Course Spotlight: "Whatcha Gonna Do?" A Primer on Oklahoma's Attorney Discipline Process

What you need to know before that OBA envelope arrives.

June 17, 2026

A particular kind of dread comes with seeing the Oklahoma Bar Association's return address on a piece of mail. For most attorneys, that moment is the first time they seriously think about Oklahoma's attorney discipline process — and that's exactly the wrong time to start learning about it.

Our newest CLE course, "Whatcha Gonna Do?" A Primer on Oklahoma's Attorney Discipline Process, changes that. Drawn from Judge Martha Rupp Carter's authoritative overview published in the Oklahoma Bar Journal (Vol. 95, No. 10, December 2024), this course gives a clear, practical guide to the disciplinary system — from the moment a grievance is filed to the Oklahoma Supreme Court's final disposition.

What You'll Learn

The course covers the full discipline process, organized around what practicing lawyers actually need to know:

How the system is structured — the roles and powers of the OBA General Counsel, the Professional Responsibility Commission, and the Professional Responsibility Tribunal, including how members are selected, quorum requirements, and each body's function in the process.
How a grievance starts and what happens next — what activates the process, why anonymous grievances don't count, and the five possible dispositions the Commission can reach after the General Counsel's investigation.
Duties of respondent — the 20-day written response deadline, the "full and fair disclosure" standard, the prohibition on retaliatory litigation against a grievant, and the address-maintenance requirement that many attorneys overlook until it's too late.
The Discipline Diversion Program — who qualifies, how the contract works, what resources are available (law office management assistance, Lawyers Helping Lawyers, CLE, psychological counseling), and what happens if you decline or violate the contract.
Formal proceedings under Rule 6 and Rule 7 — from the filing of a formal complaint through the trial panel hearing, the standard of proof (clear and convincing evidence), Supreme Court review, and cost surcharge rules. Rule 7 covers summary proceedings for criminal convictions — including why a pending appeal doesn't delay discipline.
Out-of-state discipline and self-reporting — what Oklahoma requires when you're disciplined in another jurisdiction, and the emerging duty to self-report criminal convictions under State ex rel. OBA v. Reedy, 2023 OK 99.

What the 2023 Numbers Reveal

One of the most instructive parts of this course is a close look at the OBA's 2023 annual discipline report. Of 18,734 OBA members, only 872 received grievances — less than 5%. But among that group, neglect accounted for 44% of formal grievances. Family law (23%) and criminal law (21%) practitioners drew the most complaints, and attorneys with 26 or more years of practice represented 39% of formal grievances. These numbers don't just describe the landscape — they point directly to where the risk is and what to do about it.

Who Should Take This Course

This course is valuable for every Oklahoma attorney, regardless of practice area or experience level. It's particularly well-suited for:

Attorneys who have received a grievance and want to understand what they're navigating
Practitioners in family law, criminal law, and general litigation — the highest-risk practice areas
Lawyers returning to practice or transitioning practice areas
Attorneys seeking ethics CLE who want substantive, practical content rather than abstract theory
Firm administrators and managing partners responsible for risk management

About the Source Material

This course is based on Judge Martha Rupp Carter's article published in the Oklahoma Bar Journal, Vol. 95, No. 10 (December 2024), reprinted with the permission of the author and the Oklahoma Bar Association. Judge Carter is a retired Tulsa County District Court judge who serves the OBA as Chief Master of the Professional Responsibility Tribunal and as a member of the Board of Editors of the Oklahoma Bar Journal. Her perspective combines deep familiarity with the rules as written and the process as it actually operates.

The Bottom Line

The discipline process is not designed to punish lawyers — it's designed to protect the public. Understanding it protects you, your clients, and your license. Don't wait for that envelope.