HOW DO I POST MESSAGES VIA THE WEB AND EMAIL?

 You can post questions to members on the association list(s) either via the web at TrialSmith.com or by sending a new message from your e-mail. Details on both options follow.

 1. To post a message via the Web, go to http://www.TrialSmith.com and log in using your account information. (Or call 800.443.1757 to obtain this information. That is TrialSmith support. Unfortunately, I do not have access to usernames and passwords.)

Once you’re logged in, click on “Lists” from the tool bar and choose “Post a Message” from the drop down. 

2. To post a new message from your e-mail, create a new message and enter the e-mail address of the list [listname]@lists.trialsmith.com in the “To” line. Enter a subject line and text for your message and then click “Send.” (For example, to post to our general list, you would simply send an e-mail to oajcivil@lists.trialsmith.com.)

Either way, your message will go out to all of the list members and you’ll receive any replies in your e-mail Inbox.

I CAN’T SEND MESSAGES TO THE LIST.

There may be several reasons why your messages are being rejected by the List Server. Consider these various solutions:

1. You may have recently installed an additional Mail Server Account on your e-mail client (with additional email addresses). Remember that the list server will only receive messages from e-mail addresses listed as members. Check to make sure that your sending e-mail address is correct. If it doesn’t match the e-mail address on the List, your message will be rejected. A test is to send a message to a colleague and have them identify the sending e-mail address. If you have changed your address, call me at the OAJ Headquarters. I am happy to reset your e-mail at any time.
2. You cannot include graphics or stationary in your messages. These may contain viruses and trojans and are automatically blocked by the List Server. Remove all Stationary and Graphic Images from your messages. Your messages are also limited to 1 Megabyte in size.
3. You may no longer be a member of the list. Check your list settings on the website. If you do not see the list name shown, you are no longer a member of the list.
4. If you still cannot send messages to the list, please contact me at OAJ (cmartin@okforjustice.org or 405-525-8044) – OR – Submit a Ticket using the TrialSmith Support Center/Call 800-443-1757.

HOW DO I SEARCH THE FASTCASE LAW LIBRARY?

Please click the link below to view a short 20 minute webinar about searching Fastcase at TrialSmith.com. Fastcase is a national case law library of all state and federal courts and is available to TrialSmith Basic Plus, Economy and Professional Plan subscribers.

http://www.trialsmith.com/ts/webinars/032806/

The recorded presentation might take a few minutes to begin playing, depending on your connection speed. Also, the recording does include audio, so please make sure to watch the file from a computer with speakers.

HOW DO I SEARCH FOR  PREVIOUS LIST MESSAGES, E-CLIPS, DEPOSITIONS, AND OTHER DOCUMENTS?

1. To post a message via the Web, go to http://www.TrialSmith.com and log in using your account information.
2. You may click on “search” at the very top of the page which will take you to a Power Search page. You will then see the options (on the left side of the page) for various departments to search.  (Deposition Testimony, Briefs & motions, Disciplinary Actions, Legal Forms, List Messages, Etc.)
3. You may also select the “search” drop box from the toolbar on your home page.

I WANT TO TEMPORARILY TURN OFF MY MAIL.

You can modify your delivery settings on the Web site. Go the My Settings within the List Server interface on your Web Site to change these settings. 

Click on the drop-down box next the name of each list to set yourself to Vacation/Web Only mode. You will stop receiving e-mail from the list, but list messages will still be accessible by browsing or searching the List Archive. Additionally, you can post to the List while in the Vacation mode.

Additionally, you may send an email to me at OAJ (cmartin@okforjustice.org) or to TrialSmith (support@trialsmith.com) requesting that your email be suspended.

As Reggie Whitten has often reminded us, the general reputation of lawyers has not been good of late. As this is written, I have fresh on my mind newspaper headlines of criminal charges against a lawyer for misappropriation of client funds and a recent headline complaining that a prominent political lawyer drafted a will that favored another prominent politician in the estate of a wealthy widow. Never mind whether those charges have substance as the damage is in the original headline, not the latter end of the story that the lawyer did nothing wrong.

Then we have the political situation. The Republican party, led by people who have made it a major part of their platform to dismantle the civil justice system, has a majority in both houses of the legislature. Based on the number of contested races and those who will be elected without a race, it is a certainty that will not change.

As this is written, there is a real horse race taking place to see whether the Governor’s office will be controlled by the opposite party from the Legislature, thus giving us some hope of being able to control what awful things come out of the Legislature and become law. You can be sure, however, that the forces of the dark side will make a strong effort at capping damage recoveries and attorney fees and making it difficult to nearly impossible for injured people to hire lawyers who will seek redress for their grievances.

Lest this appear to be all gloom and doom, let me say that I have been doing this sort of work for a long time. (It will soon be 50 years.) Throughout that time, I cannot recall a time when there was not some threat to the legal system.

What I first recall as a threat to the legal system was a thing called “no fault.” Its advocates said it would reduce the cost of car insurance by seeing to it that a greater part of each premium dollar actually went to pay for claims and not to those rascally lawyers. Most states (but not Oklahoma) adopted no fault schemes.

The result was not (as advocates predicted) lowered insurance premiums. Instead, premiums increased in those states that enacted the most draconian no fault schemes. The push for those no fault schemes came and went, replaced by the present push for “tort reform.”

I suspect that the present tort reform push will not be a “practice-ender” for us all. However, we are in for some tough sledding if we do not protect our civil justice system.

Reggie has done an excellent job of building OAJ to protect the justice system and our way of life. I plan to continue the programs he implemented and, hopefully, turn the organization over at the end of my term in as good a condition as I found it.

We need to continue to do the things that Reggie has initiated. We need to increase our membership asthere is strength in numbers. We need to encourage our members to become more active in urging our legislators (even those not normally friendly to us) to do the right thing.

We need to continue to police our ranks in order to avoid the sorts of problems that have been giving us bad press. We need to continue to help our members to do a better job of what they do best – protect peoples’ rights. We do this through a vibrant CLE program, availability of briefs and legal research results on the list serve and, in general, having older, more experienced members available to mentor younger members.

Lawyers need to continue to do good things in our community. And when we do, we need to see to it that the community at large knows about it. I participate actively in an organization called Oklahoma Lawyers for Children. That organization provides counsel for children claimed to be abused or neglected and keeps their interests from being submerged in the legal fights going on around them. Additionally, Legal Aid always needs volunteers with the sort of litigation skills our members possess in abundance.

Please join me in helping to make this a banner year for the trial lawyer!

TEEM is a local interfaith, nonprofit organization that provides education, social services and job placement assistance to adults who are trying to better their lives.

The clothing presented Thursday, including more than 100 suits, will help clients of TEEM make a good first impression in job interviews, Michael Jackson, associate director of programs at TEEM, said in a news release.

The professional clothing drive is the kickoff to an ongoing partnership between TEEM and the Oklahoma Association for Justice.

At its winter meeting today, the group will present TEEM with a check for $5,000. In addition, members of the association will provide free legal advice to TEEM clients at legal clinics to be held throughout the year.

Oklahoma ranks 10^th in the country for people living in poverty and ranks 12^th in the nation for homelessness. TEEM’s client base is made up primarily of the homeless, single moms, those currently being assisted by welfare or recovering from addiction, and people recently released from incarceration. This incredible program works to provide clients with a comprehensive solution to change their lives through education, social services and employment.  TEEM strives to end poverty and it is their goal to help each individual that comes to their door realize that they have a future and can become productive citizens of this State.

The people who walk through the doors of TEEM each Monday morning have taken a huge step in the right direction, but the road ahead of them is long. Though they have made a commitment to learn, to work hard and to change, many of them have no homes, much less the means to buy clothing suitable to attend job interviews and eventually the workplace. This is where OAJ stepped in.

This fall, OAJ conducted a statewide, month long professional clothing drive to the clients at TEEM.  Several of our attorneys in Oklahoma City, Edmond, Norman, and Tulsa opened up their offices to serve as “drop spots” for the clothes. We asked all of you to take the time to look through your closets and set aside any clothing items that might be beneficial to the men and women at TEEM. Let me tell you, our members came through in a big way!

As we began collecting the clothing from these drop-off locations, we were absolutely overwhelmed by your participation and generosity. Initially, we had intended to transport the clothing to TEEM in a couple member vehicles but quickly learned we would (quite literally) need a trailer. I wish all of you who donated items could have been present to see the faces of the staff and clients at TEEM when the trailer doors opened to show the hundreds of items that we brought to them. There were well over a hundred suits, not to mention all the dresses, skirts, slacks, shirts, belts, shoes and blouses. For an hour, the students helped carry armloads of clothing upstairs to the TEEM’s clothing closet. This was more clothes than most of them had seen in their lifetime.

Four news station showed up to cover our event, including OETA, KSBI, Fox and News9. The Oklahoman ran a story along with pictures of our members organizing the clothes we donated.

It was inspiring to see our organization come together for such a great cause.  This event was the first of what will be a long term service partnership with TEEM, so be on the lookout for other opportunities to get involved.

Thank you to all of you who donated and a special thank you to the firms who served as drop off locations and regional coordinators: Carr & Carr, Gorospe & Smith, Loftis & Barnard, Maples Law Firm, McIntyre Law Firm, Sherwood & McCormick, and Whitten Burrage.

Oklahoma City – The Oklahoma Association for Justice has launched its new WordPress-based website, at http://www.okforjustice.org. The dramatically redesigned site, created by Oklahoma City creative agency Quantus Brand Consultancy, provides an improved user experience and features important to members. Based on collaboration with O.A.J Executive Director Christine Martin, the new site offers:

Users

• Searchable news and RSS subscription
• Public & private O.A.J events and registration
• Photo gallery of latest O.A.J events
• Organized link to helpful websites
• Easy to use O.A.J lawyer directory
• Legislative finder
• Benefits of becoming a member

Members

• File management system to upload and download files
• Event Management
• Member Directory
• The Advocate downloads
• Inclusion in the Find a Lawyer directory
• Access to TrialSmith

The site’s homepage welcomes visitors with a clean design that features a slideshow of the latest news and events offered by O.A.J. There is also a revamped events, photo gallery, application form, membership, and advertising section. The site also offers a powerful, yet simple, administrative content management system for O.A.J staff.

Routinely, hundreds of O.A.J members visit okforjustice.org to register for events, search for lawyers, see the latest news, upload and download files, gain access to TrialSmith, download issues of The Advocate, and take advantage of the myriad of other features the website offers. The development of the new site began in mid 2010 and included input from various members and staff.

Quantus Brand Consultancy, based in downtown Oklahoma City, is a strategic, creative communications firm with a passion to create meaningful experiences of brand engagement. Quantus develops brand strategy, design, and interactive applications and can be found at quantusagency.com