May 2010

May 2010

Faculty Accomplishments:

Professor Judith Royster. Professor Royster participated at the Muscogee Creek Nation's "Doing Business in Indian Country" program on May 20, 2010. She discussed state personal property taxes on majority Indian-owned businesses.

Professor Vicki Limas. Professor Limas participated at the Muscogee Creek Nation's "Doing Business in Indian Country" program on May 20, 2010. She discussed updates in employment law.

Professor Marguerite Chapman. Professor Chapman spoke at the opening session of the 2010 UNESCO International Conference on Bioethics in Zefat, Israel on May 3, 2010. She was also interviewed by an Israeli radio station.

Professor Lyn Entzeroth. Professor Entzeroth served as a panelist on a forum discussing the new health care law on May 11. The forum took place at the Tulsa Community College Metro Campus.

Student Accomplishments:

Second year student Philip Tinker’s article, "Is Oklahoma Still Indian Country? Reservation Disestablishment in Murphy v. Sirmons and Osage Nation v. Irby" will be published in the proceedings of the Sovereignty Symposium, sponsored by the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

Alumni News:

Dick Risk (JD 01), of the Risk Law Firm in Tulsa, OK won a plaintiffs class action suit against The Hartford for $72.5 million. The company reached an agreement in principle to settle the case stemming from structured settlement transactions involving the company's P&C and Life operations. Risk brought the theory of recovery and found the three class representative plaintiffs. Three other firms eventually became involved.

M. David "Pete" Riggs (JD 68) was awarded the 2010 John Hess Award for Outstanding Citizenship for his service to Sand Springs, OK. The Hess Award is dedicated to the late John M. Hess, who served as Mayor of Sand Springs in the 1960s and continued his community for many decades after that. It is awarded annually by the City Council of Sand Springs and is the highest form of recognition that is bestowed by Sand Springs’ City government.

David Mendelson, (JD 94) of the Mendelson Law Firm in Memphis, TN was elected as a representative for the Board of Governors Young Members' Section of the Commercial Law League of America.