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Halloween Safety in Oklahoma: The Only Scares You Should Have Are the Fun Ones!

Happy Halloween from Smolen Law and the Alpha Firm! Costumes? Check. Candy buckets? Check. Pumpkins carved? Check. Halloween is here, and families across Tulsa and Oklahoma are getting ready for a night of spooky fun, sweet treats, and unforgettable memories. But before the little ghosts, superheroes, princesses, and monsters take over the neighborhood, there’s something […]

Vote NO on State Question 845

Vote NO on November 3. State Question 845 would remove an important safeguard from Oklahoma’s judicial appointment process. Under the current rule, no more than three of the governor’s six appointees to the Judicial Nominating Commission can belong to the same political party. SQ 845 would remove that limit, allowing all six appointees to come […]

What Is Product Liability? A Simple Guide to Your Rights in Oklahoma

What happens when a product you trust causes a serious injury? From household appliances to vehicles and medical devices, defective products can cause life-changing injuries and even death. Product liability laws help protect consumers and hold responsible companies accountable. What Is Product Liability? Product liability is an area of law that allows people to seek […]

The Dangerous Reality of Unqualified Commercial Truck Drivers

An 80,000-pound truck. A driver who cannot understand a road sign. A family whose life could change forever. How safe are our highways when commercial truck drivers cannot understand the signs and warnings meant to protect everyone on the road? A recent federal enforcement operation has brought renewed attention to commercial driver qualifications, roadway safety, […]

How to Avoid an 18-Wheeler Accident: 7 Safety Tips Every Driver Should Know

An 80,000-pound truck cannot stop, turn, or react like a passenger vehicle. One wrong move on the highway can change someone’s life forever. Every day, Oklahoma drivers share highways and city streets with commercial trucks, tractor-trailers, and 18-wheelers. These vehicles are essential to transporting goods across the country, but their enormous size and weight create […]

The Bullying Epidemic: Why Does This Keep Happening?

At what point is this going to stop? We have been talking about bullying for years. Schools know it is wrong. Teachers know it. Coaches know it. Parents know it. We know the warning signs, we know the damage it can cause, and we have policies and prevention programs designed to address it. So why […]

Supporting Oklahoma Teachers Is an Investment in Oklahoma

Teachers are responsible for one of the most important jobs in our state: educating the next generation of Oklahomans. Reading, writing, math, science and history are certainly part of that responsibility, but anyone who has spent time in a classroom knows the job extends far beyond academics. Teachers manage behavior, identify students who are falling […]

Private Prisons Make Money. Why Is Holding Them Accountable So Difficult?

Private prisons operate for profit, but when someone is seriously injured or dies inside one, the case may involve much more than ordinary negligence. Families may be required to prove that the prison violated the person’s constitutional rights. That is often a much higher legal standard than showing that an employee or company was simply […]

Okbar.org: Ethics & Professional Responsibility | Confidentiality: The Basics

Read on Oklahoma Bar Association Website: https://www.okbar.org/barjournal/october-2023/ethics-professional-responsibility/ By Richard Stevens ORPC 1.6 (a) states, “A lawyer shall not reveal information relating to the representation of a client unless the client gives informed consent, the disclosure is impliedly authorized in order to carry out the representation or the disclosure is permitted by paragraph (b).” EVIDENTIARY PRIVILEGE […]