Submitted
OKLAHOMA CITY – Recently retired Judge Rick Woolery, is among the lawyers, judges and organizations honored last week during the Oklahoma Bar Association’s 116th Annual Meeting.
OBA President Susan Shields of Oklahoma City said, “This year’s meeting is historic because all programming is taking place virtually, and we are seeing record-breaking participation with more than 1,900 members registered. Our award winners represent the best of our legal profession in many ways, such as contributions to their communities and to the profession, integrity and character that make them role models.”
Woolery is receiving the Joe Stamper Distinguished Service Award given to an OBA member for long-term service to the bar association and contributions to the legal profession. He earned a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Central Oklahoma in 1973. Upon graduation, he taught English, history and journalism at Sapulpa Public Schools. He received his J.D. from the University of Tulsa College of Law in 1977.
He began his judicial career in 1978 as a municipal judge for the city of Sapulpa. He concurrently worked as an associate attorney for several law offices and later as a sole practitioner. He has served as Young Lawyers Division chairman, an OBA Board of Governors member and a trustee of the Oklahoma Bar Foundation. He has also volunteered as a cub master with the Boy Scouts of America and was involved with the History Alive program. He was named Outstanding Young Lawyer in 1987 and was a co-recipient of the OBA’s Alma Wilson Award for his work with children in 2008. He retired Aug. 31 from his position as special judge for Creek County after 24 years on the bench.
Award winners were selected by the OBA Awards Committee and the OBA Diversity Committee from nominations submitted by members across the state.
Others receiving OBA awards are:
- Judge Robert Bacharach, Oklahoma City; Award of Judicial Excellence
- Poetic Justice, Tulsa; Liberty Bell Award
- OBA Estate Planning Probate and Trust Section; Golden Gavel Award
- Judge Lisa Tipping Davis (posthumous), Oklahoma City; Alma Wilson Award
- Bob Burke, Oklahoma City; Neil E. Bogan Professionalism Award
- Judge Rebecca Brett Nightingale, Tulsa; John E. Shipp Award for Ethics
- Canadian County Bar Association, Outstanding County Bar Association
- OBA Family Law Section, Earl Sneed Award
- Brandi Nowakowski, Shawnee; Outstanding Young Lawyer Award
- Christine Pappas, Ada; Outstanding Service to the Public Award
- Derek Burch, Oklahoma City; Award for Outstanding Pro Bono Service
- Phillip J. Tucker, Edmond; Becky Bryan Allen, Oklahoma City; and Virginia Henson, Norman; Maurice Merrill Golden Quill Award
- Emma Kincade, Tulsa; OCU School of Law; Allyson Shumaker, Highland Village, Texas; OU College of Law and Jason Wietholter, Tulsa; TU College of Law; Outstanding Senior Law Student Award.
Receiving Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher Awards from the OBA Diversity Committee are:
Presiding Judge David B. Lewis, Oklahoma City; Judge Aletia Haynes Timmons, Oklahoma City; Scott Biggs, Stillwater; Mary Frances Edmonds, Tulsa; Patti Palmer Ghezzi, Oklahoma City; and Freedom Oklahoma, Oklahoma City.
The Oklahoma Bar Association has 18,000 members.
