrecognizedIndiantribeslocatedwith-inOklahomapossesssubstantialsovereignandproprietaryinterestsinwaterinmostmajorwatershedsthroughoutthe

state.Tribalwaterrightshavebeenrecognizedbythefederalgov-ernmentformorethanacentury.TheIndianreservedwaterrightsdoctrine,alsoknownasthe“wintersdoctrine,”wasestablishedbytheSupremeCourtinits1908decisioninWinters v. United States.1Underthisdoctrine,therighttouseasufficientquantityofwaterto fulfill thepurposesof thereservation is implicitly reserved tothe tribewhen theUnitedStates setsaside land from thepublicdomainforthetribe’suseandbenefit.


However, theapplicationof thewintersdoc-trineisnotrestrictedbytheprinciplesinvolv-ing appropriative water rights and riparianwater rights. Unlike appropriation rights,Indianreservedwaterrightsarenotbasedonbeneficial actual use, and cannot be lost bynon-use.6 Additionally, the priority date forIndianreservedwaterrights,evensuchrightsnot in use, is the date of the reservation ofwater rights.7 Thus, Indian reserved waterrightswillbe,inmanyifnotmostcases,seniorto later non-Indian water rights, if any, thatmay have been established under the appro-priationsdoctrine.Inotherwords,tribalwaterrights in Oklahoma, which were establishedbefore statehood in 1907, include, at a mini-mum,theamountofwaternecessaryforpres-ent and future needs, regardless of any pasttribalnon-useornon-Indianuse.Theserightswillhaveaprioritydateseniortoall(ornearlyall)otherclaimants.

trIBal Water rIGHts In OKlaHOma

The winters doctrine, which was originallydeveloped with regard to reservation landsheldintrustbytheUnitedStatesonbehalfoftribesinthewest,establishesthebasicprinci-ples governing tribal water rights in Okla-homa. Tribal water claims under the wintersdoctrine are strengthened and in some casesmay be expanded by the unique histories ofcertain tribes in Oklahoma, such as the so-called“FiveCivilizedTribes”(Cherokee,Choc-taw, Chickasaw, Muscogee (Creek) and Semi-nole Nations) – now more popularly referredtoasthe“FiveTribes.”

Inthe1830s,theUnitedStatesdeededmostlandsintheformerIndianTerritoryinfeetitletotheFiveTribesinanareacalled“IndianTer-ritory,” even though there was no organizedterritory or territorial government there. Thetreaties guaranteed the Five Tribes a perma-nent home “forever” that would never beplacedunderjurisdictionofastateorterritory,and that would be subject to the Five Tribe’srighttoselfgovernance.8Intheir1866treatiesfollowingtheCivilwar,theFiveTribescededthe western portion of their lands in IndianTerritory,muchofwhichwassetasidebytheUnitedStatesfortribesnowoccupyingwhatisnow western and north central Oklahoma.Thesetreatiesdidnotwithdrawpriortreaties’protectionsoftribalself-governmentandprom-isesthatnostateorterritorywouldbeformed.They expressly reaffirmed prior treaties notinconsistent with them, and stated that they

werenot tobe construedasa relinquishmentby the Five Tribes of any claims or demandsundertheguaranteesofformertreaties.Thus,aftertheCivilwar,theFiveTribescontinuedtoown fee title to lands in what is now easternOklahomainanareastillcalled“IndianTerri-tory,”butwhichneverbecamesubjecttoanon-Indianorganizedterritorialgovernment.

when the Five Tribes were again forced togive up their fee ownership of their reduceddomains in the early 1900s before statehood,theydidnotdeedthelandsbacktotheUnitedStatesor to thestateofOklahoma,andthoselandsdidnotbecomepartofthepublicdomain.Instead,triballandswereconveyeddirectlytoindividualIndianallottees.ThereisnothinginFive Tribes allotment legislation, much ofwhichapplieduniformlytotheFiveTribesasa group, demonstrating any intent that thefuture state of Oklahoma would somehowautomatically acquire the Five Tribes waterrights. In fact, in 1960 the United StatesSupreme Court recognized that there was noautomatic state acquisition of tribal waterrightsinU.S. v. Grand River Dam Authority.Inmakingthatdecision,thecourtconsideredtheonly provision that addressed Five Tribes’waterintheFiveTribes’allotmentlegislation:a provision in a 1906 federal law concerninguse of water by light and power companies.The court found that this provision did notconveywater rights to lightandpowercom-panies or to the state of Oklahoma, and thattheGrandRiverdamAuthority,astateagen-cy, had no vested interest in the flow of thewatersoftheGrandRiver.9

In1970,theSupremeCourtruledinChoctaw Nation v. Oklahoma,thattheChoctaw,Chicka-sawandCherokeeNationsobtained,throughtheir removal treaties, all of the right to theArkansasriverbedwithintheirrespectivelim-its,subject to theU.S.’navigationaleasementonnavigablewaters.10ThecourtfoundthatitwassignificantthatCongressdeededlandstothe three tribes in fee patent, rather thanreserving land in thepublicdomain for theirbeneficialuse,andnotedtherewasnoexpressexclusionofthebedsoftheArkansasRiverbythe U.S. in the deeds. The court also empha-sizedthattreatiesgrantedthethreetribes“vir-tually complete sovereignty over their newlands,” and found it particularly significantthat the treaties guaranteed the Five Tribes’newlandswouldneverbecomepartofaterri-toryorstate,noting:


Inlightofthispromise,itisonlybythepur-estoflegalfictionsthattherecanbefoundevenasemblanceofanunderstanding (onwhichOklahomanecessarilyplacesprinci-pal reliance), that the U.S. retained title inordertograntittosomefutureState.11

In his concurring opinion Justice douglasadded:“SoitisreasonabletoinferthattheU.S.did not have a plan to hold this river bed intrustforafuturestate.”Thissamereasoninginthe riverbed cases applies to the Five Tribes’waterrights.Congressintendedtoconveytheright and power to use and regulate all, andnot merely a portion, of the water resourceswithintheboundariesoftheirrespectiveterri-toriallimits.TherecouldnothavebeenaCon-gressional plan to hold water in trust for afuturestate,inlightofthetreatypromisethatthere would never be a state. The establish-mentofOklahomadidnotalterthis.Therewasnothing in the admission of Oklahoma thatrequired or permitted a divesting of the FiveTribes’ ownership of water resources. To thecontrary, the Oklahoma Constitution containsa state disclaimer consistent with a require-mentintheOklahomaEnablingActthatnoth-ing contained in the state constitution was tobe construed to limit or impair the rights ofpersonorpropertypertainingtotheIndians.12

In 1976 in New Mexico v. Aamodt, the 10thCircuit considered similar provisions in theNewMexicoEnablingAct,andfoundthattheUnited States did not relinquish jurisdictionand control over the Pueblos (who, like theFiveTribes,alsohistoricallyownedtheirlandsinfee),anddidnotplacecontroloftheirwatersor their water rights under New Mexico law.The 10th Circuit implicitly recognized thatPuebloshadgreaterrightsthanreservedwaterrights,notingthatPueblofeetitlewaslogicallyinconsistent with reserved water rights con-cepts.13 The Aamodt case lead to a tribal/statesettlementagreementinvolvingwaterrightsofsomeofthePueblosandongoingnegotiationsconcerningtherightsofothers.

Asrecentlyas2002,Congresshasexpressedthe intent to protect the Five Tribes’ waterrights. In the Choctaw Nation, ChickasawNation and Cherokee Nation Claims Settle-ment Act, which included appropriations formonetarydamagesfortheallegeduseandmis-managementof tribal resources in theArkan-sas Riverbed, the tribes “reserved any and all right, title, or interest that each Nation may have in and to the water flowing in the Arkansas River and

tributaries.”Theactfurtherexpresslyprotectedtribal rights by stating that act was not to beconstrued to extinguish or convey any waterrights of the Indian Nations in the ArkansasRiverorinanyotherstream.Evenmorerecent-ly, in State v. Tyson, the district Court for theNortherndistrictofOklahomadismissedcer-tain damages claims against poultry compa-nies for water pollution, finding that that theCherokee Nation, which could not be suedbecauseofitssovereignimmunity,wasanec-essarypartyto thoseclaimsbecause ithasan“arguable, non-frivolous claim it owns muchofthesurpluswaterwithinitshistoricbound-aries.”14 The Cherokee Nation subsequentlyattempted to intervene as a plaintiff-interve-nor,seekingtorestoredamagesclaimsagainstthepoultrycompanies.

tHe neCessItY OF trIBal-FeDeral-state COOPeratIOn In PrOteCtIOn OF Water resOurCes In OKlaHOma

Apparentlyacknowledgingthelegalvalidityof tribalwaterclaims, the1995Updateof theOklahoma Comprehensive water Plan issuedby the Planning division of the Oklahomawater Resources Board (OwRB) stated that“recognitionoftribalsovereigntywillbeakeyelementinaddressingfutureNativeAmericanwaterrightsclaims.”15TheplanrecommendedthattheOklahomawaterLawAdvisoryCom-mittee and selected tribal representativesshouldexploreIndianwaterrightsandqualityissues in Oklahoma, including the potentialformation of a permanent committee consist-ingoflocal,state,federalandIndianrepresen-tatives to address appropriate water rightsissues;thedevelopmentofamutuallyaccept-able negotiation system to fairly resolve cur-rentandfuturewaterrightsissues;andidenti-ficationofwater resourceprojectswarrantingcooperativeaction.16

The state has implicitly recognized tribalwater rights in several interstate water com-pactsapprovedbystateandfederallegislationinthe’60sand’70s,byincludingcompactpro-visionsthatnothinginsuchcompactsshallbedeemedto“impairoraffectthepowers,rightsor obligations of the United States, or thoseclaiming under its authority, in, over and to”theaffectedwaters,17andthatnothinginsuchcompactsshallbeconstruedas“[a]ffectingtheobligations of the United States to the IndianTribes.”18Morerecently,theOklahomaLegisla-ture included similar language in its 2009amendment of 82 O.S. 2001, §105.12, which


primarily concerns permits for out-of statewatersales.19

Itisbecomingincreasinglyimportantforthestate of Oklahoma to not only acknowledgetribal water rights, but also to actively workwith tribes to protect this critical naturalresource. In2007, thestateofOklahomainiti-atedafour-yearprocessfordevelopmentofa2011updateofitsComprehensivewaterPlan,whichprofesses tobea“long-rangeplanningdocument to help Oklahoma protect andenhancethebeneficialuseofthestate’ssurfaceandgroundwaterresources.”20Theplan’sulti-mateobjectiveistocompleteacomprehensiveassessmentofexistingsurfaceandgroundwa-ter supplies in the state, together with futuredemandprojectionsonallsurfaceandground-waterresources.

An assessment of existing and future plansfortribalwatersupplyinfrastructureisanec-essaryandimportantcomponentof thisplan.The OwRB has disseminated information totribes concerning community meetings, butseems to erroneously believe that tribal inter-estscanbeprotectedsimplythroughinputofindividualtribalmembersattendingthemeet-ings.TheOwRBsentinquiriestotribesregard-ingprojectedtribalwaterneedsforpurposesofthe 2011 plan, but has not conferred directlywithtribesconcerningthenatureandextentoftribal water rights and how they should beaddressed in the state planning system. TheOwRBapparentlyintendstoincludeachapterconcerningOklahomatribalwaterrightslegalissues,andhashiredaconsultanttomeetwithtribesandtoassistinpreparationofthatchap-ter.21Thisaffordsatleastsomeopportunityfortribestoparticipatemoreactivelyinproposingpossible institutional structures for resolutionof tribal water rights. However, unless theOwRB or another appropriate state entitybeginsworkingmoredirectlywithtribesona

government-to-governmentbasis,thevalueofthe2011planmaybeseverelycompromised.

It is important that the state and tribes inOklahomadevelopastructureforresolutionoftribalwaterrightsclaims–preferablyonethatexpresslyacknowledgestheexistenceoftribalwaterrights,recognizestheneedforcoopera-tive efforts for funding opportunities for pro-tectionofwaterinOklahoma,andclearlyrec-ognizesthateachtribeisaseparatesovereignentitled to negotiate resolution of its ownuniquewaterrights,basedonitsownuniquelegal history and goals concerning water useand protection. The development of such astructure would be consistent with a long-standing policy on Indian water rights issuesby the United States, as trustee of Indianresources.22Thispolicyadvocatesforthesettle-mentofwaterrightsthroughnegotiationsver-susthehighlyvolatilealternativeof litigatingIndianwaterrightsclaims.23Itwouldalsobeinlinewith theconsistentsupportofnegotiatedsettlementofIndianlandandwaterrightsdis-putes by the western Governors’ Association(wGA),ofwhichtheOklahomagovernorisamember.24In2006,thewGAdescribedtheset-tlementprocessasfollows:

Over the past 25 years, more than 21settlementsofIndianlandandwaterrightshave been reached in the western statesand approved by Congress. The settle-ments have provided practical solutions,infrastructure and funding, while savingmillions of dollars of private and publicmonies through avoidance of prolongedand costly litigation, and have fosteredconservation and sound water manage-mentpracticesandestablishedthebasisforcooperative partnerships between Indianandnon-Indiancommunities.25

As recognized by the wGA, there are alsoother advantages to use of negotiated settle-ments,includingthefollowing:theabilitytobeflexibleandtotailorsolutionstotheuniquecir-cumstancesofeachsituation;theabilitytopro-mote conservation and sound water manage-mentpractices; theabilitytoestablishthebasisfor cooperative partnerships between Indianandnon-Indiancommunitiesthatprovideprac-ticalsolutionstowatersupplyissuesforallpar-ties;andtheresolutionofrightswithrespecttowater marketing — an area often addressed intribal/statewatersettlementlegislation.26

The state has implicitly recognized tribal water rights in several interstate water compacts

approved by state and federal legislation in the ’60s and ’70s…


COnClusIOn

Tribes inOklahoma,ataminimum,possessreservedwaterrights.Theyhaveassertedandcontinue to assert water rights in variousforms,includingactualownershipofthewaterand regulatory authority over it, for manyyears.Thenatureandextentofthewaterrightsof each tribe will depend upon their specifictreaty provisions, and the manner in whichthey acquired their tribal lands before state-hood.Giventhelargenumberoftribeslocatedwithin Oklahoma, and their potential owner-shipofvastquantitiesofsurfaceandground-waterresources, it is imperativethat thestateinitiate meaningful and comprehensive gov-ernment-to-governmentdiscussionswithtribalrepresentativesovertheimpactoftheserightsand resources on the planning processes cur-rentlyunderway.Inthisprocess,thestateandtheOwRBmightdowelltoutilizethefederalexecutiveorderongovernment-to-governmentconsultations,whichguidesallfederaldepart-ments and agencies in their dealings withIndian nations.27 The state and tribes shouldlooktootherstateprocessesthathandleIndianwaterrights,includingNewMexico,MontanaandIdaho,recognizing,ofcourse,thatanypro-cesscreatedmusttakeintoaccountOklahoma-specificissues.

1.Winters v. United States,207U.S.564(1908).2.Arizona v. California,373U.S.546,600(1963).Thecontinuedliti-

gationhistoryof thiscase isextensive.See376U.S.340(1964) (judg-ment),383U.S.268(1966)(amendedorder),439U.S.419(1979)(sup-plementaldecree),460U.S.605(1983)(amendedorder),462U.S.1146(1983)(reh.denied),466U.S.144(1984)(supp.decision),493U.S.886(1989) (motion to reopen granted), 530 U.S. 392 (2000) (subsequentdetermination),and531U.S.1(2000)(supp.decision).

3.Id.at597,discussingPollard’s Lessee v. Hagan,3How.212,11L.Ed. 565 (1845) (equal footing doctrine); Shively v. Bowlby, 152 U.S.1(1894)(publictrust/futurestatesdoctrine);United States v. Holt State Bank,270U.S.49(1926)(publictrust/futurestatesdoctrine).

4.Arizona v. California,373U.S.at600.5.Franco-American Charolaise Ltd. v. Oklahoma Water Resources Board,

855P.2d568,574andnote26(Okla.1990).6.Cohen’s Handbook of Federal Indian Law(MathewBenderNewark,

NJ,2005Ed.)at1175,§19.03[1].7.Cohen’s Handbook of Federal Indian Lawat1179,§19.03[3].8.See,e.g.,CherokeeTreatyofdec.29,1835,7Stat.478(Proclama-

tion,May23,1836)(TreatyofNewEchota),reprinted in2 Indian Affairs: Laws and Treaties 140-144(CharlesJ.Kapplered.,photo.Reprint1975(1904) [hereinafter Kappler’s 2] at 439-449, Preamble and Article 5;CherokeeTreatyof July19,1866,14Stat.799 (ProclamationAug.11,1866),reprinted inKappler’s 2at942-950,Art.27.

9.United States v. Grand River Dam Authority,363U.S.229(1960).10.Choctaw Nation v. Oklahoma,397U.S.620(1970).Thecourtdis-

cussedBrewer-Elliott Oil & Gas Co. v. United States,260U.S.77(1922),andfoundthatitwasnotsignificantthatBrewer-Elliotinvolvedpor-tionsoftheArkansasRiverthatwerenon-navigable,incontrasttothe

Choctaw Nation case, which involved portions of theArkansas Riverthatwerenavigable.Id.at1335-1336.

11.Choctaw Nation v. Oklahoma,397U.S.at635.12.EnablingAct,actofJune16,1906,ch.3335,34Stat.267;Okla.

Const.,Art.1,§3.13.New Mexico v. Aamodt,537F.2d1102,1109,1111(10thCir.1976)

(Aamodt I),cert.denied,429U.S.1121(1977);seealsoState ex rel. Reyn-olds v. Aamodt,618F.Supp.993(d.N.M.1985)(Aamodt II).

14.Cherokee,ChoctawandChickasawNationClaimsSettlementAct,Pub.Law107-331,TitleVI,116Stat.2834;State v. Tyson Foods Inc.,CaseNo.4:05-cv-00329-GKF-SAJ (OpinionandOrder, July22,2009),motiontoreconsiderdenied,Aug.18,2009. In itsdecision, thecourtimplicitlyrecognizedthevalidityoftheFiveTribeswatertheory,citingTaiawagiHelton,Comment,Indian Reserved Water Rights in the Dual-System State of Oklahoma,33TulsaL.J.979,993(1998).Seealsowork,Susan, Tribal Water Rights in Eastern Oklahoma – The Inapplicability of General Principles Concerning State Water Interests,22ndAnnualSover-eigntySymposium(June,2009).

15.UpdateoftheOklahomaComprehensivewaterPlan1995,p.10(February1997).

16.Id.at138.17.See82O.S.§1401(1965ArkansasRiverBasinCompact,Kansas,

Oklahoma,Art.xIII);82O.S.§1421,(1970ArkansasRiverBasinCom-pact -Arkansas, Oklahoma, Art. xI); 82 O.S. §1431 (1978 Red RiverCompact-Arkansas,Louisiana,Oklahoma,Texas,§2.07).

18.See82O.S.§526.1(CanadianRiverCompact,Art.x).19.See2009Sess.Laws,§403,HB1483(June1,2009),whichpro-

vides that no permit issued by OwRB shall “[i]mpair or affect thepowers, rights,orobligationsof theUnitedStates,or thoseclaimingunderitsauthorityorlaw,in,overandtowaterapportionedbyinter-statecompacts.”

20.OwRBdecember2007Memorandum#1.21.StatementsofLindsayRobertson,UniversityofOklahomaLaw

Professor, at May 18, 2009 informational meeting in Shawnee, Okla-homa.

22.55Fed.Reg.9223(1990),CriteriaandProceduresfor thePar-ticipation of the Federal Government in Negotiations for the Settle-mentofIndianwaterRightsClaims(Criteria).

23.Water Needs and Strategies for a Sustainable Future(westernGov-ernors’Association,June2006),p.18.

24.SeewesternGovernors’AssociationResolutions87-007,89-011,92-008,95-006,98-029,01-10and07-3.

25.Water Needs and Strategies for a Sustainable Future(westernGov-ernors’Association,June2006),p.18.

26.Cohen’s Handbook of Federal Indian Lawat1216,§19.05[2].27. See Executive Order 13175 of November 6, 2000 (65 Fed.

Reg.67249).

Susan Work, a member of the Choctaw Nation, is the author of The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma: A Legal History (OU Press 2001). Her practice areas include natu-ral resources, legislative drafting, Indian probate issues, contracts, gaming, housing and Indian child welfare. She served as director of the Cherokee Nation

Law and Justice Department and as attorney general for the Muscogee (Creek) and Seminole Nations. She is presently a senior assistant attorney general at the Cherokee Nation.

AbOuT THE AuTHOR


Don’t forget to call in your pledge on Tuesday, March 16 from 7 – 11 p.m.

To keep the OBA at the “Underwriting Pro-

ducers” donor level, we need to raise $5,000 from OBA members.

For 31 years, OETA has provided television time as a public service for

the OBA’s Law Day “Ask A Lawyer” program. By

assisting OETA, we show our appreciation.

Attention OETA

Donors

OETA FestivalVolunteers Needed

OBAmembersareaskedagainthisyeartohelptakepledgecallsduringtheOETAFestival to raise funds for continuedqualitypublictelevision.

nTuesday,March16n5:45-10:30p.m.nOETAstudioatwilshire&

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nrecruitotherOBAmemberstoworkwithyou

For 31 years OETA has providedtelevision time as a public service forthe OBA’s Law day “Ask A Lawyer”program. By assisting OETA, we showourappreciation.Itisalsoahighlyvisiblevolunteerserviceproject.

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NOTICE OF HEARING ON THE PETITION FOR REINSTATEMENT OF david walter deal, SCBD #5597

TO MEMBERSHIP IN THE OKLAHOMA BAR ASSOCIATION

Notice is hereby given pursuant to Rule 11.3(b), Rules Governing Disciplinary Proceedings, 5 O.S., Ch. 1, App. 1-A, that a hearing will be held to determine if David Walter Deal should be reinstated to active membership in the Oklahoma Bar Association.

Any person desiring to be heard in opposition to or in support of the petition may appear before the Professional Responsibility Tribunal at the Oklahoma Bar Center at 1901 North Lincoln Boulevard, Okla-homa City, Oklahoma, at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 30, 2010. Any person wishing to appear should contact Gina Hendryx, General Counsel, Oklahoma Bar Association, P.O. Box 53036, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73152, telephone (405) 416-7007, no less than five (5) days prior to the hearing.

PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY TRIBUNAL

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m/F/D/V


sOrna: reQuIrements In InDIan COuntrY

SORNArequirestribestodevelopandimple-mentsexoffenderregistrationandnotificationsystemsinIndianCountry.Ifnosuchsystemisdevelopedwithin the statutoryperiod, thepower to do so is automatically delegated tothestate(s).3AlthoughSORNAmandatessig-nificantly impact tribal sovereignty, SORNAwas passed without input from tribes. Tribaldelegation of power to the state requires thetribe to provide access to its territory and toprovidesuchothercooperationandassistanceasmaybeneededtoenablethestatetocarryoutandenforcetherequirementsofSORNA.4TribesmustbeSORNA-compliantbyJune26,2010,unlessatimelyrequestforanextensionhas been made and approved by the Office

of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring,Ap-prehending, Registering and Tracking (theSMARToffice).

SORNAdefinesa“sexoffender”asan indi-vidualwhowasconvictedofasexoffense.5Theterm “offense” encompasses a broad range ofcriminal convictions of a sexual nature underthe laws of any United States jurisdiction.6SORNAalsoapplies tospecified juvenilecon-victions,7whichmaybeofparticularconcerntotribes that apply a protective, rehabilitativestrategy to tribal juvenile proceedings. Forexample,sometribessealjuvenilerecordswhenajuvenilereachestheageof18,inordertopro-tect the juvenile from future adverse effectsstemming from tribal court juvenile proceed-ingsthatoccurredpriortoadulthood.SORNA,however, will require juveniles convicted in

Application of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act

in Oklahoma Indian CountryBy Kelly Gaines Stoner and Shandi S. Stoner

IndianLAW

In the interest of public safety, the Sex Offender Registrationand Notification Act (SORNA), Title 1 of the Adam walshChild Protection and SafetyAct of 20061 sets national mini-

mum standards for sex offender registration and notification.SORNArequiresallstates,principalU.S.territories,thedistrictofColumbiaandIndiantribestodevelopandimplementthesestandardswhichfocusontrackingandmonitoringconvictedsexoffenders.2Implementingthesefederalrequirementsisextremelycostly. SORNA has forced tribes to a critical crossroad. Tribesmustnowfindthemeansandresourcestosatisfythesefederalminimum standards or delegate the power to develop, imple-mentandenforcethesefederalrequirementstothestate.


tribal courts of certain sexoffenses to comply with thesexoffenderregistryrequire-mentsforaspecifiedperiodoftime.

SORNA classifies sexoffenders in a three-tieredsystem:TierI,TierIIandTierIII.8 The system is basedupontheelementsofthesexoffensecrimethatresultedina conviction and the poten-tial criminal sentence in-volved in the sex offense crime.9 This three-tieredsystemhasimplicationsfortherequireddurationof the registrationand the requiredfrequencyofpersonalappearancesbythesexoffender to verify registration information.For example, Tier I offenders must keep theregistrationcurrentfor15years,butinforma-tionaboutTierIoffendersconvictedofoffens-es other than those against minors may beexempted from public web site disclosure.10Tier II offenders must keep the registrationcurrent for 25 years. Tier III offenders mustkeeptheregistrationcurrentforthelifeofthesexoffender.Tier Ioffendersmustappear inpersontoprovideorverifyspecifiedinforma-tion to the registry each year, while Tier IIoffenders must appear in person every sixmonthstoprovideorverifytheinformationintheregistry.TierIIIoffendersmustappearinpersoneverythreemonthstoprovideorveri-fytheinformationintheregistry.

SORNAdoesnotrequiretribestoutilizethethree-tieredsystem.SORNArequirementsfortribesaremetifsexoffenderswhoarerequiredtoregisterunderthetermsoftheactareheldto the same or more stringent requirementsforin-personappearancesandpublicwebsitedisclosure. Tribal court convictions are auto-matically initially classified as Tier I convic-tions under SORNA since the Indian CivilRightsActof1968limitstribalcourtstocrimi-nalsentencesuptooneyearinduration.11

Since SORNA’s three-tiered system setsminimumstandards forclassifications, tribesarefreetoenactlegislationincreasingthereg-istration obligations of sex offenders undertribal systems. For example, tribes may passlegislation indicating that all sex offendersshall be Tier III sex offenders or a tribe mayrequireallsexoffenderstoregisterforlife.

SORNA requires states,tribes and territories tomaintainajurisdiction-wideelectronic database of sexoffender information thatcan be electronically trans-mitted to other jurisdic-tions.12 Certain portions ofthesedatabasesensurepub-licaccesstomonitorthesexoffenders in neighborhoodsand communities. Certainportionsofthedatabasesare

protected sites for law enforcement use. Thedatabases must contain certain information,which includes digital fingerprints, digitizeddNAsamplesandotheridentifyinginforma-tionsetforthintheact.13

SORNA sets forth certain enforcementmandates and creates a federal criminaloffenseforfailingtoregisterasasexoffend-er.14Thenewlawimposesapenaltyofupto10 years in federal prison for convicted sexoffenderswhoknowinglyfailtoregisterortoupdatearegistration.

Forenforcementpurposes,SORNArequiresthe states, the district of Columbia and thefive principal U.S. territories to enact lawsimposingamaximumtermof imprisonmentgreater than one year for sex offenders whofail to comply with SORNA’s registrationrequirements.15However,tribesarespecifical-ly excluded from this provision of SORNAbecause the IndianCivilRightsActpreventstribes from imposing termsof imprisonmentgreaterthanoneyear.16Tribesshouldconsiderenacting legislative provisions that providecriminalsanctionsforafailuretotimelyregis-terormeetregistryrequirements.

Sexoffenderregistrationandnotificationisa civil regulatory power.17 SORNA requirestribestocomplywithregistryrequirementsastoallsexoffenderswithinthetribe’sjurisdic-tion,andanticipatesthattribeswillcriminal-izefailurestocomplywiththeact.AlthoughSORNA is silent as to whether tribes maycriminallyenforcefailuretoregisterastonon-Indians, tribes should consider maximizingtribalsovereigntytothefullestextent,arguingthatthefederalmandatetoregulateincludesthe mandate to enforce criminal sanctionsagainst all sex offenders, Indian and non-Indian,who fail tomeet the requirementsoftheact.18

…tribes are free to enact legislation increasing the registration obligations

of sex offenders under tribal systems.


ImPlementatIOn: OVerCOmInG CHallenGes

SORNAmaycreatechallenges for tribes inmeetingrequirementsoftheact.Forinstance,implementation of SORNA is expensive fortribes.Federal fundingmaynotbeadequateto assist tribes with the costs of hardware,software,training,analysisandprocessingofelectronicdatesuchasdNAsamplesandfin-gerprints. Further, SORNA requires tribes togather and input specific sex offender infor-mation into the national databases. Forenforcement purposes, tribes should be per-mittedtoaccesstheapplicabledatabasessuchastheNationalCrimeInformationCenter,theNational Sex Offender Registry and othercriminaldatabasesnecessarytoprotecttribalcommunities.Triballawenforcementmustbeable to assess how dangerous a sex offenderis, determine whether the sex offender is afugitiveandgatherothercritical informationabout the sex offender often at a moment’snotice. However, many tribes lack access tothese criminal databases and/or lack quali-fiedpersonneltoinputtribaldataintocertaindatabases.Tribes, statesand federalagenciesmustworktogethertoensurethatallagencieshave input and access capabilities to thesedatabasesystems.

To assist with some of these concerns,SORNA created the SMART office, which islocatedwithintheOfficeof JusticeProgramsof the United States department of Justice.19TheSMARTofficeadministers thestandardsforthesexoffenderregistrationandnotifica-tion. The SMART office also develops andmakes available tools to facilitate full imple-mentationoftheact.Thus,theSMARTofficeisakeypartnerandresourcewithinthefed-eral government for assistance with SORNAcompliance.TheSMARTofficehasdevelopedseveral useful resources to assist tribes incomplyingwithSORNAmandates.

Specifically, the SMART office20 has devel-opedafreeregistryfortribestoaccessreferredtoasTribeandTerritorySexOffenderRegis-trySystem (TTSORS).Tribes thathave Inter-netaccessarepermittedtoutilizetheTTSORSdatabase,which isaregistrydatabase that isSORNAcompliant.

TribesinOklahomaIndianCountrymaycon-sider entering into a collaborative agreementwithstateagenciesthatwouldallowthetribes

to input and access registry information toinclude criminal database information. TheOklahoma department of Corrections main-tainssucharegistry.Tribesthatwishtotapintothat registry instead of utilizing the TTSORSshouldconsidercontactingtheagencytonego-tiateamemorandumofunderstanding.

withrespecttodNAcollectionandstorage,Oklahoma tribes should consider utilizingOSBI21forstorageofthedigitizeddNAsam-ples from sex offenders. The OSBI is autho-rized by state statute to analyze and storedNAprofilesfromindividualsconvictedofafelonycrimeinOklahoma.dNAsamplesarecollectedbythedOC(employeesorcontrac-tors), county sheriffs (employees or contrac-tors)orotherpeaceofficersasdirectedbythecourt.Inaddition,thereisa$150courtfeethatisassessedforeachfelonyconviction.22TribesmaysubmitthedNAsamplestotheOSBIforanalysis and storage in the COdIS database,aslongas:

1)TheindividualwasconvictedofafelonycrimeinOklahoma;2)Thesampleiscollectedfromthoseautho-rizedindividualsaslistedin22O.S.§991aparagraphJ;3)AnapprovedOSBIcollectionkitisused;23and4)Trainingisconductedonthepropercol-lectionofthesesamples.24

Oklahoma tribes will also need to enacttribal sex offender registry codes that areSORNA compliant. The SMART office hasdevelopedamodeltribalsexoffenderregistrycode,which is availableon theSMARTwebsite.25However,themodelcodewillhavetobemodified to meet the complicated needs ofOklahomatribes,sincejurisdictionalissuesinOklahoma created by allotment policy areunique. Additionally, tribes should considerexpandingtheenforcementjurisdictionalpro-visionsoftheSMARTmodeltribalsexoffend-er registry toallow tribes toenforceSORNArequirementsoverallsexoffendersincludingnon-Indiansexoffenders.

Oklahomatribesutilizingthecourtsoffed-eralregulations(CFRcourts)shouldconsidermeetingwith theappropriateareaBureauofIndianAffairsofficertodiscussimplementingtheirowntribalsexoffenderregistrycodeintheCFRcourt.Oncethecodeisbeingutilizedby the CFR court, the pertinent BIA law


enforcement officers should be mandated toadhere to the tribal codeaswell forenforce-mentpurposes.

Tribes must be SORNA compliant by June26,2010,unlessatimelyrequestforanexten-sion has been made to and approved by theSMART office. Therefore, tribes must havesubmittedaplantotheSMARTOfficewithallnecessary accompanying documents well inadvanceofthatdate.

COnClusIOn

Even thoughSORNAwasenactedwithouttribalinputanddirectlyimpactstribalsover-eignty the purpose of tracking and monitor-ingconvictedsexoffendersastheymovefromjurisdictiontojurisdictionislaudable.Barriersareoftenputinthepathoftribesworkingtomeet the responsibilities of a sovereign gov-ernment. Many tribes may struggle with thefinancial burden of SORNA implementation.Tribesmayutilize the resourcesprovidedbytheSMARTOfficeandamendtribalcodestomaximize tribalregistryenforcementpowersthat include enforcement power over non-Indians.Byfocusingonthecommonpurposeofsafety,tribescanmeetthemandatesoftheSORNAandprovidetribalcitizenswithsafertribalcommunities.

1. Sex Offender and NotificationAct, Title I of theAdam walshChildProtectionandSafetyActof2006,PublicLaw109-248,42USCSection16911.

2.42USCSection16901,anotherstatedpurposeisresponsetotheviciousattacksbyviolentpredatorsagainst Jacobwetterling,MeganNicole Kanka, Pam Lychner, Jetseta Gage, dru Sjodin, Jessica Lun-sford, Sarah Lunde, Amie Zyla, Christy Ann Fornoff, AlexandraNocoleZapp,PollyKlaas,JimmyRyce,CarlieBrucia,AmandaBrown,ElizabethSmart,MollyBishandSamanthaRunnion.

3.42USCSection16911(10)(H).4.42USCSection16927.5.42USCSection16911(1).6.42USCSection16911(8).7.42USCSection16911(7-8).

8.42USCSection16911(1-4).9.42USCSection16911(2-5)10.42USCSection16915;42USCSection16916.11.25CFRSection1301-03.12.See42USCSection16912(Registryrequirementsfor jurisdic-

tions);42USCSection16918(Publicaccesstosexoffenderinformationthrough the Internet); 42 USC Section 16919 (National Sex OffenderRegistry); 42 USC Section 16920 (dru Sjodin National Sex OffenderPublicwebsite)

13.42USCSection16914.14.18USCSection2250.15.42USCSection16913.16.25CFRSection1301-03.17.Smith v. Doe,538U.S.84(2003).18.NotethatthedepartmentofJusticehasnotissuedanypolicy

statementsholdthatSORNAoverrulesOliphantv.SuquamishIndianTribe,43U.S.191(1978)(holdingthattribesdonothavecriminaljuris-dictionovernon-Indians).

19.42USCSection16945.20. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/smart/about.htm (site last visited

10/1/09). Note that the SMART web site contains the final SORNAguidelinesandalsoincludesatabforIndiancountryresources.

21. Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. The OSBI currentlyprovidesstorageforstatecriminaldNAsamples.

22.22O.S.§991.23.Thesekitsareprovidedfreetothecollectionagencyfromthe

OSBI.24.This trainingis typicallyconductedat theOSBI laboratory in

OklahomaCity.25. www.ojp.usdoj.gov/smart/about.htm (site last visited

10/1/09).

Kelly Stoner is the director of the Native Ameri-can Legal Resource Center at Oklahoma City Uni-versity School of Law. She has more than 20 years of experience addressing legal issues in Indian country.

Shandi Stoner graduated from Oklahoma City University School of Law in 2009 with a juris doc-torate and has been working on issues regarding implementation of the Adam Walsh Act in Indian Country for more than two years. See Sex Offender Registration and Notification in Indian Country (2009).

AbOuT THE AuTHORS


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Thelawstates:

InanyStatecourtproceedingforthefostercareplacementof,orterminationofparentalrights to, an Indian child not domiciled orresidingwithinthereservationoftheIndianchild’stribe,thecourt,intheabsenceofgoodcausetothecontrary,shalltransfersuchpro-ceedingtothejurisdictionofthetribe,absentobjectionbyeitherparent,uponthepetitionofeitherparentortheIndiancustodianortheIndian child’s tribe: Provided, That suchtransfershallbesubjecttodeclinationbythetribalcourtofsuchtribe.

TheSupremeCourthasstatedthatwhileSec-tion 1911 (b) creates concurrent jurisdictionbetween the state and tribal courts, there is apreferencethattheproceedingshouldbeheardin tribal court.1 The preference for tribal courtrequiresthatuponaproperpetitiontotransfermadebyeitherparent,theIndiancustodian,orthe tribe, the state court must transfer to thetribalcourtunlesseitherparentobjectsorgoodcause exists not to transfer.2 The presumptionthat the proceeding should be heard in tribal

court requires that the state court transfer theproceedingtothetribalcourt,absenttheobjec-tionofeitherparentorashowingofgoodcausewhytheproceedingshouldnotbetransferred.3

Anobjectionbyeitherparentpreventstrans-fer.4 The absence of parental objection to atransfer cannot be found unless a parent isgiven a meaningful opportunity to object,meaningthattheparentmustbefullyinformedandrepresentedbycounsel.5

The Oklahoma Appeals Court has producedwhatmaybethedefinitiveexaminationoftrans-fer in ICwA cases. In Adoption of S.W. and C.S.,2002 OK CIV APP 26, 41 P.3d 1003 (Okla. App.2002), theCourtofAppealsprovidesawell-rea-sonedanalysisoftransferandwhatisgoodcauseto void it. S.W. involved two sibling children intwo deprived actions in Tulsa County. The chil-drenareCherokee.TheCherokeeNation,whichwas involved in the case from the beginning,favoredaplacementwiththeadoptivefamilyofhalf-siblingsof the twochildren.The fosterpar-ents of the children wished to adopt them andfiledanadoption.Shortlythereafter,theCherokee

Transfer to Tribal Courts in Oklahoma under the Indian Child

Welfare Act and Factors for the Tribal Court’s Consideration

By C. Steven Hager

IndianLAW

The Indian Child welfare Act, passed in 1978, offers manyprotections to Indian tribes and families for child custodyproceedings in state court. One of the most important is 25

U.S.C.§1911(b),whichgivesthetribeortheparentsofanIndianchildtheabilitytotransferstatecourtproceedingstotribalcourts.


Nationfiledamotiontotransferinthejuvenilecourt, but not in the adoption proceeding. Theadoption proceeding judge consolidated thethreeactionsandheldahearingonthetransfer.Theadoption judge foundagainst transferandproceededwiththeadoption.

On appeal, the court began by noting thatwhenIndianchildrenresidedoutsideofIndiancountry, jurisdiction between the tribal andstatecourtwas“concurrentbutpresumptivelytribal”andthatthestandardofreviewwouldbe for clear and convincing evidence of goodcause.6 The court then found that in order toestablishgoodcause, thecourtmustexaminethe BIA guidelines, the best interests of thechild, and the circumstances of the case.7 Inordertotriggeratransferproceeding,thepartyrequestingtransfermustmakeatimelyappli-cation for transfer. The transfer must includethe facts that support the transfer.8 After theapplication is made, the trial court must takeoraltestimonyonthetransfer,includingtribalexperts on Indian culture, with special atten-tionpaidtowhatwouldbethebestinterestasanIndianchild.9Thecourtfoundthatthe“bestinterests”testmustbeconsidered,alongwithamodifiedforumnon conveniens.10

Howtodetermine“goodcause”wasthenextquestionthecourtaddressed.Thecourtnotedthatgoodcauseisbothpersonalandextra-per-sonal.11 Personal good cause goes to the indi-vidualchild–thenurture,careandwelfareofthe child – and “when Indian children areinvolved, exposure to and cultivation of thesocialandculturalaspectsofIndianlife,theirIndian culture and Indian heritage.”12 Extra-personalbestinterestsarethemeans,resourcesand procedures available to protect the per-sonalbest interestsof thechild, including theforum non conveniens arguments of distance,convenience and time.13 The trial court mustengageinafact-findingprocessthatleadstoacleardeterminationofthechild’sbestinterest,including the need to view the case from anIndian perspective. The court notes that thetestimonyofaqualifiedexpertwitnesswouldbebeneficialatthisstage.14

The court also examines the requirementsnecessary to make a forum non conveniensargumentunderthelaw.First,itisnotedthattheICwAreversesthenormalburdenofproofintransfertothepartyopposingthetransfer.The party opposing now bears the responsi-bilityofdemonstratingthatthetransferwouldnot be proper. This objection must be in

writing.Further,oraltestimonyisrequiredifthe party’s opposition goes beyond geogra-phyor timeand into thepersonalbest inter-estsofthechild.Thepartyopposingtransfermustprovetheircaseby“clearandconvinc-ing” evidence.15 Expert testimony would beadvantageousinthisattempt.

Theanalysisof thecourtclearlydefines thestandards the court expects to be followed infuture court cases. Attorneys should under-stand that in order to propose transfer, theymustspecifythereasonssupportingit–attor-neys opposing transfer must understand thatthey must present clear and convincing evi-dence, including cultural testimony, that thetransferwouldnotbeinthechild’sbestinter-est, as well as extra-personal reasons. whiletransfer remains a fact-driven exercise, thecourt’sopinionoffersanexcellentblueprintfortribesandpractitionerstouse.

Transfer to tribal court is often done withthe tribe’s prior approval. However, transfercanonlybeacceptedbythetribalcourtunder1911 (b), providing an opportunity for tribalcourt reviewprior toassumptionof thecaseresponsibility.16Ifatribalcourtdeclinesjuris-diction over a proceeding transferred fromstate court, the state court then reassumesjurisdictionover theproceeding.17Thisdecli-nationoccursforavarietyofreasons,suchasthetribe’seconomicabilitytoprovideservicesto thechild,oranolderchild’spreferencetoremaininstatecustodyorinaparticularloca-tionorfostercareplacement.

Before transfer, it would be preferable iftribes carefully weighed the evidence in thecase, the particular services needed by thefamilyandthechildinquestion.Tribalcourts,withthesupportofsocialworkersandcourtpersonnel, should carefully consider the fol-lowingfactors:

Before transfer, it would be preferable if tribes carefully

weighed the evidence in the case, the particular services needed by the family and the child in question.


economic ability of the tribe to provide services: ifachildis likelytoneedextensivepsychiatric or medical assistance, and thetribe isunableorunwillingtoprovidefund-ing for that care, the court should declinetransfer. while tribes have agreements withthestateprovidingforassistance,notallser-vicesaretransferable.A“meanstest”offinan-cial liability shouldbeprovided to the tribalcourt so that the judge can render a fullyinformeddecisiononcasetransfer.

location of parties and placement:Anotherfactorthatshouldbeconsideredbythecourtisthe location of parties and placement of thechildren. If the court is unable to provide atribal foster home that can keep the childrentogether(andassumingthatthestatehasdoneso;thiscouldbeariskyassumptiontomake),the court should consider whether the chil-dren’sinterestsarebetterservedbymaintain-ingthestatefostercareplacementovertrans-fer.Similarly,iftheparentsareseekingtransfer,butarelocated300milesawaywithnoreliabletransportation, the courtmay find it easier tomaintainatribalpresenceinthestateproceed-ingat that location, rather thandealwith theattendant issues regarding long-range visita-tionandcourthearings.

Intrinsic factors of tribal culture: whilesome cases may not appear to be candidatesfortransferbasedonotherfactors,tribalcourtsshould not shy away from accepting difficultcases,especially ifspecificcultural factorsareinplayandwouldbeatriskinstatecourt.Anyanalysis of transfer by a tribal court judgeshouldincludetheabilityofthetribetomain-tainitssovereignandculturalfuturebymain-tainingthenextgeneration.

COnClusIOn

Inconclusion,transferofstate-initiatedjuve-nileproceedingstotribalcourtsremainsavia-ble and appropriate option in many cases.UnderS.W. and C.S.,transferisclearlyfavored(absentparentalobjection).However,thetribalcourt systems of Oklahoma should carefullyweigh the importance of this decision andmake a choice in each case that is in the bestinterests of the parents, the children and thetribe. Justasnotall casesorchildrenarebestserved in the state courts, tribal courts mustrecognize that many factors may make thetribalcourtsystemtheless-effectivemethodofdealing with some children and families. The

truebestinterestofachildisservedonlywhentribalcourtandstatecourtsworktodeterminethe best forum in each case that involves anIndianchild.

1.Mississippi Baand of Choctaw Indians v. Holyfield,490U.S.30,109S.Ct.1597at1601-1602,104L.Ed.2d29(1989).

2. In Re Larissa G.,43Cal.App.4th505,51Cal.Rptr.2d16 (Cal.App.1st1996);Matter of Welfare of B.W.,454N.w.2d437(Minn.App.1990);Matter of GLOC and TJM,668P.2d235(Mont.1983);In the Interest of Armell,550N.E.2d1060(Ill.App.dist.1,1990);Matter of TS,801P.2d79(Mont.1990);In Re Bird Head,331N.w.2d785(Neb.1983);Matter of NL,754P.2d863(Okla.1988);In Re JRH,358N.w.2d311(Iowa1984);Matter of AL, 442 N.w.2d 233 (S.d. 1989); In Re Robert T., 200 Cal.App.3d 657 (Cal. 1988); Matter of Wayne R.N., 757 P.2d 1333 (N.M.1988);Matter of MEM,635P.2d1313(Mont.1981).

3.In the Interest of Armell,550N.E.2d1060(Ill.App.dist.1,1990).4.Interest of K.D.,630N.w.2d492(S.d.2001);In Re Larissa G.,43

Cal.App. 4th 505, 51 Cal. Rptr.2d 16 (Cal.App. 1st 1996); Matter ofAdoption of Baby Girl S.,690N.Y.S.2d907(NYSurrogate’sCt.1999).InK.D., thecourt foundthat therejectionof transferremained inplaceevenaftertheparent’srightswereterminated.

Theconverseisalsotrue:thatarequesttotransfershouldtriggerthenecessarytransferhearing.Interest of Shawnda G.634N.w.2d140(wis.App.2001).

ButseeMatter of Andrea Lynn M.,10P.3d191(N.M.App.2000),inwhichtheNewMexicoCourtofAppealsfindsthatatrialcourt’strans-fertoNavajoCourtovertheobjectionofthefatherwasproper,baseduponthecurrentdomicileofthepartiesandthefailureofthefathertoprovethatthechildwasnotresidinginIndiancountryatthetimeofthecase; thecourtfurtherfoundthatthetransferfollowedthe“con-gressionalintentunderlyingICwA.”

5.Matter of GLOC and TJM,668P.2d235(Mont.1983);Matter of SZ,325N.w.2d53(S.d.1982).

6.Adoption of S.W. and C.S.,2002OKCIVAPP26,41P.3d1003at1008(Okla.App.2002).



9.Id.10. Adoption of S.W. and C.S., 41 P.3d 1003 at 1010 (Okla. App.

2002).11.Id.12. Adoption of S.W. and C.S., 41 P.3d 1003 at 1010 (Okla. App.

2002).13. Adoption of S.W. and C.S., 41 P.3d 1003 at 1011 (Okla. App.

2002).14. Adoption of S.W. and C.S., 41 P.3d 1003 at 1011 (Okla. App.

2002).15.Id.16.SeeIn the Interest of C.Y.,925P.2d447(Kan.App.1996).Okla-

homacourtshavenotaddressedthisissue.17.Under1911(b)thetribalcourthastherighttodeclinethetrans-

ferofthecase;thisrightdoesnotextendtothetribeperse.Asocialworkerof,tribalchair,orcounselpersondoesnothavetheabilitytodeclinetransfer;thelawprovidesthisexclusivelytothetribalcourt.

C. Steven Hager is the direc-tor of litigation at Oklahoma Indian Legal Services Inc. He is the author of The Indian Child Welfare Act: Case and Analy-sis, now in its 14th edition. He is also a contributing author to the Child Fatality Review, pub-lished in 2008. He graduated from the University of Okla-

homa College of Law in 1987.

AbOuT THE AuTHOR


Founded in 1981, OILS is preparing to cele-brate its 29th year of providing free legal ser-vicestoOklahomaIndianswhoareattemptingto navigate the myriad of federal, state andtriballawsthatimpacttheirdailylives.Indianland titles, Indian probate proceedings andestate planning, Indian child welfare, Indianhousingandtaxarejustafewexamplesofthetypesof issues forwhichOILSprovidesdirectlegal representation to low-income NativeAmericans in Oklahoma. OILS continues ser-vicetodayasoneofonlyfiveindependentlegalaidorganizationsthatservetheNativeAmeri-can community in status related legal issues.OILSisa501(c)(3)organizationfundedinpartby LSC, the state of Oklahoma Legal ServicesRevolving Fund, the Oklahoma Bar Founda-tion, the Internal Revenue Service, and tribalandprivatedonations.

OIls ClIent Base anD QualIFICatIOns

OILSclientsmustfirstbeamemberofafeder-ally-recognizedIndiantribeandresidewithinthestateofOklahoma.Further,theapplicantmustbe

financially eligible under LSC guidelines andhave a meritorious case under the guidelinesissuesbytheOILSBoardofdirectors.

Bywayofbackground,Oklahomaishometo38federallyrecognizedIndiantribesandalmost392,000 American Indians, which is almost 10percentofthestate’spopulation.1The2000cen-susreportedthat20percentofOklahomaIndianpeoplearebelowthepovertylinecomparedtolessthanfourpercentofthegeneralpopulation.2The population below poverty includes 16,487Indianfamilies.3PercapitaincomeamongOkla-homaIndians is70percentofothercitizens,at$12,097 a year.4 The median Oklahoma Indianfamily income is $32,627, compared to $40,709forthegeneralpopulation.5

Nationally,therateofpovertyforIndianeldersistwoandahalftimesthatofnon-Indianpopula-tions, with nearly one quarter of all AmericanIndiansover65belowthefederalpovertylevel.6Thiscomparestolessthan10percentforthegen-eral population.7 American Indian children inpovertyisastaggering31.61percent,comparedto 16.39 percent in the general population.8

The Need for Increased Resources in Indian Legal Aid

Oklahoma Indian Legal ServicesBy Colline Wahkinney Keely

IndianLAW

LegalServicesCorporation(LSC)funds137legalaidofficesintheUnitedStates,providingbasiclegalassistancetolow-incomepeoplewithcivil legal issues. InOklahoma,Legal

AidServicesofOklahoma(LASO)providesbasicfieldservicestoOklahomans inneed.However, there isanother legalaidofficethatprovidesspecializedassistancetoOklahoma’sIndianpopu-lation–OklahomaIndianLegalServices,alsoknownasOILS.


Indian participants in the labor force havetwicetherateofunemploymentasnon-Indianworkers.”9In2000,thisratewas12.39percent,compared to 5.72 percent for the non-Indianpopulation.10 Nearly one in four non-Indiansgraduatefromcollege.OnlyoneinnineAmer-icanIndiansdoso.11whilethepovertyfacedbymany Native Americans exacerbates theirunique legal problems, it is not the creativeforcebehindthoseissues.

sPeCIalIZeD leGal serVICes: InDIan PrOBate anD ICWa

The legal needs for Native Americans arefrequentlyincludedwithotherdisadvantagedgroupswhohavespecial legalneeds, suchasethnicandracialminorities,theelderly,veter-ans and migrant workers. At one level, low-income Native Americans share a need forservicesprovidedbyLASOandother serviceproviders.However,onemustalsolookatthelaws thatdeal specificallywith Indianpeopleinordertounderstandthescopeofthejusticegap inIndiancountry,both inOklahomaandacross the nation. It should be rememberedthatbeinganIndianisapoliticalclassification,not a racial one. Low-income Native Ameri-canspossessahostoflegalproblemsuniquetotheirpoliticalstatusastribalmembers.

Nowhere is the complexity of Indian status-related legal issues more evident than in theareaofIndianlandtitlesandprobates.InJune2006, theAmericanIndianProbateReformAct(AIPRA) created drastic changes for Indianheirs.Intestatesuccessionlawswerechangedtocreate an Indian probate code that containedsignificant variations from uniform probatecodes.Asresultsofthosechanges,Indiantrustlandsdonotautomaticallypasstotheheirsofadecedent; indeed, the land may be taken fromthefamilyandescheattotheIndiandecedent’stribe.“Trustlands”comefromthedawesActof1887, also called the General Allottment Act.ThislawauthorizedtheallotmentofIndianter-ritorytoindividualIndians.12ThislandbecameknownastrustlandbecauseitwasheldintrustbytheUnitedStatesforthebenefitoftheland-owner.13 Trust land cannot be sold without alengthyBureauofIndianAffairs(BIA)approvalprocess; it cannot be leased without approval,anditcannotbeadverselypossessedorencum-bered through legal process. Probate of trustlandisdonebyadministrativelawjudgesinthedepartmentofInterior;statecourtsdonothaveprobatejurisdictionovertrustland.

Indian landowners often did not preparewillsdealingwiththeirtrustland,insteadlet-ting their heirs inherit the land as tenants incommon, generation after generation. Theundivided interestsbecamesmallerandmorefractionalizedwiththepassingofeachowner.The result is hundreds of owners often dis-tantlyrelatedandscatteredacrossthenation.

AIPRAwasintendedtoremedytheseissuesby addressing wills, intestate succession andprobateofIndianlandundertribalandfederallaw.14whiletheostensibleintentofAIPRAistoconsolidate fractionated interests in Indiantrustallotments,thestatutehasdevelopedintoatrapfortheunwary.ManyofthetribesintheUnited States are wrestling with the issue offractionated ownership of Indian allotments,probatebacklogandan increasingnumberofapplicationsforwilldraftingservices.AndtheconsequencesofnothavingawillarefarmoredevastatingtoindividualIndiansowningtrustallotments thaneverbefore.Asa result, Indi-answhoowninterestsintrustallotmentsneeda will and those already having a will mayneed tohave it reviewedbyanattorneywithan understanding of AIPRA, which is enor-mously complicated. The problems are onlycompounded by the difficulty in accessingtribalmemberstoadvisethemofthechangesinthelaw.

AtthesametimeAIPRAwentintoeffect,theBIA stopped assisting trust land owners withsimple will preparation. The result of theseseparateeventswasaperfectstorminAmericanIndian probates. At the very time that Indianlandownerscouldlosetheir landif theyfail toproperlyprepareforthefuture,thegovernmentagencyresponsiblefortheirinterestsdecideditwould cease those services. Consequently, theincrease in the need for will drafting serviceshas been overwhelming; hence, the need foradditionalfundshasincreasedaswell.

Nowhere is the complexity of Indian status-related legal issues more

evident than in the area of Indian land titles and probates.


ThecitizensoftheFiveCivilizedTribeshavetheir own specific and unique requirementsregarding their interests in tribal allotments.Theheirs torestrictedpropertyof theseallot-ments must be judicially determined in thedistrict courts of the state of Oklahoma withnoticegiventotheareadirectoroftheBureauofIndianAffairs.Oneofthemajorproblemsinland titles of the allotments of these tribes isthatprobatesaresimplyneverdone.Manyofthe land owners cannot afford to hire attor-neys.Thereareinstanceswhererevenuesfromgrazingoroilandgas leasesaredeposited inaccountsheldbytheBIAandremainingtherebecauseentirefamilies,oftenlivinginpoverty,areunawarethat themoneyis theirs toclaimwhentheheirsarejudiciallydetermined.OILSisabletohelprecovertheseassetsbyprobatingtheseIndianestates.Someoftheusestowhichour clients have put these assets include col-lege education, home ownership, health careandconsumerpurchases.

AsimilarissuethatcantripuptheunwaryisfoundintheIndianChildwelfareAct,passedin1978toaddressinequitiesinthetreatmentofIndian children in state courts.15 The law cre-atesauniquecombinationoffactualandlegalissues that lead to almost constant appellatecourtaction.Forexample,in2009,inadditionto the 60 published ICwA opinions that havealreadybeenissuedbycourtsnationally,therehavebeen191unpublisheddecisions.16Theactisvitaltothewell-beingofIndianpeopleforonesimplereason:Indianchildrenaremuchmorelikelytoberemovedfromtheirfamilies.A2005studybytheGeneralAccountingOfficefoundthatwhileIndianchildrenmakeup25percentof the children in custody in Oklahoma, theyareonly10percentofthegeneralpopulation.17

OILSworkswiththeOklahomacourtstopro-videassistanceandinformation,aswellasdirectlitigation,intheIndianChildwelfareAct.OILSbelieves that most errors involving the ICwAresult from misunderstandings regarding thelaw.Tothatend,OILSworkstoprovideeduca-tion to attorneys, tribes and social workers, toprotect Indian children, tribes and families.18OILSalsoprovidesguardianadlitemsforchil-drenintribalcourtproceedings.

COnClusIOn

These are just a few of the examples of theuniquelawsfacedbyNativeAmericanswhichhave increased the burdens and responsibili-

tiesforIndianLegalServices.Fundingincreas-esareneededtoadequatelyaddressthejusticegap in the Native American community. Foradditionalinformationortodonate,pleasecall(405)943-6457orvisitwww.oilsonline.org.

1. Stella U. Ogunwole, 2002, The American Indian and AlaskaNative Population: 2000, U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Brief atPage5,C2KBR/0115.

2. U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 demographic Profile High-lights:Oklahoma,AmericanFactfinder,http://factfinder.census.gov.

3.Id.4.Id.5.Id.6.1990CensusofPopulationandHousing,SummaryTapeFile3,

TableP119;Census2000,SummaryFile4,TablePCT142.7.Id.8.Census2000,SummaryFile4,TablePCT1429.Census2000,SummaryFile4,TableQTP2410.Id.11.Census2000,SummaryFile4,TablePCT64.12.Theactalsofreedninetymillionacres,two-thirdsofallIndian

trustland,forprivatenon-Indianownership.Theconsequencesofthisarestillbeingfelttodayastribalsovereignty,jurisdiction,taxationandother issues that are affected by the status of the land within theboundariesofanIndianreservation.

13.IndividualIndianallotmentsheldbytheFiveCivilizedTribesin Oklahoma, as well as the Osage, are called “restricted property.”Thismeansthatthelandisrestrictedagainstalienation,andmustfol-lowspecificprotocolstolease,sell,orprobateit,includingtheapprov-alofastatecourtjudgepriortoanyoftheseevents.

14.Allotmentsmadetomembersofthe“FiveCivilizedTribes”andOsageTribeinOklahomaarecalled“Restrictedland.”TheseprobatecasesmustbeprobatedinOklahomastatecourtsutilizingentirelydif-ferentlaws,foundat25U.S.C.§373and§375,aswellasnon-codifiedcongressional acts. For an Indian person of multiple tribes, two andeven three separate probates may be necessary to address the legalissuesofprobate.

15. See Hager, C. Steven. The Indian Child Welfare Act: Case and Analysis, 2009 edition, Oklahoma Indian Legal Services, OklahomaCity,Oklahoma.

16.BecauseofthehighnumberofcasesintheICwA,Hagerpub-lisheshisbookonCd-ROMandupdatesitannuallysothatpractitio-nerscanstayontrackwiththecurrentlaw.

17.IndianChildwelfareAct:ExistingInformationonImplementa-tionIssuesCouldBeUsedtoTargetGuidanceandAssistancetoStates,GAO 05 290 at Page 13, United States Government AccountabilityOffice,April,2005.

18. Oklahoma also has established a Post-Adjudication ReviewBoard (PARB) that specializes in the Indian Child welfare Act. TheBoardincludesattorneysandtribalsocialworkersandexaminesjuve-nilecasesinOklahomaCounty,Oklahoma,toassisttheCourtsindif-ficultcases.

Colline W. Keely has served as executive director of Okla-homa Indian Legal Services since 2001. She is currently the treasurer of the Oklahoma Indian Bar Association and is past chair of the OBA Indian Law Section. She also serves as a steering committee member of the National Association of

Indian Legal Services. She graduated from the OU College of Law in 1987. Ms. Keely is a member of the Comanche Nation.

AbOuT THE AuTHOR


ICwA was necessary to stop the unwarrantedremovalofAmericanIndianchildrenfromIndianfamilies.InthedecadesleadinguptopassageofICwA,federalpolicywasnotsupportiveanddef-erential to native families. Indian children wereremovedfromtheirhomes,notbecauseofabuseorneglect,simplyforbeingIndian.Thesechildrenwereplacedinboardingschools,wheretheyweretaughttodress,speakandbehavelikenon-Indi-ans.Thenon-Indianteachersprohibitedspeakingof native languages and practice of traditionalIndianreligion.Storiesoftheseeventshavebeenhandeddownbythevictims,whoarenoweldersin tribal communities. Victim’s children, grand-children and great-grandchildren still feel theresultsofthefederalpolicyofforcedassimilation,

astheseeventsarestillverymuchintheforefrontofthememoryoftribalcommunities.

Sincepassageof ICwA,statecourtsand tribalcourts have grappled with compliance, workingtoward finding workable solutions that protectthe best interests of Indian children. State socialworkersand tribal IndianchildwelfareworkersworkacrosssystemstoaddresstheuniqueneedsofIndianchildren.

FOster Care aGreement CHanGes

Onemechanismforcollaborationbetweenstateandtribalagenciesisdevelopedunderanagree-ment between the tribes and the state on fostercarepaymentsforIndianchildren.Theagreementdefinestherolesofthestatesocialworkersfromthe Oklahoma department of Human Services

Current Issues in Indian Child Welfare Policy

Foster Care Payment ContractsBy Casey Ross-Petherick

IndianLAW

The Indian Child welfare Act (ICwA)1 sets standards forcustodycasesinvolvingAmericanIndianchildren.Theleg-islationwaspassedbyCongressin1978,duringtherenais-

sance of federal Indian policy toward a model that encouragesself-determination by tribal governments. The statue sets forthseveral congressional findings,2 among which is recognition ofthespecialrelationshipbetweenAmericanIndiantribesandtheUnited States government. The statute also confirms that stategovernmentsoftenfailtorecognizetheuniqueculturalstandardsofAmerican Indian families. In response to these findings andcircumstances,Congressset forthspecificprocedures forplace-mentofAmericanIndianchildrenwhentheyareremovedfromtheirhomes.


(OKdHS) and the tribal Indian child welfareworkers fromseveralof the38 federallyrecog-nized tribal governments in Oklahoma. Theseagreementshavebeeninplaceforseveralyears,andhavebeenrarelymodifiedinsubstanceandform—untilnow.

TheproposedagreementhasbeendeliveredtoseveraltribesinOklahoma.Theproposedfostercare agreement makes several substantivechanges.Nearlyeverysectionof thenearly20-page document is altered in some way. Somechangesaretechnicalinnatureandhavelittle,ifany, substantive effect on service providers.However,somesectionsareverydifferentthanagreements from previous years and warrantseriousconsiderationfortribalgovernments contemplatingsigning.Acloseexaminationofthemajorissuesisrequiredformeaningfulagreementbetweentheparties.

Several sections have beenmovedfromtheiroriginalloca-tionsinthedocumenttoothersections.Someofthesechangesare purely technical to makethedocumentflowbetter,whileothersmakeabiggerimpactonthe agreement. For example, achange that moves a sectionregardingtribalchildwelfareservicesprovisionfromthe“Assurances”sectionto the“Expecta-tions”sectionoftheagreementchangestherela-tionship fromoneofcollaborationbetween thestateandthetribe,tooneofattempteddictationoftribalpoliciesandprocedures.

Other changes “water down” the require-ments imposed on the state. For example, thesectionregardingnotificationbyOKdHStothetribe of allegations involving an Indian childchangestherequirementfrom24hoursaftertheremovalto“assoonaspossible”aftertheremov-al. The notification section also changes therequirementsforOKdHSregardingcompliancewithICwAandtheOklahomaIndianChildwel-fare Act (OICwA), by watering down the lan-guage“OKdHSshall conformwithprovisionsoftheICwAandOICwA,”substitutinginitsplace,“OKdHS shall make every effort to conform withtheprovisionsoftheICwAandOICwA.”

In an altogether new section, the proposedagreement contains a broad records provision,requiringtribestomaintaincertainrecords.Thesectionalsopermitsthewholesaleauditandno-

notice examination of tribal custody children’srecords by the U.S. department of Health andHuman Services, OKdHS, the Oklahoma StateAuditorandInspectorandanyother“appropri-atestateandfederalentities.”Althoughaccount-ability and transparency is important, tribaladvocates feel that privacy and tribal sover-eigntyshouldnotbedisregarded,andthatthereis a possibility for abuse of sensitive recordsinvolvingIndianchildren.

Theproposedagreementcontainsanewsec-tionforinformationsecurity,whichappearstobe standard boilerplate language. However,prospectivetribalsignatoriestotheagreementshould pay particular attention to additional

requirementsimposedonthetribe, including an annualauditofinformationsecurityrisk,whichmustcomplywithstate standards as approvedbytheOfficeofStateFinance.This new requirement doesnotappropriateany fundingfor compliance efforts. Thisnew section also requirescompliance with federalinformation processing stan-dards,3 and requires thattribesdevelopcontinuityanddisaster recovery plans in

compliancewithOklahomaInformationSecu-rity Policy.4 Tribes must also submit annualexecutive summaries of OKdHS’ InformationSecurityOffice.Theseadditionalrequirementsimpose a heavy burden on tribes, and non-compliancemayresultinwithholdingoffostercarepayments.

Another concerning deletion from the pro-posed agreement relates to indemnity of theparties.Thepreviousagreementscontainedanextensiveindemnityclause,holdingthesigna-tories harmless for revocation, termination orviolation of the agreement, and setting forthindemnity for the non-violating party by theviolatingparty.Thenewagreementissilentastoindemnityoftheparties.Thiserasurecouldimposeliabilityontribesforissuesarisingasaresultofrevocation,terminationorviolationoftheagreement,eveniftheviolationiscommit-tedbyOKdHS.

Expected implementation issues are also ofconcern for tribes contemplating entering intotheproposed fostercareagreement.Theagree-mentreferencestheOKdHScomputernetwork-ing system,alsoknownasEKids, and requires

Indian children were removed from their

homes, not because of abuse or neglect, simply

for being Indian.


tribes to input information into that system.Additionaltrainingwillbeneededfortribestomeet this requirement, otherwise compliancewiththissectionwillbedifficulttoassure.

Additional issuesarisewhen lookingat eachlineofthepreviousagreementandcomparingitto theproposedagreement, including issuesofsovereign immunity, training needs, placementpreferencesandcustodystandards.Eachissueisimportant,and tribes shouldcautiously reviewthe proposed changes before entering into thenewagreement.

Tribes working toward entering into a fostercareagreementmaycontacttheOklahomaIndi-an Child welfare Association5 to learn moreabouttheproposedchanges.Formoreinforma-tion,contacttheNativeAmericanLegalResourceCenteratOCULawat(405)208-5017.

1.25U.S.C.§1901-1936,1978.2.25U.S.C.§1901,1978.3.FIPS200.4. Office of State Finance Core Oklahoma Information security

PolicySection8.0,BusinessContinuity.5.TheOklahoma IndianChildwelfareAssociation servesas the

statewide organization for tribal Indian Child welfare programs inOklahoma. The Association provides leadership and training on avarietyofissuesaimedatimplementingbestpracticemodelsforwork-ingwithAmericanIndianandAlaskaNativechildren.OICwAworksonbehalfofall38federallyrecognizedtribesinOklahoma.Member-shipoftheAssociationincludesamajorityofOklahomatribes.

Casey Ross-Petherick is the deputy director of the Native American Legal Resource Cen-ter at OCU School of Law. Prior to joining the faculty at OCU, she served as the senior legislative officer in the Chero-kee Nation’s Washington, D.C. office, working on legislative

and agency advocacy issues for the Cherokee Nation and its subsidiaries. She is a member of the Chero-kee Nation, and she earned her J.D. and M.B.A. from OCU.

AbOuT THE AuTHOR


FeDeral antI-FrauD eFFOrts are GrOWInG natIOnallY

whilethefederalgovernmentpursuesfraud-ulent claims in nearly every industry thatreceives federal funding, healthcare and thedefense industry are the most scrutinized.Between1987and2008,theCivildivisionoftheUnitedStatesdepartmentofJustice(dOJ)pur-sued a total of 10,063 referrals, qui tam actionsandinvestigations.1Ofthose,almost40percentinvolvedthedepartmentofHealthandHuman

Services(HHS)andalmost24percentinvolvedthedepartmentofdefense (dOd).dOJ recov-eredatotalof$21billionfromallfraudbetween1987and2008.2Theamountrecoveredforeachagency is substantial.3 HHS comprised 66 per-cent of the recovery, resulting in the agencyrecouping $14 billion.4 dOd constituted 18.5percentof therecovery,resultingintheagencyrecoupingnearly$4billion.5whileanyrecipientoffederalfundsshouldbeprudentandcareful,healthcare providers and defense contractorsshouldbeextremelydiligent.

Are Indian Nations Subject to the Federal False Claims Act?

An Examination of the Federal False Claims Act’s Applicability to

Oklahoma TribesBy Mary R. Daniel and Maxwell Carr-Howard

IndianLAW

Federalcivilactionspursuingfraudulentlyobtainedfederalfunds are steadily increasing. Oklahoma Tribes regularlyreceivemillionsofdollarsinfederalfunding,soeachtribe

shouldbeawareofthenewenforcementfocus.Oneofthemajortools the United States uses to investigate fraud and recovermoneyobtainedthroughfraudulentconductisthefederalFalseClaims Act (FCA). But it is unclear whether the FCA can beapplied to Indian Nations in general or to Oklahoma Tribes inparticular. This article will examine whether the FCA can beusedtorecoverfundsfromOklahomaTribes,andwilloffersomestrategiesforOklahomaTribestoavoidpotentialFCAliability.


tHe False ClaIms aCt Is a POWerFul tOOl PermIttInG BOtH PrIVatelY anD PuBlIClY InItIateD aCtIOns

To successfully pursue an FCA claim, theplaintiffmustshowthat:1)“anyperson”pre-sentedaclaimforpaymenttobepresentedtoanagentoftheUnitedStates;2)thatwasfalseorfraudulent;3)knowingtheclaimtobefalseor fraudulent (or deliberate ignoring or reck-lessdisregardingthefalsityoftheclaim);and4)thattheUnitedStatessuffereddamagesasaresult of the claim.6 The FCA was recentlyamended, but the amendments have not yetbeensignificantlyanalyzedincaselaw.There-fore,themajorityofthearticlewillfocusontheFCAbeforethe2009amendments.Thepoten-tial impact of the 2009 amendments will bediscussedbelow.

whatmakestheFCAapopularenforcementtool is the qui tam provision, which allowsanyone who knows about a potential FCAclaim,referredtoasaqui tamrelator,tobringan action against the defendant on behalf ofthe government.7 The qui tam relator is fre-quently referred to as a “private” attorneygeneral.Aftertherelatorfilesaqui tamaction,the government has 60 days to determinewhetheritwillintervene.8Evenifthegovern-ment decides not to intervene, the qui tamactionmaystillproceed.

IftheFCAactionissuccessful,andthedefen-dant must pay the government back, the qui tamrelatorshares15-25percentoftherecoveryif the government intervenes,9 and 25-30 per-centoftherecoveryifthegovernmentdoesnotintervene.10 The amount that a qui tam relatorobtains can be significant. In a recent qui tamaction,thegovernmentwillrecover$2.3billionfromPfizerforfalseclaimsrelatedtoMedicareand Medicaid, while six qui tam relators willshare $102 million.11 This creates a powerfulincentive for individuals with knowledge ofwrongdoing—andtheplaintiffslawyerswhorepresentthem—tobringactionsthatthegov-ernmentmightnotbringonitsown.

Can tHe unIteD states Or ‘PrIVate’ attOrneYs General use tHe False ClaIms aCt aGaInst InDIan natIOns?

The 10th Circuit has not examined whetherthe FCA can be enforced against tribes, butthere are a handful of cases from across thecountry that have examined the issue. Thegoodnewsisthatsovereignimmunityisasig-

nificantbarriertoliabilityundertheFCA.Thebadnewsisthatsovereignimmunitydoesnotoffer full protection from FCA liability. Indi-vidualemployees,eveniftheyactwithintheirscope of employment, may not be protectedfromanFCAaction.Thenextpartofthearticlewill explore tribal sovereign immunity, andhow it affects FCA actions brought againsttribesandtribalemployees.

Tribal Sovereign Immunity

TheSupremeCourthasdecided that tribeshavesovereignimmunity,12andtheimmunitycannot be abrogated unless Congress acts toabrogate it,13 or a tribe expresses a clear andunequivocal waiver.14 This legal doctrine hasbeenextensivelydiscussedindecisionsbasedin Oklahoma. The most applicable are Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma15 and C&L Enterprises.16 InKiowa Tribe of Oklahoma, the Supreme Courtheldthatsovereignimmunityisgovernedbyfederal law, not state law.17 The immunityextendstobothgovernmentalandcommercialactivities conducted both on and off Indianland.18 However, the doctrine is not limitless.In C&L Enterprises, the Supreme Court heldthat a contractual arbitration clause waivessovereignimmunity.19

Courts throughout the country have exam-inedhowfartribalsovereignimmunityextendsto tribal entities. Entities such as casinos thatact as “an arm of the Tribe,” where the tribeacted to create, own and control the casino,also enjoy sovereign immunity.20 A tribal col-legethat“servesasanarmofthetribeandnotas a mere business” is also protected by atribe’ssovereignimmunity.21Anonprofithealthcorporationthat is“createdandcontrolledbyIndiantribesisentitledtotribalimmunity.”22Atribal housing authority is protected by tribalsovereignimmunity,23evenifthetribeformsastatecorporation.24Finally,Indiancasinosthatare not located on Indian land,25 or tribal for-profit corporations that manage a casino areprotectedbytribalsovereignimmunity.26

It is not yet clear how the courts will treathybrid entities. Some decisions suggest thatsomeentitiesmaybeviewedbythecourtsas“a mere business” not entitled to sovereignimmunity.Forexample,atriballyruncompanythatmanagestheoperationsofdialysiscenters,bothtribalandnon-tribalsites,mightbeviewedas“amerebusiness”unprotectedbysovereignimmunity. Particularly if the tribal companyoperates thedialysis centermanymilesaway


fromthebordersoftheIndiannation.Itisnotclearifsuchanentityoperatingoutsideofthetribe’sborderswouldqualifyasanarmofthetribe.Or,whatabouttriballycreatedstatecor-porations in other states besides Oklahoma?what about tribal municipalities? Are theymore like localgovernments,orwouldcourtsstilltreatthemasanarmofthetribe?Thecaselawisnotclear,andhowthecourtswillresolvethesequestionsisnotclear.

The Application of the False Claims Act Qui Tam Provisions to State and Local

Governments Vary, but All are Subject to Federally Initiated Investigations

1) the Vermont Agency Decision: states and state agencies are not subject to Qui Tam liability:FCAqui tamliabilityextendsto“anyperson.” In Vermont Agency v. Stevens, theSupremeCourtconsideredwhetherstatesmetthe definition of person for the purposes ofestablishing qui tam liability.27 The court heldthatstatesandstateagencieswerenotpersonsunder theFCAqui tam section,andcouldnotbesubjecttoqui tamlawsuits.28Thecourtdeter-mined that states are sovereigns protected bythe11thAmendment.29Thecourtalsoanalyzedhow another section of the FCA, 31 U.S.C.3733, explicitly includes states as a “person.”This section allows the attorney general to“issue civil investigative demands.”30 Theabsenceofstatesinthemeaningof“person”inthe qui tam section means that states weremeanttobeexcludedfromqui tamliability.Inaddition, theFCAassessespunitivedamages,and states should generally not be subject topunitive damages.31 Finally, a similar statutecalled theProgramFraudCivilRemediesActof1986didnotincludestatesinthedefinitionof“person.”32

2) the Cook County Decision: municipali-ties are subject to Qui Tam liability: CookCounty,IllinoissoughttoextendVermont Agen-cytolocalgovernments.However,theSupremeCourt refused to offer local governments thesame protection against qui tam lawsuits.33 InCook County v. Chandler, the Supreme Courtheld that local governments were “persons”underthequi tamprovision.34Thecourtdecid-edthatnothinginthestatutorytextorlegisla-tive history explicitly excluded municipalitiesand other local governments.35 The court alsodeterminedthatthedangerofassessingpuni-tivedamagesagainststatesdoesnotapply tomunicipalities and other local governments

becausetheydonothavesovereignimmunitylikestates.36

3) the Stoner Decision: state employees are subject to Qui Tam liability: Employees ofCaliforniastateagenciesthoughtthatVermont Agency’s protection would extend to them.However,inStoner v. Santa Clara County Office of Education,the9thCircuitheldthatstateindi-vidual employees could be subject to qui tam liability.37Thisliabilityevenextendstoemploy-ees who act within their official capacity as astate employee.38 The 9th Circuit determinedthat states’ sovereign immunity is not jeopar-dized by allowing qui tam suits against indi-vidualemployees.39

Cases in Indian Country Analyzing the False Claims Act

1) the Braun Decision: tribes are not sub-ject to Qui Tam liability: For several years,Leon Braun accused the Seminole Tribe ofFlorida of submitting false claims to the gov-ernment by failing to give accurate financialinformation to the Bureau of Indian Affairs(BIA).40The11thCircuit,the8thCircuitandthe2nd Circuit all recognized that the SeminoleTribewasprotected fromanyqui tam liabilitythrough its tribal sovereign immunity.41Allofthe casesweredismissed.42whilenoneof thecircuits explained their decision, one mayassumethatthecircuitsknewthattribesenjoysovereign immunity.And, in light of Vermont Agency, the circuits probably determined thattribesassovereignsaresimilartostates.

2) the Kendall Decision: an entity that is an “arm of the tribe” is not subject to Qui Tam liability:TracieK.Kendallaccusedherformeremployer, the Chief Leschi School district, aPuyalluptribalcorporation,ofcommittingfraudandoffiringherinretaliationwhenshebeganinvestigatingtheallegedfraud.43Theschooldis-trictismorelikeamunicipalityorlocalgovern-mentthanastate.However,asatribalcorpora-tion,theschooldistrictcanbeconsideredapartofthetribe.ThewesterndistrictCourtofwash-ingtontooktheapproachthattheschooldistrictis an “arm of the tribe,” and dismissed theaction,whichaffordedtheschoolprotectionbythe tribe’s sovereign immunity.44 The districtcourtrecognizedthattribalsovereignimmunityis limitedonlywhenatribeconsentstoa law-suit,orCongressabrogatestheimmunity.45ThedistrictcourtalsodeterminedthatthePuyallupTribeissimilartothestateofVermontbecausebotharesovereigns.46


3) the Menominee Tribal Enterprises Deci-sion: tribal employees are subject to Qui Tam liability: The government brought anaction against Menominee Tribal Enterprises(MTE)andtwoemployeesforsubmittingfalseclaimstotheBIA.47TheMTEmanagedthefor-estandroadmaintenanceprograms.48Thegov-ernmentclaimedthattheMTEbilledforover$48,000 of work that was not actually per-formed,andimproperlychargedover$78,500forequipment.49TheEasterndistrictCourtofwisconsinconsideredboththeVermont Agencyand Cook County decisions, comparing a tribetobothastateandamunicipality.50ThedistrictcourtdismissedtheactionagainstMTEbecausethetribeisasovereignlikeastate,andthere-foredoesnotmeetthedefinitionofa“person”under the FCA qui tam provision.51 And, thedistrictcourttookitonestepfurtherbydecid-ing that the entire FCA, not just the qui tam provision, is inapplicable to states, and there-foretribes.52However,thedistrictcourtdeter-minedthatthetribalemployees,liketheStonerstateemployees,met thedefinitionofa“per-son” under the FCA, and could be subject toqui tamliabilityevenwhenactingintheiroffi-cial capacity.53 And, like the Stoner court, thedistrictcourtdeterminedthatallowingrecov-eryagainstthetribalemployeesdidnotjeopar-dizetribalsovereignimmunity.54

Discussion of Case Law

TheFCAcasesinIndianCountryshowthatcourtsarenotwillingtolimittribalsovereignimmunity to allow an FCA claim to proceedagainstatribe.Itisaninterestingprogression,starting with tribes enjoying immunity fromqui tamactions,endingwheretribesenjoycom-pleteimmunityfromtheFCA.However,indi-vidual tribal employees shouldbeaware thattheymaybesubjecttoaqui tamlawsuit.Okla-homatribesshouldalsorecognizethatMenom-inee Tribal Enterprises is limited to the EasterndistrictCourtofwisconsinbutshouldbecon-cerned that Oklahoma courts could be per-suaded to adopt the reasoning in Menominee.willallcourtsfollowthereasoninginMenomi-nee Tribal Enterprises,orwillsomecourtsrecog-nizeFCAliabilitywhenanactionisinitiatedbythegovernment?whataboutwhenthereisanexpress waiver of tribal sovereign immunity?The next section of the article will focus onhealthcare,anareawheretribesmaybesubjecttoFCAliability.

HealtHCare anD tHe False ClaIms aCt

The prosecution of healthcare providers forfraud under the FCA has been a focus of thegovernment in recent years. As discussedabove,therateofreturnissignificant,makingtheprosecutionofhealthcareprovidersworththe government’s time and effort. Healthcareproviders may be subject to FCA liability formanyreasons,butthethreemainareasthatareroutinelyprosecuted:aviolationofthefederalanti-kickbackstatute (AKS),aviolationof theStark law, and falsely billing Medicare andMedicaid.Thegovernment, through thedOJ,the Office of the Inspector General of HHS(OIG) or the U.S.Attorney’s Office, have tiedAKSandStarkviolations to theFCA.Severalhealthcare providers have been exposed toFCA liability through AKS and Stark viola-tions, and have settled with the governmentforamountsrangingfromafewhundredthou-sandtoseveralmilliondollars.

TheAKSprohibits the“knowingandwill-ful”solicitation,receipt,orpaymentofremu-nerationinexchangeforareferralthatrequiresthefurnishing(includingthearrangement)ofanitemoraservicethatmaybepayablebyafederalhealthcareprogram—orinexchangeforpurchasing,leasing,orderingorarranging(includingtherecommendation)foranygood,facility, service or item for which paymentmay be made by a federal healthcare pro-gram.55 The intent standard is an importantelement,asapersoncannotunwillinglyvio-latetheAKS.AnexampleofanAKSviolationisknowingandwillfullypayingaphysicianahigher salary because he or she will makereferrals to your tribal facility that includeMedicareorMedicaid.SomeonefoundguiltyofviolatingtheAKSmayfacecriminalprose-cution, and fines of up to $25,000.56 In addi-tion,thegovernmentcanassesscivilmonetarypenaltiesagainstaviolator,57andtheviolatorcanbeexcludedfromparticipationinthefed-eralhealthcareprograms.58

TheStarklawprohibitsaphysicianwhohasafinancialrelationshipwithanentityfrommak-ing referrals for certain designated health ser-vices unless an exception can be met.59UnliketheAKS,Starkviolationsarestrictliability,anddonothaveanintentrequirement.IftheStarklaw is violated, the entity that furnished thedesignated health services may not bill Medi-care for those services.60 Examples of when atribal healthcare provider may incur Stark lia-


bility include paying a physician who is notemployedformedicaldirectorserviceswithoutawrittenagreement,orallowinganemployedphysician to collect a productivity bonus forservicesthatwerenotpersonallyperformedbythephysician.TheStark lawhasbeenreferredtoas“draconian”becausepartiesdonotneedtopossessanybadintent,andsimplemistakescancosthealthcareprovidersmillionsofdollars.AhealthcareproviderthatviolatestheStarklawshouldpaybackalloftheMedicarepaymentsreceivedasaresultofthetaintedrelationship.61And similar to anAKS violation, the govern-mentmayalsoassesscivilmonetarypenaltiesagainst a violator,62 and the violator can beexcluded from participation in the federalhealthcareprograms.63

Simplebillingerrorsmayalsoleadtoliabilityunder the FCA. At some point, almost everyhealthcare provider encounters a billing errorthat resulted in an overpayment from Medi-careorMedicaid.Ithavemayhavebeensome-thing as simple as a coder error. In the past,someentitieswouldfixtheproblem,butwouldsimply keep the overpayment. This approachis problematic, and has led to million dollarsettlementsbetweenthegovernmentandsev-eralhealthcareproviders.64

Tribal Healthcare Providers and Medicare

ForMedicarefunds,tribalhealthcareprovid-ersmaybeinsulatedfromFCAliabilitybecauseoftribalsovereignimmunity.NeithertheAKSortheStarklawcontainanexplicitabrogationof tribal sovereign immunity. However, fromtheOIG’sperspective, theAKSmaybeappli-cable to tribes. In 2001, a tribe submitted arequest for an advisory opinion to the OIG.65The proposed arrangement was a 10 percentdiscount for servicesprovided to thepatientsofthetribalhealthfacility.TheOIGconsideredthe arrangement a “routine waiver of theMedicare copayment,” which the OIG viewswith suspicion. However, the OIG concludedthatitwouldnotimposesanctionsagainstthetribe. The OIG did recognize that there is aunique relationship between the governmentand “sovereign Indian nations.” Interestinglyenough,theOIGdidnotevenconsiderwheth-er ithad theauthority to imposesanctions, itjustassumedthepower.Arguably,becausetheAKS does not have an explicit provision thatincludestribes,theOIGmayhaveoversteppedits authority. we may not know the ultimateconclusionuntilanothertribesubmitsanadvi-soryopinion.

Tribal Healthcare Providers and Oklahoma Medicaid

ManytribalhealthcareprovidersparticipateintheOklahomaMedicaidprogram.TheOkla-homaHealthCareAuthorityhasmadeacon-certedefforttorespecttribalsovereignty.Noneoftheprovideragreementscontainanexplicitwaiverofsovereignimmunity.But,thereisoneprovision that tribal healthcare providersshould be aware of because it could subjectthem to potential FCA liability. In all of theagreements, there is a section regarding thesatisfactionofclaims.66

Satisfactionofallclaimswillbe fromfed-eral and state funds. Any false claims,statements,ordocuments,oranyconceal-mentofamaterialfactmaybeprosecuted.

while this is a blanket statement, it is clearthatany“falseclaims”maybeprosecuted.Ifafederalcourttreatedthisstatementasanexplic-itwaiverofsovereignimmunity,similartotheC&L Enterprises arbitration clause, this maysubject Oklahoma tribes who participate inOklahoma Medicaid, or their employees, toFCAliability.

Generally,awaiverof sovereign immunitymadebyatribemustbeclearandunequivo-cal,orCongressmayabrogateit.So,theques-tioniswhetheratribethatagreestohavefalseclaims prosecuted is giving a clear andunequivocal waiver of sovereign immunity.whileitdoesnotexplicitlystatethatatribeiswaiving their immunity, a court, in light ofC&L Enterprises,coulddeterminethatmerelyagreeingtoprosecutionisenoughtowaiveatribe’s immunity. Perhaps Vermont Agency’sreasoningwouldbepersuasiveenoughtopre-vent tribalprosecutionunder thisagreementsection.However,thestateofVermontdidnotexplicitlywaiveitsimmunity.wouldVermont Agency’s protections apply if a court deter-minedthatagreeingtoprosecutionisawaiverof tribal sovereign immunity? Moreover,wouldthissubjectatribetoqui tamliability?Onesimplewaytoavoidtheseissuesistoaddasentenceattheendofthesectionstatingthatbyagreeingtoprosecution,atribeisnotwaiv-ingitssovereignimmunity.

amenDments tO tHe False ClaIms aCt

TheFCAwasrecentlyamended,effectiveonMay20,2009.Thechangesaresignificant,andreversearecentSupremeCourtdecisioninter-


preting the FCA. In Allison Engine v. Sanders,theSupremeCourtaddedanintentelementtoanFCAaction.67TobeliableundertheFCA,thegovernment and/or qui tam relator had toshow that the defendant intended “to get”falseclaims“paidorapprovedbythegovern-ment.”68 The amendments eliminated this re-quirement.Instead,themaking,using,orcaus-ing tobemadeorusedarecordorstatement“material”toafalseorfraudulentclaiminvokesFCAliability.69Materialmeanstohave“anatu-ral tendency to influence, or be capable ofinfluencing, the payment or receipt of moneyorproperty.”70Because the intent requirementhas been eliminated, these changes make iteasiertoproveanFCAclaim.71

Another change broadens the scope of theFCA.Thedefinitionofclaimnowincludesarequestordemandformoneyorpropertythatispresentedtothegovernment,oranagentofthe government, regardless of whether thegovernmenthastitletothemoneyorproper-ty.72Thismeansthatentitiescouldbeliableforfalse claims submitted to a government con-tractor,solongasthegovernmentcontractorreceives federal funds, and regardless ofwhether federal funds actually paid for thefalseclaims.

One disturbing change is the treatment ofobligations and overpayments. Any personwho “knowingly conceals or knowingly andimproperly avoids or decreases an obligationto pay or transmit money or property to theGovernment”73 is now liable under the FCA.AnobligationundertheFCAmeans“anestab-lishedduty,whetherornotfixed,arisingfroman express or implied contractual, grantor-grantee,orlicensor-licenseerelationship,fromafee-basedorsimilarrelationship,fromstatuteor regulation, or from the retention of anyoverpayment.”74whileMedicareandMedicaidoverpayments have been an issue under theFCA (as discussed above), this change nowapplies to any overpayment of federal funds.

And,liabilitycanresultfromboththeactionorinactionofaparty.

Even without actual knowledge, a personwhoactswithrecklessdisregardordeliberateignorance of an obligation or overpaymentcouldalsobeliable.withtheuseofbillingandclaims software, many healthcare providershave automated billing systems, so that anoverpaymentshould,theoretically,beeasiertodetect. The reckless disregard standard maymakehealthcareprovidersliableiftheysimplyfailtonoticeanautomatedprocessthatresultsin an overpayment, or fail to enact an auto-matedprocess thatshoulddetectanoverpay-ment.TheonlycircumstancethattheknowingretentionofoverpaymentsmaynotinvoketheFCAiswhenaprocessmandatedbystatuteorregulationallowsforthereconciliationofcostreportsandotherfinancialprocesses.Oncethisprocessiscomplete,orthesubmissionofpay-mentsisfinal,FCAliabilitywouldapplytoanyoverpaymentsknowinglyretained.75

Oklahoma tribes must be aware of thesechangesbecausetheymayinvokeFCAliabilityinareasnotpreviouslycontemplated.Howev-er,anotherwaytoviewthechangesisinfavorof tribes. Congress had the opportunity toexplicitly waive tribal sovereign immunitywhenitpassedtheFCAamendments,andthelackofdiscussionabouttribesinthetextofthestatute or the Senate Report may mean thatCongress has not expressly abrogated tribalsovereignimmunityforthepurposesofFCA.Even with this view, in light of Menominee Tribal Enterprises, individual tribal employeesmuststillbeawareofpotentialFCAliability.

COnClusIOn anD reCOmmenDatIOns

Oklahomatribesneedtobecomemorecogni-zantoftheprosecutionoftheFCA.Healthcareprovidersalreadyconductroutinetraining,butthe content may need to include informationrelated to individual liability under the FCA.And,ingeneral,allprogramsthatreceivefed-eral funding should undergo annual trainingon the FCA. Below are some specific recom-mendations.

1)Allprograms,departmentsandtribalenti-tiesshouldconductcompliancetrainingonan annual basis. The training should dis-cusstheFCA.Individualemployeesshouldunderstand that they may be personallyliableundertheFCAandmaynotbepro-tectedbythetribe’ssovereignimmunity.

Generally, a waiver of sovereign immunity made by a tribe must be clear and unequivocal, or

Congress may abrogate it.


2)The tribe should develop an anonymousreporting mechanism so potential FCAissuesmaybereportedtotheadministra-tion,andtheissuecanbefixedbeforeFCAliabilityattaches.Examplesincludeatoll-free number with a voicemail system, ageneraldropboxlocatedinabreakroomorothercentralmeetingarea,oragenerale-maildropboxthatsomeoneisrequiredtocheckonadailybasis.

3)Thetribeshouldhavepolicies inplacetoaddress a potential FCA issue. Thereshouldbeaperiodofinvestigation,andananalysisofthepotentialFCAissue.Allofthisshouldbedocumented.ThepotentialFCAissueshouldthenbecorrected,includ-ing the imposition of disciplinary actionagainstemployees.

4)The tribe should be mindful of due pro-cess.donotlettheFCAinvestigationturnintoawitchhuntorbecomeaninstrumentof tribal politics. To avoid this, considerhiringathirdpartytoconducttheinvesti-gation. These third parties include lawfirms,consultantsorauditors.

5)Once the investigation is complete, thetribeshouldconsiderwhether itneeds toself-disclosetothegovernment,andifso,towhichentity theself-disclosureshouldgo to. In healthcare, self-disclosures maygo to the OIG, or they may go the U.S.Attorney’sOffice.Legalcounselmayneedto be advised to help the tribe make thebestdetermination.

6)If the tribe uses some sort of billing andclaims software to handle reconciliationsand audits of federal funds, be sure tohaveathoroughunderstandingofthepro-cess.Unintentionalerrorscreatinganover-payment of federal funds, or the lack ofdetectinganoverpaymentmaycreateFCAliability. A third party, such as a consul-tant, auditor or financial advisor, may beabletoassistwiththisanalysis.

7)Tribes need to keep up with current lawandtheenforcementoftheFCA.Assignaperson to annually review the law todetermineifthereisanypolicythatneedstobeupdated.

Based on the statutes, and the case law,whethertheFCAcanbeusedtorecoverfundsfromOklahomatribesisstillanopenquestion.However, it does seem very likely that tribal

employees are subject to FCA liability, andeven qui tam liability. while there is an argu-mentthatbadactorsdeservejustpunishment,theFCA,especiallywiththe2009amendments,may create liability in situations where “bad-ness”orintentisirrelevant.Considertheinno-centcoderwhopunchesinthewrongcodeforaMedicarebill,oraninnocentphysicianwhodoes not realize that his or her productivitybonusincludescreditforservicesthatheorshedid not perform. Oklahoma tribes now havethe time to implement effective complianceprograms, before the OIG, the governmentinvestigator,orthequi tamrelatorcomesknock-ing at the door. Being proactive is the bestapproach,asitiseasierandmorecosteffectiveforOklahomatribestoavoidFCAliabilitythento litigatewhether theFCAdoesreallyapply.whowantstorollthediceincourtwhenafewhoursoftrainingandplanningmaycompletelyavoidtheissue?

Author’s Note: The authors would like to thank Branden Gregory, a summer associate, for his research assistance.

1. Fraud Statistics, 1986-2008, www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2008/November/fraud-statistics1986-2008.htm.

2.Id.3.Id.4.Id.5.Id.6.31U.S.C.3729(a).7.31U.S.C.3730(b).8.Id.9.31U.S.C.3730(d)(1).10.31U.S.C.3730(d)(2).11. department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs, www.justice.

gov/opa/pr/2009/September/09-civ-900.html.12.Santa Clara Pueblo v. Martinez,436U.S.49,58(1978).13.Id.14.Id.15.Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma v. Manufacturing Tech. Inc.,523U.S.751

(1998).16.C&L Enterprises Inc. v. Citizen Band of Potawatomi Indian Tribe of

Oklahoma,523U.S.411(2001).17.Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma,523U.S.at756.18.Id.at760.19.C&L Enterprises Inc.,532at424.20.Allen v. Gold Country Casino,464F.3d1044,1047(9thCir.2006).21. Hagen v. Sisseton-Wahpeton Community College, 205 F.3d 1040,

1043(8thCir.2000).22.Id.(citingPink v. Modoc Indian Health Project,157F.3d1185,1188

(9thCir.1998)).23.Dillon v. Yankton Sioux Tribe Housing Auth.,144F.3d581,583(8th

Cir.1998).24.Duke v. Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma,199F.3d1123,1125

(10thCir.1999).25.Redding Rancheria v. Super. Ct.,88Cal.App.4th384,388-89(Cal.

App.2001).26.Trudgeon v. Fantasy Springs Casino,71Cal.App.4th632,642(Cal.

App.1999).27. Vermont Agency of Natural Resources v. Stevens, 529 U.S. 765

(2000).28.Id.at787-88.29.Id.at778-82.30.Id.at783-84.31.Id.at784-85.32.Id.at786.33.Cook County v. Chandler,538U.S.119(2003).


34.Id.at134.35.Id.at133-34.36.Id.at131-32.37.Stoner v. Santa Clara County Office of Education,502F.3d1116(9th

Cir.2007).38.Id.at1125.39.Id.40.Braun v. Seminole Tribe of Florida,157Fed.Appx.418,419(2nd

Cir.2005).41.Id.42.Id.43.Kendall v. Chief Leschi School Inc.,2008wL4194021(w.d.wash.

2008).44.Id.45.Id.46.Id.47.U.S. v. Menominee Tribal Enterprises,601F.Supp.1061,1064-66

(E.d.wis.2009).48.Id.at1065.49.Id.at1066.50.Id.51.Id.at1068.52.Id.at1069.53.Id.at1070.54.Id.at1071.55.42U.S.C.1320a–7b(b).56.42U.S.C.1320a–7b(b).57.42U.S.C.1128A(a)(7).58.42U.S.C.1128(b)(7).59.42U.S.C.1395nn.60.42U.S.C.1395nn(a)(1)(B).61.42U.S.C.1395nn(g)(2).62.42U.S.C.1395nn(g)(3).63.42U.S.C.1395nn(g)(3).64. A Florida hospital settled for $14 million, a Nebraska

hospital settled for$4million,andad.C.hospital (through thedis-trict)settledfor$12million.Thesesettlementsarearesultofthehos-pitals failing to disclose overpayments from Medicare, Medicaid orboth. See www.usdoj.gov/usao/cac/pressroom/pr2006/171.html;www.integriguard.org/wp-content/uploads/St_Elizabeth-10-30-06.pdf; http://newsroom.dc.gov/show.aspx/agency/dmh/section/2/release/14514/year/2008.

65. Office of Inspector General, www.oig.hhs.gov/fraud/docs/advisoryopinions/2001/ao01-03.pdf.

66. Oklahoma Healthcare Authority, www.ohca.state.ok.us/pro-viders.aspx?id=108&menu=56&parts=7551_7553_7555.

67.Allison Engine Co. v. Sanders,128S.Ct.2123,2130(2008).68.Id.69.31U.S.C.3729(a)(1)(B).70.31U.S.C.3729(b)(4).71.ThesearetheonlysetofchangesthatareretroactivetoJune7,

2008.72.31U.S.C.3729(b)(2)(A).

73.31U.S.C.3729(a)(1)(G).74.31U.S.C.3729(b)(3).75.S.Rep.No.111-10,at14(2009).

Mary R. Daniel is a member of the Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma and is also Oneida. She graduated from Dartmouth College in 1998 and from Oklahoma City Uni-versity School of Law, magna cum laude, in 2005. She prac-tices in the areas of health law and Indian law at Husch Black-

well Sanders in Kansas City, Missouri. She also serves as a special judge for the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation located in Mayetta, Kansas.

Maxwell Carr-Howard is a graduate of the University of New Mexico School of Law where he studied Indian law. He served as a law clerk to U.S. Dis-trict Judge LeRoy Hansen and later as an Assistant U.S. Attor-ney in the District of New Mexi-co. In both these positions he grappled with many of the com-

plex issues surrounding Indian law and the intersection of tribal, state and federal courts in Indian Country. He is now a partner at Husch Blackwell Sanders where he practices in the areas of government investigations, Indian law and complex litigation.

AbOuT THE AuTHORS


Got questions?Get answers!Conference: March 25–27, 2010Expo: March 25–26, 2010Hilton Chicago, Chicago, IL www.techshow.com

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NOTICE OF JUDICIAL VACANCY

TheJudicialNominatingCommissionseeksapplicantstofillthefollowingtwojudicialoffices:Allpositionsareforasix-yearterm:July1,2010—June30,2016.

Judge, Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Court, Position 6Judge, Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Court, Position 7

[there is no residency requirement imposed upon appointees to the Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Court. to be properly appointed, one must have been licensed to practiced law in the state of Oklahoma for a period of not less than five years prior to appoi ntment.]

ApplicationformscanbeobtainedbycontactingTammyReaves,AdministrativeOfficeoftheCourts,1915NorthStiles,Suite305,OklahomaCity,Oklahoma73105,(405)521-2450,andshouldbesubmittedtotheChairmanoftheCommissionatthesameaddressno later than 5:00 p.m., Friday, march 5, 2010. If applications are mailed, they must be postmarked by midnight, march 5, 2010.

Markd.Antinoro,ChairmanOklahomaJudicialNominatingCommission


Inacontinuingefforttousethetrainingandexperienceofmembersofthebarandtopro-vide public service to the citizens of Okla-homa,theLegislativeMonitoringCommitteeisalreadyhardatwork.

Because of the large number of bills andresolutions introduced in each session of theLegislature, theprimarymissionof thecom-mittee is to assist the legislative process byreviewing language for clarity, for confor-mance with applicable constitutional provi-sionsandforeffectifadopted.

Thecommitteehasaspecific—thoughlim-ited—mission.Specifically, theworkof themembers of several subcommittees is toreviewlegislationasitprogressesthroughthelegislative process with an eye to constitu-tionality, form, clarity, specificity and legalimplications or unintended consequences.Therearesuchalargenumberofbillswhichhavetobewrittenbythelegislativestaff,readand understood by legislative committeesand individual legislators that the Board ofGovernors determined this was an area ofpublicservicewhichbarmemberscouldpro-vide.Itwasthedecisionoftheboardthatourexperienceandexpertisecanbeofservicetothelegislativeprocess.

Theworkofthiscommitteedoesnotincludeanypolicyanalysisorcomment.

Unlikemostcommitteesofthebar,theLeg-islativeMonitoringCommitteedoesnothaveregularmeetings.Instead,dueinparttotimesensitivity,thecommitteememberscommuni-cate by e-mail. This year, the possibility ofteleconferencinghasbeenaddedtothemeth-ods of communication. Another reason for

thisvariationfromtheusualcommitteeproce-dure is to allow memberswho cannot easilydropeverythingandrushtothecitytomeetonshortnotice.Memberslocatedanywhereinthestatecanbeactivelyinvolvedintheday-to-dayneedsofthecommittee.

Thecommittee functionsonly fromJanuaryuntilaftersine dieinMay.Althoughseveralbarcommittees currently have legislative reviewor monitoring subcommittees for specializedareas, the need for a general legislative com-mittee to review all introduced legislationisneeded.

withthenewLegislaturebeginningin2009and continuing in 2010, the committee hasthreegoals:first,toobtainparticipationfrommore members around the state by use of

Legislative Monitoring Committee Gears up for Legislative SessionBy Duchess Bartmess

bAR NEWS

Bills on OBA Legislative AgendaOnly matters that have been approved by at

least 60 percent of the members voting at the House of Delegates can be placed on the OBA Legislative Program. The matters set forth below were approved by the House of Dele-gates at the 2009 Annual Meeting and have been introduced in the Oklahoma Legislature. Both bills are awaiting hearing before the Sen-ate Judiciary Committee.

SB 2039: Clarifies procedure for statewide and single or multiple county licensing of process servers. Amends discovery and disclosure statutes to provide greater detail and explanation for electronic discovery, closely following the Federal Rules of Civil

continued


e-mailcommunicationmakingiteasiertopar-ticipate in the committee process; second, tocoordinatewithothercommitteesandsectionsofthebarinprovidingacomprehensivereviewof all introduced legislation;and third, to increase avail-ability to the Legislature themanylevelsofexpertiseexist-ingfromallareasofthebar.

Another function of thecommittee is to provide con-sultation to Executive direc-torJohnMorriswilliams(andothermembersof thebaronspecific pieces of legislationupon request) with informa-tion regarding pending mea-sures which are clear, wellwritten, compatible withexistingstatutesandconstitu-tional.Asalways,weserveinan advisory capacity, and donot speak for the bar — thatfunctionislefttotheBoardofGovernors and the executivedirector.

Our purpose remains to provide informa-tion, and the committee will communicateusing the Oklahoma Bar Journal and the website as time and space allows about selectedbills.Ourgoalremainstoprovideassistancein such a manner that will encourage indi-viduallegislatorstorelyonourexpertiseandobjectivity.wewillnotbetakinganypositiononpolicydecisionsasabarcommittee;how-ever, this does not preclude any committeememberfromcommunicatingwithlegislatorsontheirownastotheirviewsonaparticularpolicyoritemoflegislation.

Ms. Bartmess practices in Oklahoma City and is chairperson of the Legislative Monitoring Committee.

Procedure. Provides for mandatory disclo-sure of certain information and protection of confidential or other protected documents. Requires electronic data to be included in response to a request for business records. Addresses the form in which electronic data is to be provided. Allows for “clawback” agreements. Provides for courts to limit or expand the number of written depositions, requests for the production written or elec-tronic data, requests. Includes provisions for partial production of information when the whole category may not be discoverable. Recognizes good faith destruction of docu-ments in the normal course of business and exempts such good faith destruction from being subject to sanctions.

SB 2040: Requires that the fee for a civil jury trial must be paid at the time of pretrial by the party requesting a jury trial. OBA Day at the Capitol

Tuesday, March 2Details at www.okbar.org


Indians is casinos, smokeshops, or in certain circum-stances,smallareassurround-ing tribal courts or centers oftribalgovernment. It’salmostasthoughthetreatiestheU.S.government signed with in-digenous peoples 150 yearsago promised those lands tothetribes“aslongastheskyisblue,thegrassisgreenandthewatersflow”included,appar-ently written in invisible ink,“oruntilgold,silver,oilorgasisdiscovered.”

In the summer of 2004, mywife and I took our oldestgranddaughter to the GrandTetons and Yellowstone.Includedinthetripwasavisitto the Battle of the Little BigHorn in southeastern wyo-mingbetweenthe7thCavalryandalliedgroupsoftribesthatoccurredonJune25,1876.InaButte,Mont.,museumIfounda framed picture of photo-graphs of 13 North AmericanIndian chiefs described as

“ChiefsattheBattleoftheLit-tleBigHorn.”Includedintheseportraits isOglalaSiouxChiefGall.Ihavereadvirtuallyeverybook I can find on that fatalencounter between two civili-zations and most accountsattribute the deathblow ofCuster to this 6-foot-8-inch,240-poundSiouxwarrior.

Ironically,whatmanypeopleconsidertobetheNorthAmer-ican Plains Indians’ greatestvictory over the white Man,resultedintheirtotaldefeat inlessthan15years.Ithoughtweshouldallrememberthisaswedeal with the current world-wide problems and conflictswearehavinginoureast/westclashofcivilizations.

Thiscurrentmonthlyeditionis dedicated to a descriptionand examination of “IndianLaw” with contributions frommanytalentedandknowledge-able lawyers. while I am noexpertonIndianlaw,Ihaveinthe past and am currentlyinvolvedinacaseinCherokeeTribalCourt inTahlequah.My

re-examination of tribal lawreveals a fascinating amalga-mation of traditional NativeAmerican legal conceptsenmeshed with our commonlaw European legal principles.This exercise is an attempt toreach the never fulfilled com-promise of assimilation andretentionofindividualidentityandsovereignty.

uPCOmInG eVentsThe next month is a busy

one for our association. OnMarch2,wehaveadayattheCapitol at which we willattempt to convey our viewsand needs of our associationand the legal profession tothe Legislature and executivebranches of government. Thehigh school mock trial finalsareonthesameday,followedonMarch16bytheOETAFes-tivalandourBoardofGover-norsmeetinginweatherford.

Iurgeallofyouwhocantoattend the day at the Capitolto support the goals of ourorganizationandprofession.

continued from page 348FROM THE PRESIDENT


AsamemberoftheNationalAssociationofBarExecutivesProgramCommit-tee,Iwasaskedacoupleofyearsagotoproduceaprogramonthefutureofcontinuinglegaleducation(CLE).withthehelpofourdirectorofEducationalPro-gramsdonitadouglas,IwasabletolocateoneofthetopgurusintheworldofCLE.Ashebeganhispresentation,hesaid,“TherearethreethingsthatyouneedtoknowaboutthefutureofCLE—online,onlineandonline.”

Thiswasnotparticularlybreakingnewstome.TheOBAhasbeenproducingonlineprogramsbothliveandarchivedforsometime.Itwasourbeliefthatthiswasthefuture,andourCLEdepartmentwaswellaheadofthetrend.TheOBAhadalreadyinvestedintheequipment,contractedwithaprovidertohandlethedistri-butionpartofwebcastingandourCLEdepartmenthadrealignedstafftohandlethispartofthebusiness.Thatisright,Isaidbusiness.Itisabusinessandaverycompetitivebusiness.

TheOBAistheleaderinCLEpresentationinthestateofOklahoma.However,themarketsharehasgreatlydecreasedinthelast10years.Thefiguresareabitmislead-inghere.IfyoutakeintoaccountalltheCLEthatis

providedbyOBAcommit-tees,sectionsanddonebystaffforgroupssuchascoun-tybarassociationsandaddthattotheprogrammingdonethroughtheOBACLEdepartment,thenumberwouldbesignificantlyhigh-er.Asweliketosay,ourbig-gestcompetitoris“free.”BythatImeantheCLEthatisofferedwithoutcharge.Agooddealofthe“free”CLEisactuallytaughtbyOBAstaff.JimCalloway,TravisPickensandGinaHendryxdonumerousprogramsallaroundthestatewithoutcharge.Iamproudthatwehavethesetalentedstaff

memberswhoaregreatpre-senters.Havingattendedanumberoftheir“free”pre-sentations,Icanpersonallyattesttothefactthattheyareasgoodasmoneycanbuy.

TheMandatoryContinuingLegalEducationCommission(MCLE)wascreatedwhentheOklahomaSupremeCourtissueditsorderman-dating12hoursofCLE,includinganhourofethics.TheMCLECommissionisthebodythatoverseescom-plianceissuesandistotallyseparateandapartfromtheOBACLEdepartment.Thisgroup,withtheaidofBever-lyPetryandherstaff,reviewsprogramsforcrediteligibilityandkeepsupwithalltheindividualmembercredits.withtheaidoftech-nology,theOBAhassignifi-cantlyimprovedthereport-ingmethodforitsmembers.

Justwhenwethoughtthatwehadtheworkstabilized,themushroomingofonlineprogramminghasthisdepart-mentnowreviewingmorethan2,000differentprovidersonanannualbasis.Regard-lessofthenumberofattend-ees,ittakesthesameamountoftimetoreviewtheprogrammaterialsandenterthepro-viderinformationforalocalprogramwith200attendeesasitdoesforanonlinepro-gramwithonlyoneOBAmemberparticipating.

FROM THE EXECuTIVE DIRECTOR

A brave New WorldBy John Morris Williams

The OBA is on the cutting edge

of online CLE presentations.


Thebottomlineisthatthevastamountofonlineprogramminghascreatedahugeamountofwork.Butfortheuseoftechnolo-gy,whichcutsoutthousandsofindividualannualpaperreports,theMCLEdepartmentwouldbestretchedbeyondcapacitytogettheworkdone.Justwhenwethoughtwehaditwhipped,“online,onlineandonline”changedthewholegame.Theworkneverseemstodecrease,itjustchanges.

TheOBAisonthecuttingedgeofonlineCLEpresentations.Sincethisinvolvestheuseoftechnology,therearetimeswhenitisnotperfect.Manyoftheproblemsarebeyondourcontrol,andwejusthavetorealizethatispartofthebusiness.Thegoodnewsisthatthetechnologyisimproving,theInternetisbecomingmorestableandovertimethecostofhigh-techtoolsarebecomingmoreafford-able.Allofthismeans“online,onlineandonline”willgetbetter,befasterandhopefullymoreaffordabletoproduceinthefuture.

FortheOBAitisabravenewworld.ItisaworldwhereelectronicdatareplacespaperandhundredsofCLEprovidersareofferingcoursestoourmembers.ItisaworldwherelawyerswhousedtonetworkandcatchupwitholdfriendsatCLEcoursesarenowsit-tingaloneatacomputerobtainingcredit.Itispredictedthatthelargein-personCLEsthatwecontinuetoofferinEmersonHall,oratothervenuesaroundthestate,willgetfewerandfeweras“online,onlineandonline”makesaccessiblemanymorecourseofferingsavailableatthetouchofabutton.

TheOBAiscommittedtoofferingthehigh-estlevelofCLEgearedtowardOklahomalawyers.wearepreparedandwellposi-tionedforthefuture.weunderstandthevalueofin-personattendanceandrecognizethatmanyofourmemberspreferthismeth-odtoobtaincredit.Thesechangespresentbothchallengesandopportunities.TheOBAiswellpreparedtomeetthechallengesandtocapturetheopportunities.Tosumitup,itisabravenewworldof“online,onlineandonline.”YourbarassociationisaheadofthecurveandpreparedtoofferthehighestqualityCLEandreportingmethodstoitsmembersregardlessofthedeliverysystem.

To contact Executive Director Williams,e-mail him at [email protected]

If you would like to write an article on these topics, contact the editor.

Oklahoma bar Journal Editorial Calendar

2010 nMarch:Workers’

CompensationEditor:[email protected]:Jan.1,2010

nApril:law DayEditor:CarolManning

nMay:Commercial lawEditor:[email protected]:Jan.1,2010

nAugust:Oklahoma legal HistoryEditor:[email protected]:May1,2010

nSeptember:Bar ConventionEditor:CarolManning

nOctober:ProbateEditor:[email protected]:May1,2010

nNovember:technology & law PracticemanagementEditor:[email protected]:Aug.1,2010

ndecember:ethics & Professional responsibilityEditor:[email protected]:Aug.1,2010


Oneofthefirstthingsalawstudentlearnsishowtoreadandcreateproperlegalcita-tions.Backwhenmanyofuswereinlawschool,TheBlue-book citationwastheonlymethodoffindingcourtopin-ions,scholarlyarticlesormostotherlegalresearchmaterial.Electronicresearchwasusefulforfull-textsearching,buttocitesomething,youneededthecitation.

Today,ofcourse,oftenwhenwewanttoreadanarticleofanykindwecanjustclickonahyperlinkandtolocatethesearticleswejustgotoGoogle.Itisagoodideatostepbackandexplorewherescholarlycita-tionsarein2010.

Toexplorethistopic,Iinter-viewedProfessordarinFox,whoisdirectorofthedonaldE.PrayLawLibraryandasso-ciateprofessoroflawattheUniversityofOklahomaCol-legeofLaw.ProfessorFoxjoinedtheOULawLibraryin2005,andhehasbeenalawprofessorandlawlibrarianformorethan15years.Heteacheslawstudentshowtoresearchthelaw,emphasizingconceptslikecostefficiency,advancedsearchtechniquesandtheorganizationoflegalpublishing.Hefollowstech-nologyclosely,andhisschol-arlyinterestsarefocusedonhowtechnologyisimpactinginformationdeliveryand

researchtechniquesinthelegalprofession.

Q. Well, let’s start off with what is probably a softball question for a law librarian. Given the ability to post links to current cases posted online in many jurisdictions, are scholarly legal citations dead or on the way out?

answer:Youhaveputyourfingerontwoimportantissueshere.ThefirstrelatestothepermanenceoflegalmaterialsontheInternet.Thesecondinvolvesthecontinuingtransi-tionoflegalpublishingfromprinttoelectronicformatsandthewidespreadpreferencetouseelectronicresources.TheintroductiontoThe Bluebookstatesthefollowing:“Thecen-tralfunctionofalegalcitationistoallowthereadertoeffi-cientlylocatethecitedsource.”YoumightthinkthatcitingtheURLtoanestablishedwebsitewouldaccomplishthegoalofprovidingpermanentandeffi-cientaccesstolegalauthori-ties.Unfortunately,thisoftenisn’tthecase.Legalcitationisstillexperiencingthegrowingpainscausedbyourongoingtransitionintotheworldofdigitalpublishing.

Theexpectationthatonlineresourceswillremainconsis-tentlyavailableatthesameURLovertimehasnotbeenrealizedyet.Lawlibrarians

haveconductedseveralstud-iesoverthepast10–15yearsregardingthecontinuedavailability(orratherlackofavailability)ofonlineinforma-tioncitedinlawreviewfoot-notes.ManyreadersmaybesurprisedtolearnthatahugepercentageofonlineresourcescitedinlawreviewfootnotesarenolongeravailableattheURLprovidedbytheauthor.Afive-yearstudyoflawreviewfootnotesfoundthatbetween38percentand70percentofURLscitedinlawreviewswerebrokenlinks.1Oneschol-arinthisarea,SusanLyons,summedupthecurrentsitua-tioninthisway,“Todaythescholarlyliteratureoflaw,medicine,scienceandthehumanitiesrestsonafounda-tionoffootnotesriddledwithbrokenURLs.”2

Thenextquestionwemightaskourselves,assumingalinktothecasewewantisavail-able,is“shouldIbelinkingtothiscase?”Inotherwords,isthisanauthoritativesource?Providinglinkstoonlineresourcesisveryconvenient,butcurrently,linkstoofficialgovernmentsourcesarenotavailableforawiderangeoflegalmaterials.weareveryluckyinOklahomatohaveawebsitelikeOSCN(www.oscn.net)whichisaverycomprehensiveandfreedatabaseofgovernment

Legal Citations: An Interview with Professor Darin K. FoxBy Jim Calloway, Director, OBA Management Assistance Program

LAW PRACTICE TIPS


information.Manystatesdonothavesuchasystem.Theysimplyhavenotgoneback-wardsintime,digitizedtheircourtopinionspriorto1995,andmadethemavailableonafree,governmentwebsite,aswehavedoneinOklahoma.So,wehaveasituationwheremostcurrentlegalauthorityisavailableonlinethroughgov-ernmentsources,butmanystatesdonothaveinformationthatismorethan10or15yearsoldavailable,exceptthroughcommercialsourceslikewestlaw,LexisNexisorFastcase.

whenyouconsiderthetworeasonsdescribedabove,wecanstarttounderstandwhyThe Bluebookcontinuestopre-fercitationstoprintresourceswheneverpossibleandstatesthatawritermaybeprovidingalinktotheonlineresourceasaparallelcitationwhenthiswill“substantiallyimproveaccesstothecitedsource.”3Italsoprovidesafewexceptionsforcitingonlytotheonlineversionwhenthesourcedoesnotexistinprintorwhenitis“practicallyunavailable.”4Untilwehaveboth1)officialsourcesofgovernmentinfor-mationavailableonlineand2)permanentURLsthatprovidemorereliableaccesstolegalauthoritiesovertime,wewillcontinuetostrugglewiththisproblem.

Q. OK. But if you do have a link to something, shouldn’t you include it? I can see where some lawyers would think it was bad form to keep a link secret from them, forcing them to spend more time locating an item because they had only the citation.

answer:Ithinkyouarerightthatlegalinformationhasbeenheadinginthatdirec-tionforsometime,anditis

onlypickingupspeed.In1994,therewerejustfourinstancesofwebcitationsinthreelawreviewarticles.By2003therewereatleast96,946citationstothewebinlawreviewfootnotes.5Thegrow-inguseofonlineresourcesmatcheswhatlegalinternsarereportingtoo.Everyyear,IconductasurveyoflegalinternsattheOUCollegeofLawtoseewhattypesofmaterialstheyareusingonthejob.I’vebeendoingthesurveynowfor15years.It’sprobablynosurprisethattheuseofonlinematerialscontinuestoincrease,andtheuseofprintisdecreasing.Overthepastfiveyears,83percentoflegalinternshaverespondedthattheyeither“mostlyuseonlineresources”or“onlyuseonlineresources”onthejob.Only14percentuseanequalmixofonlineandprintresources.TheprimaryprintresourcesinuseinOklahomatodayarethestatutesandperhapsakeytreatisethatmatchesthefirms’practicearea.

IthinkThe Bluebookeditors,throughthelanguageinRule18,aretryingtoensurethatauthoritativesourcesarecitedwhilealsorecognizingthatlegalpublishingischangingrapidly.Itwillbeamajorchangetolegalcitationwhenwefinallyreachapointthatlinkstotheonlineversionofadocumentbecomethestable,authoritativesourceandtheonepreferredbyThe Bluebook,andeverylawrevieweditorandstaffmemberwillcele-bratewhenthatdayarrives.

Q. Dead links are certainly a problem for the Internet and legal researcher, but so is the fact that the only copy of a publication cited may be a hundred miles away. Do you have any tips about accessing

hard-to-find law review articles and scholarly publications without making a road trip?

answer:Thereisarelativelynewproduct,calledHeinOn-line,whichisslowlymakingitswayintolawfirmsacrossthecountry.HeinOnlineisauniqueproductfortworea-sons.First,itincludesPdFversionsofeachlawreviewwhicharepageimagesoftheprintpublications.Second,HeinOnlinehasscannedeachjournalbeginningwiththefirstissueandcontinuingupthroughthemorerecentissues.YoumayknowthatwestlawandLexisNexisoftendonothavearticlesolderthanthemid-1990s.HeinOnlinenowcontainsmorethan1,300lawreviewsandlawjournals.However,itisimportanttonotethatHeinOnlineisnotacurrentawarenessservice.Eachjournalhasaone-to-threeyear“window”orembargoperiodbeforeissuescanbemadeavailableonHeinOnline.Formostlawreviews,thismeansthatthemostcurrentyearisnotavailableonHein-Online.AcademiclawlibrarieshavehadHeinOnlineforsev-eralyearsnow.AsidefromHeinOnline,mostoftheaca-demiclawreviewshavepost-edthemostrecent10–15yearsoftheirjournalsontheirownwebsites.OULawLibraryhasalinktoadetaileddirectoryoflawreviewswhichindicatesofwhetherfull-textisavailable.

Q. We hear a lot about the problems that newspapers and magazines are having with los-ing subscribers. Are law reviews in a similar situation? Do you think we will see more access to law reviews online in the future?

answer: Yes,weareseeingadeclineinlawreviewsub-


scriptions.Theremaybeafewreasonsforthis.AsImen-tionedabove,HeinOnlinehascreatedacomprehensivedata-baseoflawreviewsinPdFformatstartingwiththefirstvolumeofthejournalinmostcases.Inrelationtocurrentlegalscholarship,therearemanyavenuesnowtogatherthisinformation.ItiseasytoaccessnewjournalarticlesonwestlaworLexisNexis,evenonapay-as-you-gobasis.Manyscholarsandpracticingattorneysareactivelywritingblogs.Finally,manylegalscholarsarechoosingtomaketheircontentavailablethroughnewdatabases,likeSSRN(SocialScienceResearchNet-work)andBePress(TheBerke-leyElectronicPress).6Thesesitesallowscholarstocreatetheirownpersonalsiteforscholarship,postarticlesandworkingpapers,andeventrackdownloads.

Q. On behalf of lawyers who are quite a few years out of law school, I want to ask what recent developments you have noted relating to your areas of interest.

answer:Googlehasbeenactiveinthelegalarenainpastfewyears.Lastfall,Googleannouncedamajornewaddi-tionoflegalmaterialstoitsGoogleScholarproduct.Itincludesallfederalcaselawfrom1923tothepresent,allU.S.SupremeCourtcaselawfrom1791tothepresent,andallstateappellateandsupremecourtcasesfrom1950tothepresent.Itdoesn’tincludeanystatutes,regulationsorcom-mercialfeatureslikehead-notes,digestorcitators,butitisamajornewsourceofcaselawaccessiblewiththeexcel-lentGooglesearchengine.GoogleScholaralsoincludessomelawjournalcontent,and

itispossibletotellGoogleScholartosearchonlythelegalcontentwithinthelargerGoogleScholardatabase.

Googlehasbeeninthenewsforanotherreasontoo.TheGoogleBookSearchlitigationhasbeenveryactive.In2005,Googlebeganscanningthebooksin40libraries,includingseveralmajorresearchlibrarieslikeHarvard,Michigan,Stan-fordandNewYorkPublicLibrary.Googledidnotobtainthepermissionofauthorsorpublisherspriortoscanningthebooks.TheauthorsandpublisherssuedGoogleforcopyrightinfringement.In2009,theauthors,publishersandGoogleattemptedtosettlethisclass-actionsuit,butthereweremanyobjectionstothefirstsettlementagreement.Anewsettlementagreementisbeingconsiderednow.TheGooglesettlement,ifapproved,wouldcreateavastonlinebookstore(notalibrary)ofabout15-20millionvol-umes.Itwouldgiveresearch-erstheabilitytokeywordsearchahugedatabaseofmaterial,includingmanyworksfromthelast75yearswhicharestillincopyrightandnotcurrentlyavailableonline.

westlawandLexisNexishaveannouncednewinterfac-esfortheirresearchproductsin2010.Thenewversionofwestlaw,calledwestlawNext,wasformallyannouncedonFeb.1attheLegalTechNewYorkshow.Accordingtopre-views,westlawNextwillbemoreGoogle-likeandwillallowresearcherstomoreeasi-lysearchacrossmultipledata-bases.Thisisamajorchangefromhowweusedtointeractwithwestlaw—byfirstselect-ingadatabase(oraverysmallsetofdatabases)andbythink-

ingaboutthechargesrelatedtoeachdatabase.Thepricingmodelforthistypeofsearchwillbekey,andlawfirmswillstillneedamechanismtodeterminethattheyhavebeen“thorough”intheirsearchforrelevantmaterial.Naturallan-guagesearching,likeGoogle’ssearchalgorithm,whichpro-videsrelevancyrankingofsearchresultsiscountertotheideaofthoroughness,unlessusedwithadditionaltoolslikedigestsandcitators.

Intermsofmobilecomput-ing,therehavebeentwonew“apps”tofacilitateresearchon-the-go.LexisNexisreleasedanewappfortheiPhonewithinthelastfewmonths.Unfortunately,itislimitedtoretrievingdocumentsbycita-tiononly.FastcasehasjustreleasedanewiPhoneappwhichpermitssearchingandretrievingdocumentsinthesamerelevancyrankingformatthatyouseeinawebbrowser.Bothappsarefree,thoughyoumusthaveanaccounttoaccesseachservice.Regardingwest-law,ifyouhaven’talreadyusedwestlaw’smobilesite,wireless.westlaw.com,Ihighlyrecommendit.Itallowsyoutosearchallthemajordatabasesinnaturallanguageortermsandconnectorsmode,andthesearchresultsareeasytoread.ThissitecanbeusedonanymobilephonewithInternetaccess,notjusttheiPhone.

1.MaryRumsey,Runaway Train: Problems Of Permanence, Accessibility, And Stability In The Use Of Web Sources In Law Review Citations,94LAwLIBR.J.27,34(2002).

2.SusanLyons,Persistent Identification Of Electronic Documents And The Future Of Foot-notes,97LAwLIBR.J.681,684(2005).

3. See Rule 18.2, The Bluebook: A Uni-form System of Citation 153, (ColumbiaLawReviewAss’netal.eds.,18thed.2005).

4.Id.at156.5.Lyonsat681.6. SSRN can be found at www.ssrn.com.

BePresscanbefoundatwww.bepress.com.


Ifyouweretopassononestatutebookore-filefromyourlibrarythatanewlaw-yershouldreadinordertobecomeafine,successfullawyer,whichwoulditbe?Civilprocedure?Idon’tthinkso.Theychangetoooften.Theevidencecode?Probablynot.Noteveryonegoestotrial.Thediscoverycode?Ihopenot.discoverystatutesandrulescanbereadas,well,cynical.TheU.S.Constitution?Perhaps,buttheRulesofProfessionalConductareabetterchoice.Tounderstandwhy,onemustseetherulesinadif-ferentway,asdifferentfromalonglistofrestrictions.Youshouldreadthemagain,forthefirsttime.

The rules explain why it is important to be a lawyer and to be a good lawyer. Therulesopenwiththe“Preamble:ALawyer’sResponsibilities.”Thepreamblesetsoutwhymostofuschosethisdiffi-cultbutfulfillingcareer.

[1]Alawyer,asamemberofthelegalprofession,isarepresentativeofclients,anofficer of the legal systemandapubliccitizenhav-ingspecial responsibility for the quality of justice.

[2]As a representativeofclients,alawyerperforms

variousfunctions.Asadvisor,alawyerprovidesaclientwithaninformedunderstandingofthecli-ent’slegalrightsandobli-gationsandexplainstheirpracticalimplications.Asadvocate,alawyerzeal-ouslyassertstheclient’spositionundertherulesoftheadversarysystem.Asnegotiator,alawyerseeksaresultadvanta-geoustotheclientbutconsistentwithrequire-mentsofhonestdealingwithothers.Asanevalua-tor,alawyeractsbyexaminingaclient’slegalaffairsandreportingaboutthemtotheclientortoothers.

[3]Inadditiontotheserepresentationalfunc-tions,alawyermayserveasathird-party neutral(e.g.judge,arbitrator,media-tor),anonrepresentation-alrolehelpingthepartiestoresolveadisputeorothermatter…[paren-theticaladded]

***

[13]Lawyers play a vital role in the preservation of society.Thefulfillmentofthisrolerequiresanunderstandingbylaw-yersoftheirrelationshiptoourlegalsystem.The

Rules of Professional Conduct, when properly applied, serve to define that relationship. (emphasisadded)

Lawyersmakethelegalsystemwork.withoutthelegalsystem,nothingelseworks.

Secondly,the rules, properly understood, protect us lawyers, as much as the general public.Iftherewerenowritten,rea-sonableethicalstandards,andlawyersfacedthepros-pectofhavingtodefendourselvesagainstwhisperyaccusationsofvaguewrong-doingsfromthepublic,itwouldbeafrighteningthingindeed.Abusesofthedisci-plinaryprocess(e.g.un-foundedgrievances)bythepublicisaneverydayfactandriskforlawyers,butimaginewhatitwouldbelikewithoutrelativelyclearrulesandlawstofollow.Veryfewgrievanceswouldbedismissedsummarilywithoutspecificstandardsofconduct.Thefactthatmostgrievancesamounttonothingispreciselybecauselawyersmostoftendotherightorreasonablethingasdefinedbyaspecificstan-darduponwhichthecon-ductcanbejudgedwithoutahearingandwithout

ETHICS & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIbILITY

The Rules of Professional Conduct: Read Them Again, for the First TimeBy Travis Pickens, OBA Ethics Counsel


furtherdisruptiontotheattorney’scareer.

Finally,the rules, if faithfully followed, are a guide to a healthy and prosperous practice(whichtherebyinturn,guardstheintegrityofthejusticesystemandprotectsthepublic).Amongotherthings,therulesstressmas-teryofsubjectmatter,dili-gence,effectiveadvocacy,goodcommunicationwiththeclient,tastefulmarketing,theimportanceofclientcon-fidentialityandintegrity,and

thevalueandworthofpub-licservice.Therulesarewelawyers’bookofProverbs,ourwisdomtext.Haveyoueverknownalawyeryourespectedwhodidnotexem-plifymostifnotalltheseattributes?Itisunlikelyanyotherbookorelectronicfileinyourofficecontainsanybetteradvicetosomeoneinterestedinsuccessasalawyer.

Forus,theRulesofPro-fessionalConductshouldbeasacredtext.Therulestell

uswhywearehere,offerprotectionfromthosewhowouldharmus,andprovideapracticalguideforasuccessfullawyerlylife.Readthemagain,forthefirsttime.

Have an ethics question? It’s a member benefit, and all inquiries are confidential. Contact Mr. Pickens at [email protected] or (405) 416-7055; (800) 522-8065.

Apply Online for FREE at: www.utulsa.edu/llm

ThinkCollege of law

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Specialized library collection in Indian and Indigenous Law

Full-time professors who specialize in Indian Law

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Research opportunities at world-renowned Gilcrease Museum

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rePOrt OF tHe PresIDent

PresidentSmallwoodreportedthathemadefinalcommitteeappointments,helddiscussionsregardingthemortgageforeclosureseminarinFebruary,workedonarrangementsfortheNovemberAnnualMeetingandpresentedthecom-mencementaddressattheOCUdecemberlawschoolgraduation.

rePOrt OF tHe PresIDent-eleCt

President-ElectReheardreportedsheattendedthedecemberboardmeeting,helpedfinalizeplansforthecommemorativedinnerforformerboardmembersandmadeinitialcontactwithcommitteememberstostart2010projects.

rePOrt OF tHe eXeCutIVe DIreCtOr

Executivedirectorwil-liamsreportedthathemetwiththeOklahomaLawyersAssociationexecutivedirec-tor,attendedthestafflun-cheonandseveralmeetingswiththecontractoranddesigneronfirstfloorreno-vations.HemoderatedtheLeadershipAcademymeet-ingandrevieweditsagendafortheboard.

BOarD memBer rePOrts

Governor BrownreportedheattendedtheOBABoard

ofGovernorsdecembermeetingandLegalAidSer-vicesofOklahomaBoardofdirectorsmeeting.Heworkedoncommitteebusi-nessfortheOBABenchandBarCommitteeincludingits2010meetingscheduleandpublishedanarticleentitled“CourtFundingPrinciplesareNeeded”fortheJudicial Division Recordwinter2010issue.Governor Carterreportedsheattendedthedecemberboardmeeting,decemberboardholidaypartyandworkedwiththeLakeside/TulsaCountymocktrialteam.Governor Chesnutreportedheattend-edthedecemberBoardofGovernorsmeeting.Gover-nor DobbsreportedheattendedtheOklahomaCountyBarChristmasrecep-tion,OBAboarddinneranddecembermeeting.Gover-nor HixsonreportedheattendedthedecemberboardmeetingandChrist-masparty,CanadianCountyBarAssociationChristmaspartyandtheretirementreceptionforJudgeEdwardC.Cunningham.Governor mcCombsreportedheattendedtheThursdaynightsocialevent,OBAboardmeetingandMcCurtainCountyBarAssociationlun-cheon.Governor moudyreportedsheattendedthedecemberboardmeetingandfunctions.Shealso

reportedthatasLawdayCommitteeliaisonshepartic-ipatedinonlinevotingforcontestawards.Governor PoarchreportedheattendedtheOklahomaCountyExec-utiveBoardmeetingandhol-idaygathering,ClevelandCountyBarAssociationmeetingandOBABenchandBarCommitteemeeting.Governor shieldsreportedsheattendedthedecemberboardmeetingandtheannu-alOklahomaCountyBarAssociationholidaypartyindecember.Governor stu-artreportedheattendedthedecemberboardmeetingandworkedonobtainingarticlesfortheMayOklahoma Bar Journal.

COmmIttee lIaIsOn rePOrt

GovernorStuartreportedtheboard’sAuditCommitteewillmeetaftertheFebruaryboardmeeting.GovernorMoudyreportedtheLawdayCommittee’sinitialvotingforawinnerintheYouTubecontestresultedinatie.Sheraisedthequestionofprovidingadditionalfundingtoawardtwoprizes.Gover-norChesnutreportedtheboard’sInvestmentCommit-teewillmeetJan.29at3p.m.attheOklahomaBarCentertoreviewtheinvestmentfundsfortheClients’SecurityFund.

January Meeting SummaryThe Oklahoma Bar Association Board of Governors met at the Oklahoma Bar Center in Oklahoma City on Friday, January 15, 2010.

bOARD OF GOVERNORS ACTIONS


Oeta FestIVal Communicationsdirector

Manningdescribedthecom-munityserviceactivitytheOBAparticipatesineveryyeartosupportOETA,thestate’sPBStelevisionstation,whichproducestheAskALawyershow.VolunteersarebeingrecruitedtotakepledgestheeveningofMarch16.ShesaidPresidentSmallwoodwillappearlivetopresenttheOBA’sdona-tion,whichcomesfromindi-viduallawyers,firmsandbarassociations.

rePOrt OF tHe General COunsel

GeneralCounselHendryxbriefedtheboardonthecur-rentstatusoftwocasesofpendinglitigationagainsttheOBA.Motionstodismisshavebeenfiledinboth.Shereportedindecember2009theOfficeofGeneralCoun-selbeganimplementingOklahomaRuleofProfes-sionalConduct1.15require-mentsfortrustaccountover-draftnotification,whichdirectstheofficetomaintainanapprovedlistofbankinginstitutionsthatagreetonotifytheofficeoftrustaccountoverdrafts.Formsweresenttomorethan300financialinstitutionswithattorneytrustaccounts,and80percenthavealready

responded.Overdraftnotifi-cationsarecominginmorefrequently.Shereviewedtheprocedure,whichisworkingwell.Sheadvisedtheboardthatpaperworkhasbeencompletedandchecksdisbursedfor17ofthe18Clients’SecurityFundclaimsthatwereapprovedatthedecembermeeting.

ShealsoreportedsheattendedthedecembermeetingoftheProfessionalResponsibilityCommission,gaveaCLEpresentationtotheOklahomaCityClaimsAttorneyAssociationandattendeddinnerwiththeLeadershipAcademy.Awrit-tenstatusreportofthePro-fessionalResponsibilityCommissionandOBAdisci-plinarymattersfordecem-ber2009wassubmittedfortheboard’sreview.

rePOrt OF tHe YOunG laWYers DIVIsIOn

YLdChairpersonAspanpresentedherappointmentsofYLdliaisonstoOBAcom-mittees.Shereportedthedivisionwillholdanorienta-tionJan.16atthewaterfordMarriottinOklahomaCityforYLdleaders,includingthenewliaisons.TheABA/YLdsecretarywillattend,aswilladistrictYLdrepresen-tative.Boardmemberswereinvitedtoattend.

OBa DaY at tHe CaPItOl

Executivedirectorwil-liamsreviewedtheagendaofdistinguishedspeakersfortheMarch2event.Heurgedboardmemberstoattendandtoencourageparticipa-tionofbarmemberswithintheirowndistricts.

mOrtGaGe FOre- ClOsure semInar

ExecutivedirectorwilliamsreviewedthedetailsofthedefendingForeclosuresinOklahomaseminar,whichofferseighthoursoffreeCLEcredittolawyerswhoarewillingtoprovide20hoursofprobonoservicewithinthenext12monthswithLegalAidServicesofOklahoma.Theseminar,tobeheldFri-day,Feb.19,ispresentedbyOBA/CLEandcosponsoredbyLASOandtheOBAHouseCounselSection.

OBa 2012 memBer surVeY tasK FOrCe

PresidentSmallwoodappointedBrianHermanson,PoncaCity,tochairthetaskforceandM.JoeCrosthwaitJr.,MidwestCity,toserveasvicechairperson.

neXt meetInG TheBoardofGovernors

willmeetat9a.m.inOklahomaCityonFriday,Feb.19,2010.


LAWYERS HELPING LAWYERSASSISTANCE PROGRAM

If you need help coping with emotional or psychological stress please call 1 (800) 364-7886. Lawyers Helping Lawyers Assistance Program is confidential, responsive, informal and available 24/7.


“ShopTalk”amongthemoreseasonedlawyers(asopposedtothe“olderlaw-yers”)issometimescriticaloftheyounglawyer(definedasthreetofiveyearsoutoflawschool).Criticismsincludephraseslikepushy,hardtoworkwith,uncooperativeorselfish.Generally,alackofcollegialitymaybeasserted.

Insomesocialgatheringsamong“seasonedlawyers,”thesameconcernsarepre-sentedinphrasessuchas“rememberhowitusedtobe”or“rememberwhenlawyeringwasfun.”

AsaboardmemberoftheOklahomaBarFoundationandworkingwiththeyoung-erlawyers,Ihavewitnessedanoppositepersonaoftheyoungerlawyer.Anexampleofalawyer,youngorold,willingtodevotehistimeandworktoaidtheprofessionandthosecitizenswhoneedlegalassistance,ispreviousOBFyounglawyerTrusteeBrettCable.

duringBrett’sshorttimeasaTrusteeonthefoundationboard,heseldomevermissedameeting,andinhis“sparetime”fromhispracticeandprofessionalassociationduties,hemanagedto

encouragemoreOklahomalawyerstoattainFellowsta-tusthananyotherTrustee.Equallyimportant,nearlyallofthelawyershepresentedasFellowswerethosewhowouldbeconsidered“younglawyers.”

Mostlikely,manystillhavestudentloans,newfamilies,includingcostswehaveallexperiencedinstartingalawpractice.Noneofushavepracticedsolongthatwecan-notrememberhowharditwasfinanciallyduringthefirstthreeyearsoutoflawschool.Nevertheless,thenumberofyounglawyerschoosingtobecomeFellowmembersoftheOklahomaBarFoundationhasshownaneagernessonbehalfoftheyounglawyerstosupportthemanyworthyprojectsreceiv-ingassistancethroughthefoundation.wemustrecog-nizethatiftheleastaffluentmembersofourprofession,“thosewhowemaycriticizeasselfishanduncaring,”areeagertohelpothersthroughthefoundation,thensoshouldweall.

Thereareyoungnonlaw-yersinterestedinunderstand-ingjusticeandourjudicialsystem.Onegroupofyoungpeoplethefoundationhas

helpedwithunderstandingourlegalsystemandaformoflegalactivityistheTeenCourtInc.ofComancheCounty.TheOBFgavethisprogram$20,000in2008andprovided$15,000in2009.

ThepurposeofTeenCourtistodevelopandmaintainaprogramforteencourtpre-sentationservingfirst-timejuvenileoffendersandtheirpeers.

ThecoordinatoroftheTeenCourtproject,MarciaFrazier,hasstatedthatthecontinua-tionofthisveryworthwhileprojectcouldnotoperateatitspresentstandardwithouttheassistanceoftheOkla-homaBarFoundation.

TheComancheCountyTeenCourthasbeenassistedbyLawtonattorneysEmmitTayloe,adefenseattorney,andMarkStoneman,assistantdistrictattorneyforComan-cheCounty.Ms.Frazier,Mr.TayloeandMr.Stonemanareassistedbyapproximately40youthfulvolunteers,thepeergroupbeforewhomtheyouthfuloffendersaretried.Teensmakeupthejuryaswellasperformdutiessuchascourtclerkandbailiff.Thejudgeisanattorneyorprofes-sor.withthehelpoftheOkla-

bAR FOuNDATION NEWS

A Tip of the Hat(Here’s to the Young Fellows)By Phil Frazier


homaBarFoundationgrant,thecourtwasabletodistrib-utejuvenilejusticemanualsthroughoutComancheCoun-tyexplainingjuvenilelawasitisapplicableinthestateofOklahoma.Becauseofthewidediversityofcitizenshipandmilitarybase,theseman-ualshavebeenmosthelpfulexplainingtothecitizensofComancheCountyaboutjuvenilelawinthestateofOklahoma.

TheTeenCourtoperatesonanannualbudgetrangingfrom$75,000to$80,000,andtheOklahomaBarFounda-tionhasfundedapproximate-ly25percentoftheannualbudget.Ms.FraziersaysthatwithoutthehelpoftheOkla-homaBarFoundation,theirprogramwouldtakeaseverehitanditsveryexistencewouldbechallenged.Tosaytheprogramhasbeenasuc-cessisatremendousunder-statement.TheTeenCourthandles125casesperyear

andtodatehasa94–95per-centsuccessratio.

TherearenumeroussuccessstoriessuchasComancheCountyTeenCourtmadepos-siblethroughtheassistanceoftheOklahomaBarFounda-tion.AllOklahomalawyersaremembersoftheOkla-homaBarFoundationanditisthroughyourwillingnesstoattainFellowstatusthatenablesthefoundation,inlargepart,tocontinuewithitsbenevolentassistancetomanyprojectsinthestateofOklahoma.TheseprojectshaveincludedeverythingfromassistancewithcountycourthousestoLegalAidSer-vicesandprojectssuchastheComancheCountyTeenCourtandMootCourtcom-petition.Justastheseprojectsareassistedbythefounda-tion,thefoundationisgreat-lyassistedbytheyounglaw-yersofOklahomabecomingFellows.

Thenewyounglawyerrep-resentativefortheOBFBoardofTrusteesisAlanGabrielBassofElReno.Gabehasfol-lowedafamilytraditionofdistinguishedOklahomalaw-yersandhasalreadyrecog-nizedtheimportanceoflaw-yersassistingthosewhoarelessfortunate.BrettCable,inrecognitionofhisgoodworkastheYoungLawyerRepre-sentative,hasbeenappointedtocontinuetoserveasaTrusteebuthismoreimmedi-ateplansincludeservicethroughtheassociation,andhewillalwaysbeaspokes-manfortheOBF.

AtipoftheOklahomaBarFoundationhattotheyounglawyersofOklahomabecom-ingFellowswhohelpenablethefoundationtoperformitsfunctionsasthecharitablearmofOklahomalawyers.

Phil Frazier is president of the Oklahoma Bar Founda-tion. He can be reached at [email protected].


mAttorneymNon-Attorney

Name:___________________________________________________________________________ (name, as it should appear on your OBF Fellow Plaque) County

Firmorotheraffiliation:___________________________________________________________

Mailing&deliveryAddress:_______________________________________________________

City/State/Zip:__________________________________________________________________

Phone:____________________Fax:___________________E-MailAddress:_________________

__ I want to be an OBF Fellow now – Bill MeLater!

__Totalamountenclosed,$1,000

__$100enclosed&billannually

__New Lawyer 1st Year,$25enclosed&billasstated

__New Lawyer within 3 Years,$50enclosed&billasstated

__IwanttoberecognizedasaSustaining Fellow&willcontinuemyannualgiftofat least $100–(initial pledge should be complete)

__IwanttoberecognizedattheleadershiplevelofBenefactor Fellow&willannuallycontributeat least $300– (initial pledge should be complete)

signature & Date:______________________________________OBa Bar #:________________

Makecheckspayableto:OklahomaBarFoundation•POBox53036•OklahomaCityOK73152-3036•(405)416-7070

OBF sPOnsOr:____________________________________________________________________

m I/we wish to arrange a time to discuss possible cy pres distribution to the Oklahoma Bar Foundation and my contact information is listed above.

Many thanks for your support & generosity!

Lawyers Transforming Lives through educa-tion, citizenship and justice for all. Join the OBF Fellows today!

Fellow enrollment Form


IreceivedthegreatesthonorsofmylegalcareerlastyearwhenIreceivedtheOklahomaCountyBarAsso-ciationProBonoAwardinJuneandtheOklahomaBarAssociationAwardforOut-standingProBonoServiceatthe2009AnnualMeetinginNovember.Forseveralyears,IhavebeenavolunteerfortheThirdSaturdayLegalClinic,sponsoredbyLegalAidServicesofOklahomaatEpworthUnitedMethodistChurchinOklahomaCity.

OnthethirdSaturdayofeverymonth,IvolunteerwithotherlawyerstoprovidelegaladvicetotheindigentandelderlyinOklahomaCity.Theycomewithmanydifferentques-tionsandconcerns.Itissometimesachallenge,butitisalwaysrewarding.

Inmanycases,theattor-neysattheclinicofferthefirstrayofhopetopeoplewhofeellostandaloneinthelegalsystem.Inothercases,thereisnohope,anditisourjobtotalkstraightwiththeclientandgiveherinsightandunderstandingastohercurrentsituationandwhatherrealisticlegaloptionsare.Inothercases,wearetheretoempowertheclienttoaskforjusticeandfairtreatment

ortogiveadviceonhowtobetterpresentthemselvesandcommunicatetheirprob-lemstosomeoneinauthority.

MytimespentinprobonoservicehasbeenrewardingtomebecauseitbringsmeincontactwithpeopleandissuesIwouldnototherwisebeawareof.Itallowsmetousemytalentsasalawyertohelppeoplewhocannotreceivethisassistanceinanyotherway.Ibelievethebasicpurposesofalawyerinsociety—thereasonswhyweexist—aretosolveprob-lemsandtohelppeople.

Inourregu-larpractice,wechargefeesorearnsalariestoallowaccesstothejusticesystemforourclientstryingtoresolveproblems.Therearemanypeoplewhohaveaneedtoresolveproblemsthroughthelegalsystem,butdonothavethemeanstopayforlegalassistance.Ifwebelieveinourlegalsystem,wecannotleavethesepeople

behind.Thatiswhereprobonoservicecomesin.

Iencourageeveryattorneytodosomesortofprobonoservice.LegalAidServicesofOklahomaInc.hasseveraldifferentwaysvolunteerattorneyscanhelp.Pleasecontactyourlocalofficeorgotowww.probono.net/oktofindouthowyoucouldbestserveasavolunteer.Theneedsaregreat,andyour

effortswillbeappreciated.Myprobonoserviceisjustbeginning.

Mr. Miley is deputy general counsel for the Oklahoma Employment Security Commis-sion in Oklahoma City.

Pro bono Service Gives People HopeBy John E. Miley

Volunteer attorney John Miley consults with a client at the Third Saturday Legal Clinic in Oklahoma City.

ACCESS TO JuSTICE


Lastyear,theYLddevel-opedanewcommittee,aCommunityServiceCommit-tee.Theroleofthiscommitteewastodetermineneedanddevelopproject(s)fortheYLdandtheOBAingeneraltoprovideservicetothecom-munity.Outofthiscommitteecameanewprojectforthisyear,and,althoughitisthefirstyear,wehopethatitwillbesuccessfulanddevelopintoarecurringevent.

statewide Community service Project Day

OnSaturday,May1,2010,theYLdwillholdaState-wideCommunityServiceProjectday,atwhichtimelawyersacrossthestatewillgivebacktotheircommuni-tiesbyparticipatinginmulti-pleprojectsatlocalpubliclibraries.Theprojectshavenotyetbeendetermined,butYLddirectorsareresponsi-blefordeterminingtheneedandidentifyingprojectsineachoftheirrespectivecom-munities.YLddirectorsareelectedfromeachjudicialdistrict,sothereshouldbeatleastoneeventoccurringineachjudicialdistrictacrossthestate.

Thelocallibrariesandproj-ectshavenotyetbeenidenti-fied,butkeepreadingthe“LetterfromtheYLdChair”inyourbarjournaltokeepupdated.Oncetheprojects

havebeenidentified,wewillbeaskingforvolunteerstohelpwiththeprojectsonMay1.Additionally,ifyouareinterestedinhostingaprojectatapubliclibraryinyourcommunityonMay1,[email protected](918)594-0595ortheYLdCommunityServiceCommit-teeChairJenniferKirkpatrickatjhkirkpatrick@eliasbooks.comor(405)232-3722.

Orientation session

TheYoungLawyersdivi-sionheldanorientationses-sionfortheBoardofdirectorsandYLdliaisonstoOBAcommitteeslastmonthinOklahomaCity.Theorienta-tionsessionhadstrongpartic-ipationfromalldirectorsandliaisons,andthosepresentheardfromastarline-upofspeakers.

Afterintroductions,thedaystartedoffwithOBAPresi-dentAllenSmallwood,OBAPresident-ElectdeborahReheardandOBAPastPresi-dentJonParsleydiscussingtheimportanceandbenefitsofinvolvementintheOBAandYLd,differentopportuni-tiesforinvolvementandtheirplansfortheupcomingyears.

Next,OBAExecutivedirec-torJohnMorriswilliamsandOBAwebServicesCoordina-torMorganEstespresentedinformationaboutthehistory

oftheOBAandYLd,OBAoperationsandresponsibili-ties,anduseoftheOBAwebsite.

Finally,ABA/YLdSecre-tary/TreasurerMichaelBerg-mannfromChicago,ABA/YLddistrict24Representa-tiveGwendolynRuckersfromLittleRock,Ark.,andPastABA/YLddistrict24Repre-sentativedorisGruntmeirofMuskogeepresentedinforma-tionabouttheABA/YLd,opportunitiesforinvolvementintheABA/YLd,dutiesandfunctionsoftheABA/YLdcouncilandofficers,andthecorrelationbetweentheABA/YLdanditsaffiliates(includ-ingtheOBA/YLd,TulsaCountyBarAssociationYLdandOklahomaCountyBarAssociationYLd).

Intheafternoon,theYLdcontinuedtheorientationses-sionwithinformationforYLddirectorsandanintro-ductionofanewprojectthisyearfortheOBA/YLd.

YOuNG LAWYERS DIVISION

State Service Project Planned, Orientation HeldBy Molly Aspan, YLD Chairperson

Molly Aspan


15 OBA Closed – Presidents Day16 OBA Civil Procedure Committee Meeting;

3:30 p.m.; Oklahoma Bar Center, Oklahoma City and OSU Tulsa; Contact: James Milton (918) 591-5229



OBA Professionalism Committee Meeting; 4 p.m.; Oklahoma Bar Center, Oklahoma City and OSU Tulsa; Contact: Sharisse O’Carroll (918) 584-4192


OBA Access to Justice Committee Meeting; 10 a.m.; Oklahoma Bar Center, Oklahoma City and Tulsa County Bar Center, Tulsa; Contact: Kade A. McClure (580) 248-4675

OBA Law-related Education Close-Up Teachers Meeting; 1 p.m.; Oklahoma Bar Center, Oklahoma City; Contact: Jane McConnell (405) 416-7024

OBA Solo and Small Firm Committee Meeting; 3:30 p.m.; Oklahoma Bar Center, Oklahoma City with teleconference; Contact: B. Christopher Henthorn (405) 350-1297

OBA Government and Administrative Law Practice Section Meeting; 4 p.m.; Oklahoma Bar Center, Oklahoma City; Contact: Jami Fenner (405) 844-9900

19 OBA Board of Governors Meeting; 9 a.m.; Oklahoma Bar Center, Oklahoma City; Contact: John Morris Williams (405) 416-7000

20 OBA Title Examination Standards Committee Meeting; 9:30 a.m.; Stroud Conference Center, Stroud; Contact: Kraettli Epperson (405) 848-9100

OBA Young Lawyers Division Board of Directors Meeting; Tulsa County Bar Center, Tulsa; Contact: Molly Aspan (918) 594-0595

22–25 OBA Bar Examinations; Oklahoma Bar Center, Oklahoma City; Contact: Oklahoma Board of Bar Examiners (405) 416-7075

26 OBA Lawyers Helping Lawyers Assistance Program Committee Meeting; 12 p.m.; Oklahoma Bar Center, Oklahoma City and Tulsa County Bar Center, Tulsa; Contact: Julie Simmons Rivers (405) 232-6357

OBA Communications Committee Meeting; 3:30 p.m.; Oklahoma Bar Center, Oklahoma City and Tulsa County Bar Center, Tulsa; Contact: Douglas Dodd (918) 591-5316

2 OBA Day at the Capitol; 10:30 a.m.; State Capitol; Contact: John Morris Williams (405) 416-7000

OBA High School Mock Trial Finals; OU Law Center; Bell Courtroom; Norman, Oklahoma; Contact: Judy Spencer (405) 755-1066

3 OBA Women in Law Committee Meeting; 12 p.m.; Oklahoma Bar Center, Oklahoma City and Tulsa County Bar Center, Tulsa; Contact: Renee DeMoss (918) 595-4800

4 Oklahoma Uniform Jury Instructions Meeting; 10 a.m.; Oklahoma Bar Center, Oklahoma City; Contact: Chuck Adams (918) 631-2437

11 OBA Bench & Bar Committee Meeting; 12 p.m.; Oklahoma Bar Center, Oklahoma City and Tulsa County Bar Center, Tulsa; Contact: Jack Brown (918) 581-8211

12 OBA Awards Committee Meeting; 1 p.m.; Oklahoma Bar Center, Oklahoma City and OSU Tulsa; Contact: D. Renee Hildebrant (405) 713-1423

OBA Family Law Section Meeting; 3 p.m.; Oklahoma Bar Center, Oklahoma City and OSU Tulsa; Contact: Kimberly K. Hays (918) 592-2800

15 OBA Alternative Dispute Resolution Section Meeting; 4 p.m.; Oklahoma Bar Center, Oklahoma City and Tulsa County Bar Center, Tulsa; Contact: Andrea Braeutigam (405) 640-2819

16 OBA Civil Procedure Committee Meeting; 3:30 p.m.; Oklahoma Bar Center, Oklahoma City and OSU Tulsa; Contact: James Milton (918) 591-5229

OBA Volunteer Night at OETA; 5:45 p.m.; OETA Studio, Oklahoma City; Contact: Jeff Kelton (405) 416-7018

Calendar

February

March


17 Oklahoma Council of Administrative Hearing Officials; 12 p.m.; Oklahoma Bar Center, Oklahoma City and Tulsa County Bar Center, Tulsa; Contact: Carolyn Guthrie (405) 271-1269 Ext. 56212

18 OBA Access to Justice Committee Meeting; 10 a.m.; Oklahoma Bar Center, Oklahoma City and Tulsa County Bar Center, Tulsa; Contact: Kade A. McClure (580) 248-4675

20 OBA Title Examination Standards Committee Meeting; 9:30 a.m.; Oklahoma Bar Center, Oklahoma City; Contact: Kraettli Epperson (405) 848-9100

24 OBA Professionalism Committee Meeting; 4 p.m.; Oklahoma Bar Center, Oklahoma City and Tulsa County Bar Center, Tulsa; Contact: Sharisse O’Carroll (918) 584-4192

25 OBA Leadership Academy; 8:30 a.m.; Oklahoma Bar Center, Oklahoma City; Contact: Heidi McComb (405) 416-7027

26 OBA Board of Governors Meeting; Weatherford, Oklahoma; Contact: John Morris Williams (405) 416-7000

OBA Leadership Academy; 8:30 a.m.; Oklahoma Bar Center, Oklahoma City; Contact: Heidi McComb (405) 416-7027

27 OBA Young Lawyers Division Meeting; Oklahoma Bar Center, Oklahoma City and Tulsa County Bar Center, Tulsa; Contact: Molly Aspan (918) 594-0595

1 OBA Legal Intern Committee Meeting; 3:30 p.m.; Oklahoma Bar Center, Oklahoma City with teleconference; Contact: H. Terrell Monks (405) 733-8686

2 Oklahoma Bar Foundation Meeting; 12:30 p.m.; Oklahoma Bar Center, Oklahoma City; Contact: Nancy Norsworthy (405) 416-7070

6 OBA Law-related Education Committee Meeting; 4 p.m.; Oklahoma Bar Center, Oklahoma City and Tulsa County Bar Center, Tulsa; Contact: Jack G. Clark (405) 232-4271

7 OBA Women in Law Committee Meeting; 12 p.m.; Oklahoma Bar Center, Oklahoma City and Tulsa County Bar Center, Tulsa; Contact: Renee DeMoss (918) 595-4800

9 OBA Family Law Section Meeting; 3:30 p.m.; Oklahoma Bar Center, Oklahoma City and OSU Tulsa; Contact: Kimberly K. Hays (918) 592-2800

15 OBA Access to Justice Committee Meeting; 10 a.m.; Oklahoma Bar Center, Oklahoma City and Tulsa County Bar Center, Tulsa; Contact: Kade A. McClure (580) 248-4675


17 OBA Title Examination Standards Committee Meeting; Stroud Community Center, Stroud; Contact: Kraettli Epperson (405) 848-9100

19 OBA Alternative Dispute Resolution Section Meeting; 4 p.m.; Oklahoma Bar Center, Oklahoma City and Tulsa County Bar Center, Tulsa; Contact: Andrea Braeutigam (405) 640-2819

20 OBA Civil Procedure Committee Meeting; 3:30 p.m.; Oklahoma Bar Center, Oklahoma City and OSU Tulsa; Contact: James Milton (918) 591-5229

21 Oklahoma Council of Administrative Hearing Officials; 12 p.m.; Oklahoma Bar Center, Oklahoma City and Tulsa County Bar Center, Tulsa; Contact: Carolyn Guthrie (405) 271-1269 Ext. 56212

22 New Admittee Swearing In Ceremony; Supreme Court Courtroom; Contact: Board of Bar Examiners (405) 416-7075

OBA Leadership Academy; 2:15 p.m.; Oklahoma Bar Center, Oklahoma City; Contact: Heidi McComb (405) 416-7027

OBA Leadership Academy Reception; 5 p.m.; Oklahoma Bar Center, Oklahoma City; Contact: Heidi McComb (405) 416-7027

23 OBA Board of Governors Meeting; 8:30 a.m.; Oklahoma Bar Center, Oklahoma City; Contact: John Morris Williams (405) 416-7000

Association of Black Lawyers Meeting; 12 p.m.; Oklahoma Bar Center, Oklahoma City; Contact: Donna Bacy (405) 424-5510

24 OBA Young Lawyers Division Board of Directors Meeting; Oklahoma Bar Center, Oklahoma City; Contact: Molly Aspan (918) 594-0595

27 OBA New Lawyer Experience; 8 a.m.; Oklahoma Bar Center, Oklahoma City; Contact: Jim Calloway (405) 416-7051

28 OBA Professionalism Committee Meeting; 4 p.m.; Oklahoma Bar Center, Oklahoma City and Tulsa County Bar Center, Tulsa; Contact: Sharisse O’Carroll (918) 584-4192

29 OBA Ask A Lawyer; OETA Studios, Oklahoma City and Tulsa; Contact: Tina Izadi (405) 521-4274

April


FOR YOuR INFORMATION

OBA Board Members Sworn InNinenewmembersoftheOBABoardofGovernorswereswornintotheirpositionsonJan.15.ThenewofficersarePresidentAllenSmallwood,Tulsa;President-ElectdeborahReheard,Eufaula;VicePresidentMackMartin,OklahomaCity;ImmediatePastPresidentJonParsley,Guymon;Glenndevoll,Enid;davidPoarch,Norman;RylandRivas,Chickasha;SusanShields,OklahomaCity;andYoungLawyersdivisionChairpersonMollyAspan,Tulsa.

KathleenMarieMcCarthyAnsonOBANo.20024123Nw12thAve.,Apt.228Portland,OR97209-4144

AmyElizabethdeMarcoOBANo.192603501ColdHarborLaneBirmingham,AL35223

CarolA.GrissomOBANo.108276010TremontSt.dallas,Tx75214

BarbaraAnneMcHenryOBANo.147028792SE166th,BirchbrookLoopTheVillages,FL32162

Robertd.MorrelOBANo.11683774N.AlexisLoopGreenValley,AZ85614-5664

MichaelB.SchaeferOBANo.124643950ClevelandAve.,No.206Sandiego,CA92103

TayeK.VanMerlinOBANo.1077437017thSt.,Suite1700denver,CO80202

danielAllenwoolvertonOBANo.203777104RemingtonOaksLoopLakeland,FL33810-4790

RobertAlanYoungbergOBANo.99761355SettlementdriveParkCity,UT84098-6565

OBA Member ResignationsThefollowingOBAmembershaveresignedasmembersoftheassociationandnoticeisherebygivenofsuchresignations:

PRC Names New LeadershipTheProfessionalResponsibilityCommissionelectedanewchairpersonandvicechairpersonatitsdecembermeeting.MelissadeLacerdawillserveaschairfor2010andTonyBlasierwillbevicechair.Ms.deLacerdapracticeslawinStillwaterandservedasOBApresidentin2003.Mr.Blasier,anon-lawyermemberofthePRC,istheheadofsecurityatChesapeakeEnergyinOklahomaCity.HeisaformerinvestigatorwiththeOBAGeneralCounseldepartment.ThePRCischargedwithconsideringandinvestigatinganyallegedgroundforprofessionaldisciplineorallegedincapacityofanylawyer.

OBA President Allen Smallwood is sworn into office in a ceremony last month.

Bar Center Holiday HoursTheOklahomaBarCenterwillbeclosedMonday,Feb.15inobservanceofPresidentsday.


OBA LRE Helps Students Learn Citizenship EnidHighSchooloutscoredthreeotherteamstobenamedstatechampioninthe“wethePeople–TheCitizenandtheConstitution”competitionheldJan.23atthestateCapitol.Theteamwilladvancetothenationalcompetitioninwashington,d.C.inApril.

Topreparefortheprogram,thestudentsstudiedacurriculumthatfocusesonthehistoryandprinciplesoftheU.S.Constitution.Forcompetition,eachteamformedsixsmallgroupswitheachgroupmakingremarksonadifferenttopicinthehearingformat.Followingpre-paredpresentations,studentsansweredquestions,andjudgesscoredtheteamonitseffortsinbothsegments.

JudgeswereBreeaBacon,JudgeJerryBass,JudgedamanCantrell,JackClark,JudgeLisaHammond,BradyHenderson,BrianHermanson,davidHopper,BarbaraKinney,StevenKuperman,JudgedavidLewis,JanMeadows,JanePennington,JenniferPrilliman,Michaelwofford,RickGoralewiczandEugeneBertman.

TheOBAadministersthewethePeopleprogramlocallythroughitsLaw-relatedEducationProgram.Itisco-sponsoredbytheCalifornia-basedCenterforCivicEducationandtheU.S.departmentofEducation.

“ThewethePeopleinstructionalprogramcurriculumenhancesstudents’understandingoftheinstitutionsofAmericanconstitutionaldemocracy,”saidOklahomaBarAssociationLaw-relatedEducationCoordinatorJaneMcConnell.“Oursimulatedcongressionalhearingsprovideanavenueforhighschoolstudentstodemonstratetheirknowledgeandunder-standingofconstitutionalprinciples.”

RockCreekHighSchooltooksecondplaceinthecompetition,NormanHighSchoolearnedthirdplaceandSoutheastHighSchoolinOklahomaCitycameinfourth.

NOTICE OF JUDICIAL VACANCYTheJudicialNominatingCommissionseeksapplicantstofillthefollowingjudicialoffice:

Judge of the Court of Criminal appeals District One

ThisvacancywillbecreatedbytheretirementoftheHonorableCharlesChapeleffec-tiveMarch1,2010.

[to be appointed to the office of Judge of the Court of Criminal appeals an individu-al must have been a qualified elector of the judicial district applicable, as opposed to a registered voter, for one year immediately prior to his or her appointment, and addi-tionally, must be at least 30 years of age and have been a licensed attorney, practicing within the state of Oklahoma, or serving as a judge of a court of record in Oklahoma, or both, for five years preceding his/her appointment.]

ApplicationformscanbeobtainedbycontactingTammyReaves,AdministrativeOfficeoftheCourts,1915NorthStiles,Suite305,OklahomaCity,Oklahoma73105,(405)521-2450,oronline at www.oscn.net under the link to Judicial Nominating Commission. ApplicationsmustbesubmittedtotheChairmanoftheCommissionatthesameaddressno later than 5:00 p.m., Friday, February 19, 2010. If applications are mailed, they must be postmarked by midnight, February 19, 2010.

Markd.Antinoro,ChairmanOklahomaJudicialNominatingCommission


RichardB.“Rick”Kells,apartnerwiththelawfirmofHartzogCongerCason&Nev-illePC,OklahomaCity,hasbeennamedthe2009Out-standingOklahomaTaxLawyerbytheTaxationLawSectionoftheOklahomaBarAssociation.

RickisapartnerattheHartzogCongerCason&Nev-illefirmwherehisprimaryareasofpracticearefederalandstatetaxation,wealthtransferplanning,andwills,trusts,estatesandtaxcontro-versies.Hehaspracticedintheseareasforover30years.RickreceivedaB.S.degreeinAccountingfromCentralCon-necticutStateUniversityin1975,hisJ.d.degreefromOklahomaCityUniversityin1977,andanLL.MdegreeinTaxLawfromNewYorkUni-versityLawSchoolin1979.HeisalsoaCertifiedPublicAccountantinOklahoma.

HeisamemberandpastchairmanoftheOBATaxationLawSection(2005-2006),amemberandpastchairmanoftheOklahomaSocietyofCPAs(OSCPA)TaxCommittee(2006-2008)andcurrentlyservesontheBoardofdirec-torsfortheOSCPA.HeispastpresidentoftheOklahomaCityTaxLawyers’GroupandpastpresidentoftheOkla-homaCityEstatePlanningCouncil.RickisafellowoftheAmericanCollegeofTrustandEstateCounselandhasbeenlistedinThe Best Lawyers in AmericainTaxLawandTrusts&EstatesLawsince1988.

RickhasspokenatmanynationalandOklahomasemi-narsandwrittennumerousarticles,outlines,andcoursematerialpertainingtohisareasofpractice.Hehasbecomethemosthighlyrecognizedpracti-tionerwithrespecttoOkla-homataxlawthroughalongandactivepracticebeforetheOklahomaTaxCommissionandincourtontaxissues.Heisalsoarecognizedauthoritybyvirtueoftheextremelyde-tailedsurveyupdateshehasskillfullypresentedforthepast13yearsattheannualOSCPATaxInstituteandasimilarpaperannuallypre-sentedinOklahomaBarAsso-ciationRecentdevelopmentsCLEseminars.RickalsohasservedasanadjunctprofessorofincometaxandoilandgastaxatOklahomaCityUniver-sitySchoolofLaw,taughtaccountingclassesattheOkla-homaCityUniversityBusinessSchool,andtaughtestateandgifttaxfortheOklahomaBarReview.AsamemberoftheOBATaxationLawSection,hehascontributedcountlesshoursvolunteeringtostudy,craft,andpromotelegislativechangesintheOklahomataxlawtoimproveitsadministra-tionandprovidegreaterfair-nessforthetaxpayer—partic-ularlyinseekingtohaveanindependenttaxhearingsbodyestablishedtoheartaxpayeradministrativeappeals.

Inconnectionwiththeaward,Rick’slawpartners,StevendavisandKevinRatliff,notedforothermem-bersoftheOBATaxationLaw

Sectionwhonominatedhim,thatRickpossessesthreeimpor-tanttraitsthathavebroughthimwelldeservedsuc-cess,recogni-tionandesteembyallprofes-sionalsandclientshehasworkedwiththroughtheyears.Theseareaninsatiableappetiteforknowledge,especiallywithregardtointricateaspectsofthetaxlaw;auniqueandself-lesswillingnesstosharehiseffortsandexpertisewithotherprofessionals;andanunwaveringcommitmenttoprovidetheverybestresultsforhisandhisfirm’sclientsatalltimes.KenHunt,Tulsa,acolleagueandsectionmember,addedRickisalawyerwhoseadviceandinsightisalways“spoton”andwhoshareswithothersinacollaborativespiritwhichrepresentsthehighestidealsofthelegalandaccountingprofessions.

Rick’sselectionas2009OutstandingOklahomaTaxLawyerwasannouncedattheAnnualMeetingoftheTaxa-tionLawSection.ThesectionleadershipmadetheawardtorecognizeRick’scontributionstothesectionandOklahomaBarAssociationthroughhishighlevelandlongperiodofprofessionalachievement,expertiseanddistinctionwith-inthelegalandaccountingprofessionsandbusinesscommunityacrossOklahoma.

Richard B. Kells NamedOutstanding Oklahoma Tax Lawyer


www...ptions

your association’s Web sites

www.oklahomafindalawyer.com

www.okbar.org/oknewsbar.htm

my.okbar.org

www.okbar.org

www.oba-net.org

Fastcase at www.okbar.org

www.twitter.com/oklahomabar

For all other member benefits and resources:

Oklahoma Bar Circle at www.okbar.org

Visit www.okbar.org/members/benefits.htm

www.twitter.com/obacle

Look on the right side of the page next to the Fastcase login. Enter your ID and PIN #. Don’t know it? That’s okay, just click on the Forgot your PIN? link and one will be provided to you shortly. One shorthand way of thinking of Oklahoma Bar Circle is that it is like Facebook for Oklahoma lawyers, but access is allowed only to other Oklahoma lawyers. Think of Oklahoma Bar Circle as an online pictorial directory. This social networking tool can be used to mentor, market yourself, network with other attorneys or find old classmates from law school and reconnect.

People from across Oklahoma visit this Web site every day in search of an attorney. How can you get your name on this list for free? Signing up is easy – log into your account at my.okbar.org and click on the “find a lawyer” link.

Designed with the needs of OBA members in mind, OKNewsBar has been created to allow you to quickly access new Oklahoma and U.S. Supreme Court opinions as well as up-to-date legal news and law practice management tips.

On this site, you can do everything from changing your official address, enrolling in a CLE course, checking your MCLE credits and listing your practice areas on the Internet so potential clients can find you. The PIN number required is printed on your dues statement and can be e-mailed to you if the OBA has your current e-mail address.

The official Web site of the Oklahoma Bar Association. It’s your one-click resource to all the information you need, including what’s new at the OBA, ethics opinions, upcoming CLE seminars, staff contacts, and section and committee information.

Members-only interactive service. Free basic service with premium services available to enhance the member benefit. Lawyers are empowered to help each other through online discussions and an online document repository. You must agree to certain terms and be issued a password to participate in OBA-NET.

The OBA teamed up with Fastcase in 2007 to provide online legal research software as a free benefit to all OBA members. Fastcase services include national coverage, unlimited usage, unlimited customer service and unlimited free printing — at no cost to bar mem-bers, as a part of their existing bar membership. To use Fastcase, go to www.okbar.org. Under the Fastcase logo, enter your username (OBA number) and password PIN for the myokbar portion of the OBA Web site.

Catch the most up-to-date happenings at and around the OBA including bar events and CLE’s. You don’t even have to register. You can simply read all of our tweets by going to twitter.com/oklahomabar or twitter.com/obacle.


david a. Poarchwasrecentlyelectedtothe

AmericanLawInstitute.Mr.Poarchisoneofonly36Okla-homaattorneyswithmem-bershipintheorganization.

ThenewofficersfortheOklahomaCityReal

PropertyLawyersAssocia-tionfor2010are:Howard Haralson,pastpresident;mike Voorhees,president;Joe anthis,vicepresident;Phil sturdivan,secretary;mike rubenstein,treasurer;andZach Ball, saul reidandBarbara Bowersoxasboardmembers.

Johnny BeechwasinductedintotheOklahomaTau

KappaEpsilonHallofFameduringthefraternity’sFounder’sdaydinner.

Fred morganwillbecomethenextpresidentand

CEOoftheStateChamberofOklahoma.HeiscurrentlyservingasgeneralcounselandseniorpolicyadvisortostateSenateleadership.

Kay l. Van Weyhasbeenelectedtomembership

intheFellowsoftheTexasBarFoundation.

Barrow&GrimmPCofTulsahasnamed

Wm. Brad Heckenkemperandthomas D. robertsonascommonshareholdersanddirectorsofthefirm.ThefirmhasalsonamedDavid a. sturdivantandnicholas m. Jonesasassociates.Mr.Heckenkemperwasadmit-tedtotheOBAin1980.Hispracticeisconcentratedinprobate,commerciallitiga-tionandgeneralbusinessmatters.Mr.RobertsonwasadmittedtotheOBAin1979.Hispracticeisconcentratedinlaborandemploymentlaw,representingmanage-mentinallaspectsofemploymentandlaborissues.Mr.SturdivantwasadmittedtotheOBAin2005.Hispracticeconsistsprimari-lyofbusinessandcommer-ciallitigationandfamilylaw.Mr.JoneswasadmittedtotheOBAin2009.Hispracticefocusesprimarilyonbusi-nessandcommercialtrans-actionsandestateplanning.

TheHickmanLawGroupofOklahomaCity

announcesBrad s. Clarkasanassociate.Mr.Clarkwillpracticeintheareasofeduca-tion,employment,adminis-trativelawandgovernmentcontracting.Inaddition,hispracticeencompassesabroadrangeofbusinessmatters,includingcommercialtrans-actions,oilandgas,condem-nation,constructionandadvertisinglaw.Mr.ClarkreceivedhisJ.d.fromOCU.

GableGotwalsofTulsahasannouncedthepro-

motionoftammy D. Bar-rett, richard m. Carson, Jor-dan B. edwards, leslie l. lynch, tyson D. schwerdt-fegerandJeremy K. Webbtoshareholdersinthefirm.Ms.Barrettisa1990gradu-ateofOULaw.Herpractice

areasincludestateandfed-erallitigation.Mr.Carsonisa1991graduateofOULaw.Hispracticeareasincludesecurities/corporatefinance,banking,commerciallaw,corporateandbusinessorga-nizations,energyandrelatedindustries,environmentallaw,mergersandacquisi-tions,oilandgaslaw,andaviationlaw.Mr.Edwardsisa2002graduateoftheUni-versityofTexasSchoolofLaw.Hispracticeareasincludebankingandfinan-cialregulation,bankruptcy,workoutsandcreditor’srights,commerciallaw,corporateandbusinessorganizations,mergersandacquisitions,securities/corporatefinanceandwindenergy.Ms.Lynchisa1993graduateofOCULaw.Sheisalitigator,representingfirmclientsinbothstateandfed-eralcourt.Mr.Schwerdt-fegerisa2002graduateofVanderbiltUniversityLawSchool.Hispracticeareasincludecommerciallitiga-tion,oilandgaslaw,andproductsliability.Mr.webbisa2002graduateoftheUniversityofVirginiaSchoolofLaw.Hispracticeareasincludecommerciallitiga-tion,environmentallaw,oilandgaslaw,andlaborandemploymentlitigation.

wigginsSewell&OgletreeofOklahoma

Cityhasannouncedmelissa a. Couchasapartnerinthefirm.

BassLawFirmPChasnameda. Gabriel

“Gabe” Basspresidentandshareholder.ThefirmhaslocationsinElRenoandOklahomaCity.

bENCH & bAR bRIEFS


Atkinson,Haskins,Nellis,Brittingham,Gladd&

CarwileofTulsaannouncesandrew C. Jayneasapart-nerinthefirm.Mr.JaynegraduatedfromOULawin2002afterreceivingaB.A.inpoliticalscienceandhistoryfromwestminsterCollegeinFulton,Mo.Mr.Jayneprac-ticesintheareasofinsurancebadfaith,productsliability,automobilenegligenceandgeneralbusinesslitigation.

Rachel C. mathishasjoinedHall,Estill,Hard-

wick,Gable,Golden&Nel-sonPCasashareholderintheTulsaoffice.Ms.MathisreceivedaB.S.fromOSUandJ.d.fromOU.Herpri-marypracticeareaislitiga-tionwithemphasisondefenseofmedicalandpro-fessionalliabilityclaims,generalinsurancedefense,productsliability,civilrightsandemploymentlaw.

Nick merkleyhasbeennameddirectorand

shareholderatFellersSniderLawFirminOklahomaCity.Hispracticecoversawiderangeoflitigationmattersincludingproductsliability,personalinjury/wrongfuldeath,oilandgas,antitrustandtraderegulation,andgeneralcontractdisputes.HereceivedhisJ.d.in2004fromOU.

daniel a. loefflerhasjoinedMcAfee&Taftin

itsOklahomaCityoffice.

Mr.Loeffler’spracticeisfocusedonlitigationinclud-ingthoseinvolvingantitrust,appeals,classactions,securi-tiesandwhite-collarcriminaldefense.Healsoadvisesbusinessesonantitrustcom-plianceandrelatedissues.Mr.LoefflergraduatedfromwheatonCollegeandtheUniversityofMichiganLawSchool.

deBeeGilchristofOkla-homaCityannounces

Blaine m. Petersonasashareholderofthefirm.Mr.Peterson’spracticeencom-passesabroadrangeofbusi-nessmatters,includingtaxplanningandcontroversies,comprehensiveestateplan-ningandbusinessvaluation.InadditiontoearninghisJ.d.fromOUin1999,heobtainedaB.B.A.inaccount-ingfromOUin1994.Mr.Petersonisalsoacertifiedpublicaccountantandcerti-fiedvaluationanalyst.

Stephen l. DeGiustiisthenewgeneralcounselfor

QuestResourceCorp.Hemaybereachedat210ParkAvenue,Suite2750,Okla-homaCity,73102;(405)702-7420;[email protected],Mr.deGiustiwasashareholderanddirectorofCrowe&dunlevyPCinthefirm’sOklahomaCityofficewherehepracticedlawsince1983.

TheTulsalawfirmofRichards&Connor

announceselizabeth a. Hart aspartnerandWhitney r. mauldinandamanda l. stephensasassociates.Ms.HartgraduatedfromTUwithahealthlawcertificateandfocusesherpracticeonhealthcarelawandmedicalmalpracticedefense.Ms.MauldinalsoreceivedherlawdegreefromTUandMs.StephensreceivedherlawdegreefromOU.Theirprac-ticewillfocusonbadfaithdefense,insurancecoveragelitigationandgeneralinsur-ancedefenselitigation.

Gerald stamperspoketomembersoftheForum

CommitteeontheConstruc-tionIndustryoftheAmeri-canBarAssociationatitsfallmeetinginPhiladelphia.HediscussedOklahoma’slegis-lativeactionsandjudicialdecisionsasacasestudyofstateactionforimmigrationreform.

Compiled by Chelsea Klinglesmith

articles for the april 10 issue must be received by march 15. e-mail:[email protected]

IN MEMORIAM

Jim ChastainofNormandieddec.24,2009.Hewas

borndec.9,1963.Hegradu-atedfromtheOUCollegeofLawin1989.Mr.ChastainwasaNormanauthorandpoetwhoworkedasalaw-yerfortheOklahomaCourt

ofCriminalAppeals.Hiswrittenworksincludeanautobiography,I Survived Cancer But Never Won the Tour de France,andtwopoet-rybooks,Like Some First Human BeingandAntidotes & Home Remedies,whichwasa

finalistforanOklahomaBookAwardin2009.Hepar-ticipatedinpoetryreadingsacrossOklahomaandtheSouthwest.Hiswritingsarebasedlargelyonhisexperi-enceswithcancer.Memorialcontributionsmaybemade


totheJimChastainMemorialFundatFirstBankandTrustinNorman.Thismoneywillgotowardacollegefundforhistwochildren.

Louis (lou) Delaney IIofOklahomaCitydiedJan.

5.HewasbornSept.3,1942,inOklahomaCity.HeearnedhisB.A.fromOSU,M.B.A.fromUCOandJ.d.fromOUwherehewasthefirststu-dentpresidentoftheIndian Law Review.He began his professional life in the u.s. army, where he served two tours in Vietnam and earned the rank of lieutenant Colo-nel.Helaterworkedinvari-ouspositionsinthelegalprofessionandfinallyastheassistantgeneralcounselfortheOklahomaStatedepart-mentofTransportation.HewasanactivememberoftheOklahomaCitySailandPowerSquadron,servingonetermascommanderandasdistrictcommanderforUnit-edStatesPowerSquadron,district31.HealsoenjoyedmembershipintheCentralOklahomaParrotHeads.donationsmaybemadeinhisnametowildCareatwww.wildcareoklahoma.org.

Franklin Carroll FreemanofOklahomaCitydied

Nov.18,2009.HewasbornOct.26,1924,inFrederick.HeattendedCentralHighSchoolwherehewasamem-berofthedebateteam.He served in the united states marine Corps.HegraduatedfromOULawin1948.HewasalsothevoiceoftheSooners,broadcastingOUfootballgamesalongwith

veteransportsannouncerCurtGowdy.Upongradua-tionfromlawschool,heworkedasanassistantintheOklahomaCountyAttorney’sOffice.HespentmostofhiscareerasthegeneralcounselforAlliedMaterialsCorp.,anindependentpetroleumcom-panywithheadquartersinOklahomaCity.HewasanavidgolferandpresidentofQuailCreekCountryClubin1983-84.HeretiredinRanchoMirage,Calif.donationsmaybemadetothedeanMcGeeEyeInstituteFoundationat608StantonL.YoungBoule-vard,Ste.300,OklahomaCity,73104.

Reginald GastonofNor-mandiedFeb.2.Hewas

bornJuly20,1944.Hegradu-atedfromOUin1968withabachelor’sdegreeinjournal-ism.HewentontoearnhislawdegreefromOUin1972.whileinlawschool,heservedasaninternintheClevelandCountydistrictAttorney’sOffice.Upongraduation,hewasnamedfirstassistanttothedistrictattorney.Heservedasaprosecutoruntil1978,andthenwentintoprivateprac-tice.In1984,hereturnedasanassistantdistrictattorneyandremainedinthatposi-tionuntil1993whenhewasappointedasspecialjudge.Heservedasaspecialjudgeuntilhisretirementin2009.

donald C. manningofOklahomaCitydied

Nov.28,2009.HewasbornSept.18,1927,inPoncaCity.AftergraduatingfromCol-legeHighinBartlesville,he

attendedandgraduatedfromOUobtainingadegreeingovernment/politicalsci-ence.He then enlisted in the u.s. army. after an honor-able discharge, he joined the army reserves and rose to the rank of lieutenant Colo-nel.HelaterattendedlawschoolatOCUandworkedforOG&Eformanyyears.Hethenpracticedlaw,workedforthePublicdefender’sOffice,andwasappointedasspecialdistrictjudgeinOklahomaCounty.AfterretiringfromtheOkla-homaCountycourtsystem,heservedasamunicipaljudgeforseveralyears.whileraisinghisfamily,“Judge”taughtyouthSun-daySchoolandlatertaughttheadultNeighborsClassatFirstChristianChurch.

Frank Wilson WewerkaofTulsadieddec.4,2009.

HewasbornSept.7,1936,inElReno.He served in the u.s. navy as a lieutenant (junior grade).HeattendedOUforundergraduateandlawdegrees.HeretiredfromAmocoProductionCo.HewasamemberoftheCzechandSlovakClubofTulsaandavolunteerforCancerTreat-mentCentersofAmerica,RonaldMcdonaldHouse,OklahomaAquarium,Gil-creaseMuseum,SalvationArmyanddenverMuseumofNaturalHistory.Memorialdonationsmaybemadeto:RonaldMcdonaldHouse,6102S.HudsonAve.,Tulsa,74136;orCancerTreatmentCenterofAmerica,10109E.79thSt.,Tulsa,74133.


INTERESTEd IN PURCHASING PROdUCING &NON-PROdUCINGMinerals;ORRI;O&GInterests.Pleasecontact:PatrickCowan,CPL,CSwCorporation,P.O.Box21655,OklahomaCity,OK73156-1655; (405)755-7200;Fax(405)755-5555;E-mail:[email protected].

Arthurd.Linville(405)636-1522

BoardCertifieddiplomate—ABFELifeFellow—ACFE

CourtQualifiedFormerOSBIAgentFBINationalAcademy

HanDWrItInG IDentIFICatIOn POlYGraPH eXamInatIOn

OF COunsel leGal resOurCes — sInCe 1992 — Exclusiveresearch&writing.Highestquality:trialandappellate, state and federal, admitted and practicedU.S.SupremeCourt.Over20publishedopinionswithnumerous reversals on certiorari. maryGaye leBoeuf (405) 728-9925, [email protected].

serVICes

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aPPeals and lItIGatIOn suPPOrt—Expertresearch and writing by a veteran generalist whothrives on wide variety of projects, big or small.Cogent.Concise.NancyK.Anderson,(405)682-9554,[email protected].

meDICal malPraCtICeNeedtofileamed-malclaim?Ourlicensedmedicaldoctorswillreviewyourcaseforalowflatfee.Opin-ion letter no extra charge. Med-mal ExPERTS, Inc.Nationwidesince1998.www.medmalExPERTS.com.888-521-3601.

ExPERT wITNESSES • ECONOMICS • VOCATIONAL • MEdICAL Fitzgerald Economic and Business ConsultingEconomic damages, Lost Profits, Analysis, Business/Pension Valuations, Employment, discrimination,divorce, wrongful discharge, Vocational Assessment,LifeCarePlans,MedicalRecordsReview,OilandGasLawanddamages.National,Experience.CallPatrickFitzgerald.(405)919-2312.

OFFICE SHARE — NEwLY CONSTRUCTEd TOwNCENTERintheVillageduplexsuite,justoffHefnereastofMay,westofPenn;twomediumprivateofficesavail-able; reception/waiting area; large conference room;coffeebar;bath.Flexiblearrangementsinsharingover-headofapprox.$750permonthperoffice.CallJoeat(405)740-1261.

ExECUTIVE SUITES FOR LEASE: Beautifully restoredbuildingindowntown/MidtownArtsdistrict.walkingdistancetoCountyandFederalCourthouses.Reception,phone,internet,cabletv,copy/fax/scanner,freeparking.Secretarial suites available. Case sharing opportunitieswith6practicingattorneys.(405)272-0303.

OFFICE SHARE: ONE LARGE OFFICE ANd ONESMALLOFFICE.CentrallylocatedindowntownOKC,withinwalkingdistancetoCountyandFederalCourt-house. Receptionist, conference room, and completekitchenare included,aswell as Internet, faxand freeparking. Secure building with coded entry after 6:00p.m.Contactdanaat(405)239-2454.

MIdTOwN RENAISSANCE OFFICE SPACE FORLEASE: Office space yours in a beautifully renovated1920sbuildingintheheartofMidtownwithinwalkingdistance to many new restaurants and the BoulevardCafeteria. Amenities include receptionist, phones, In-ternet, copier, fax,postagemeter,2conferencerooms,library, kitchen, housekeeping, onsite file storage andparking. Located in the vicinity of 12th and walker.(405)627-1380or(405)204-0404.

CONSULTING ARBORIST, tree valuations, diagnoses,forensics, hazardous tree assessments, expert witness,depositions, reports, tree inventories, dNA/soil test-ing, construction damage. Bill Long, ISA Certified Ar-borist, #SO-1123, OSU Horticulture Alumnus, All ofOklahomaandbeyond,(405)996-0411.

traFFIC aCCIDent reCOnstruCtIOn InVestIGatIOn • analYsIs • eValuatIOn • testImOnY

25 Years in business with over 20,000 cases. Experienced inautomobile,truck,railroad,motorcycle,andconstructionzoneaccidents for plaintiffs or defendants. OKC Police dept. 22years.Investigatororsupervisorofmorethan16,000accidents. Jim G. Jackson & associates edmond, OK (405) 348-7930

RESIdENTIAL APPRAISALS ANd ExPERT TESTI-MONY in OKC metro area. Over 30 years experienceandactiveOBAmembersince1981.Contact:dennisP.Hudacky, SRA, P.O. Box 21436, Oklahoma City, OK73156,(405)848-9339.

serVICes

POsItIOns aVaIlaBle

MIdSIZE TULSA LAw FIRM, seeking trial lawyerwith0-5yearsexperiencetohandleallphasesofper-sonal injury litigation.Salarycommensuratewithex-perience. Please send resume, references and writingsample to Box “w,” Oklahoma Bar Association, P.O.Box53036,OklahomaCity,OK73152.

POSITIONAVAILABLE:Shawnee,OK:2-5yearsexpe-rience,positionrequirespersonwithskillsinresearch,writing, trial preparation and trial experience. Pleasesend resumes to Box “Y,” Oklahoma BarAssociation,P.O.Box53036,OklahomaCity,OK73152.


POsItIOns aVaIlaBle

SPANISHSPEAKINGLEGALASSISTANTIMMEdI-ATEEMPLOYMENT:Mustbefluent inSpanishandmustbeabletointerpretandtranslatefromEnglishtoSpanish.Musthave5yearsexperienceinpersonalin-jury, $40k plus benefits. Send resume & referencesto:LegalResearch&ManagementSystems, Inc.P.O.Box2243,OklahomaCity,OK73101orfaxresumeto(405)232-2276.

POsItIOns aVaIlaBle

NEw GRAdUATES OR 1-3 YEARS ExPERIENCE.McAlester law firm is seeking full-time associate forallareasoftrialpracticeincludingcriminal,personalinjury, malpractice, civil rights, commercial, familylaw. Travel is required. Salary based on experienceplusbonuses.Verybusy,fast-pacedpractice.Sendre-sume with references to: Jeremy Beaver, Gotcher &BeaverLawFirm,P.O.Box160,McAlester,[email protected].

LESTER,LOVING&dAVIESPC,islookingforahigh-lyskilledlegalassistantwithexperienceinfederalcom-plex civil litigation including labor and employment,businesslitigation,badfaithlitigation,andcaseswithsignificantdocumentmanagementresponsibilitiesandESI. Send resume to Lester, Loving & davies, 1701SouthKellyAvenue,Edmond,OK73013.

ATTORNEYwITH6+YEARSOFTRANSACTIONALExPERIENCE; CORPORATE PARALEGAL: Multi-billion dollar distribution company with over 3,500employeesseekstransactionalattorneyinTulsaforne-gotiation, drafting and review of contracts and han-dling of various other corporate and transactionalmatters;SECreportingexperiencepreferred.Compa-nyalsoseeksanexperiencedcorporateparalegal forcontract administration and handling various othercorporate and transactional matters. Please send re-sumesto“BoxI,”OklahomaBarAssociation,P.O.Box53036,OklahomaCity,OK73152.

OKLAHOMA CITY LAw FIRM, seeking trial lawyerwithtwotofiveyearsexperiencetohandleallphasesofPersonalInjurylitigation.Pleasesendresumeandref-erencesto“BoxT,”OklahomaBarAssociation,P.O.Box53036,OklahomaCity,OK73152.

dOwNTOwN OKLAHOMA CITY, AV RATEd, IN-SURANCE dEFENSE LAw FIRM with emphasis onCommercial Trucking Litigation, seeks associateattorneywith0-2yearsoflitigationexperience,goodwriting skills and looking for new challenges. Com-pensationpackageiscommensuratewithlevelofex-perience.Pleasesendresumeinconfidenceviaemailtokaren@millsfirm.com.

dOwNTOwNTULSAAVRATEdFIRMSEEKSASSO-CIATEwith1to3yearsexperience(civillitigationex-perienceaplus).Firmoffersanexcellence compensa-tionpackage.Salaryiscommensuratewithexperience.Strongacademicrecordrequired.Pleasesendresume,references,writingsampleandlawschooltranscriptto“BOxU,”OklahomaBarAssociation,P.O.Box53036,OklahomaCity,OK73152.

OKLAHOMA BASEd, MULTI-STATE FIRM SEEKSASSOCIATES for Oklahoma offices, several locationsstatewide.EmphasisonFamilyLawandChildSupportEnforcement.Strongworkethicandselfmotivationskillsrequired. All replies considered confidential. Send re-sumeandsalaryrequirementsto:“BoxB,”OklahomaBarAssociation,P.O.Box53036,OklahomaCity,OK73152.

TULSAOKLAHOMALAwFIRMSEEKSASSOCIATEATTORNEYwith1-4yearsoflitigationexperience.Ex-perienceinFamily,Criminal,orworkers’complawishelpful.Salaryisdeterminedbylevelofexperience.Re-sumetocharles@kanialaw.com.

ExPERIENCEdLEGALSECRETARYNEEdEdforme-dium-sized downtown law firm. Must have strongknowledge and proficiency with wordPerfect, Micro-soft word, and Outlook. Responsibilities will includepreparingdocuments,dailyfiling,andperformingalltasksrequestedbysupervisingattorneys.Pleaseemailresumetokmathews@robinettmurphy.com.

ESTABLISHEdATTORNEYSINNORTHOKCarelook-ing for attorney to share office space. Some overflowworkavailable.Experienceinoilandgasandtitlelawisrequired.Also,excellentspacetosharewithestablishedattorney.Sendresumetolawyerneeded963@cox.net.

TULSA AV RATEd LAw FIRM SEEKS ATTORNEYwith ten (10) years of business-corporate/securitiesexperience(specifically1933Actand1934Act)whoislookingfornewchallengesandaffiliationwithanes-tablished and growing law firm. The ideal candidatewill have some existing clients, but not a full load.Competitive compensation package commensuratewith level of experience and qualifications. Competi-tive benefit package including bonus opportunity,healthinsurance,lifeinsurance,and401Kwithmatch.Applications will be kept in strict confidence. Pleasesend resume to “Box J,” Oklahoma Bar Association,P.O.Box53036,OklahomaCity,OK73152.

dOwNTOwNOKLAHOMACITY,AVRATEd,prod-uctliabilityandinsurancedefensefirmseeksattorneywithatleast5yearsofexperience.Pleasesendresumesto“BoxL,”OklahomaBarAssociation,P.O.Box53036,OklahomaCity,OK73152.

PARALEGAL/LEGAL ASSISTANT NEEdEd forbusy, well-established, north side Personal Injurylaw firm. Salary dOE. Please email resumes to:[email protected].

BRIEFwRITER–OKLAHOMACITY:Litigation/Briefwriterw/5+yrsexperienceormoreneededfordown-townOklahomaCityfirm.ExperienceasClerkforU.S.Federal Judge required. Billable hours: 2000 annually.Verylucrativecompensationpackage.Partnertrackpo-sition.Pleaseemailwordresume&salaryrequirementsto:[email protected].


•AV®Martindale-HubbellRating, thehighestratingforethicsand competency

•38yearsexperienceinhandling onlypersonalinjurycases

•PracticelimitedtoCatastrophic Injuries

•Manysuccessfulmulti-million dollarverdictsandsettlements

•Recognizedonnationaltelevision intheU.S.andGreatBritain

•RecognizedinTime, Star, TWA in Flight,andothermagazines

•Recognizedinnewspapersinthe U.S.,Japan,andothercountries

•LicensedtopracticeinOklahoma, Texas,MichiganandPennsylvania

•MemberOklahomaTrialLawyers AssociationandAmerican AssociationforJustice(formerly AssociationofTrialLawyersof America)


THE bACK PAGE

I’mnotlistening.Ifyousay,“Iwishwewerefreeoffamilyobligationssothatwecouldtravel,”or“Iwishwehadtimetotravel,”youhavemysympathy.Butafford???Let’stalkaboutthatone.

Inthelastcoupleyears,myhusbandandIhavetraveledtoPoland,Slovakia,Hun-gary,Slovenia,Croatia,Bosnia,andwemostrecentlyspentamontheachinNewZealand,ItalyandtheSwissAlps,butneitherofushaseverbeenthatgreatatmakingmoney.weaffordthesetripsbymakingthemapri-orityandbylivingassimplyabroadasweliveathome.

wedon’tliketour-ists.wedon’tlikebeingaroundthem,andwecertainlydon’twanttobethem.Tour-istshaveaherdmen-tality.Theyneedthecocoonofotherslikethemselvesandaccom-modations“likebackhome”orbettertoinsulatethemselvesfromtheunfamiliar.

wearetravelers.Thereisadifference.wedon’tsitaroundintouristycafes,nordowewantorneedtobe“takencareof.”weembracetheunfamiliar

asweimmerseour-selvesinanothercul-ture.wewanttoexpe-rienceandtounder-standhowtheseotherpeoplelive.Fortunate-lyforus,spendingmoremoneywouldbeabarriertotheseexperiences.

wetravelasthelocalstravelandstaywheretheystaywhentheyvacation.InNewZealand,that’scamp-inginavehicleaboutthesizeofadodgeCaravan.InEurope,that’strainsandsimpleaccommodationswithmaybeafewroom-matesandacommunalbathdownthehall.InBosnia,Ibrushedmyteethinthecourtyard,andwedriedourclothesontheroof.

whatordinarylocalpersoncouldmaintaintheleveloffoodspendinginwhichtouristsindulge?Thelocalswhoaren’ttry-ingtofleecethetour-istsareatsomeout-of-thewayjointwherethefoodisgreatandthepricesarereason-

able.Theyarealsointhemarketandwearethere,too.ThreeweeksbeforetheearthquakeinL’Aquila,Italy,wewereeatingfreshtomatoesintheirsquare.

Thenthere’stheluggage.Touristscarryluggage;travelersdon’t.Forourmonth-longjauntsinItalyandSwitzerland,weeachcarriedonlyadaypack.whilethetour-istswereluggingtheirmonstrositiesaroundorpayingfortaxisandporters,wetravelerscouldhoponandoffconveyancesalongwiththelocals.

Language?It’sonlyabarrierifyouallowittobe.Everybodyunderstands,“Toi-lette?”andanythingelseisnegotiable,aslongasweavoidthetourist’sarrogantnotionthateveryoneshouldspeakEnglish.Onehostessmetusatthedoorwithherhairincurlers,asmileonherface,andsaid,“Americans!!”Thatwas

abouttheonlywordweeverunderstood,butthestaywasdelightful–Ihadfoundsomeoneonlinetoarrangethereservation.

whichbringsmetopreparation.Thesetripsdon’tjusthappen.whattheydon’trequirefromthepock-etbook,theydorequireinpreptime.There’snotspacehereforeverythingwe’velearned,butyoucanlearnmorefrommyonlinepostsattinyurl.com/SwissTripBudget.

Ifwedidn’ttravelaswedo,wewouldnothavelearnedfromourMuslimhostwhatlifewaslikeforhisfamilyduringtheBosnianwar.wewouldnothaveseentheHungari-an’stearsashetoldushecouldnotyetvisittheCommunismmuse-umbecausehismemo-ryofthateraisstillraw.TheItalianmanwouldn’thavetoldushowmuchheappreci-atesthat“Americagavememylife,myliberty,”afterwwII.TheseexperienceswillmakeusbetterAmericans.

Bonvoyage,fellowtraveler.Quitcher-bitchinandhittheroad.Lifeisshort.

Ms. Smith practices in Ponca City.

Think You Can’t Afford to Travel?By Carolyn Smith

OBA/CLE

SpringWebcasts

Business and Agency Governance from Compliance to Prosecution - What You Need to Know

Topics:Ethical and Practical Realities of Representing Corporations and Public Bodies

Liability of Officers and Directors

Public Entity Corruption Prosecutions and/or Private Corporate Prosecutions

The McNulty Memorandum and Cooperation During Investigation

The Key Role of Compliance Programs, Internal Controls and Internal Audit What Good Corporate Citizens Should Know About the Federal Sentencing Guidelines False Claims Act

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

7.0 Total MCLE, 3.0 of which may be applied toward Ethics

Medicine for Lawyers: The Ten Top Illnesses and Injuries of the Brain & SpineSaturday, April 10, 2010

Topics:Basic Anatomical Terms

The Anatomy of the Back and Spine

The Top Illnesses and Injuries—Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment

The Role of Diagnostic Testing in Trauma to the Brain and Spine

7.0 Total MCLE, (No ethics)

Basics of E-DiscoveryTuesday, April 20, 2010

In this technologically modern era in which we live and work, virtually every document that has the potential to lead to discoverable evidence is stored in a digital format. Knowing how to access and preserve this electronic information is crucial. Failure to pursue electronic discovery limits the litigation arsenal and potentially exposes practitioners to malpractice liability. This brand new, back to basics seminar will provide you with an introduction to e-discovery. This program defines electronic discovery, explains how to search for discoverable information, shows you how to properly produce and preserveelectronic documents and most importantly, shows you how to do all of this in a cost-effective manner.

5.0 Total MCLE (No Ethics)

Register at www.okbar.org/cle