Title: IN THE MATTER OF THE REINSTATEMENT OF GRAVIS

State: oklahoma

Issuer: Oklahoma Supreme Court

Document:

IN THE MATTER OF THE REINSTATEMENT OF GRAVIS  IN THE MATTER OF THE REINSTATEMENT OF GRAVIS 2010 OK 77 Case Number: SCBD-5642 Decided: 10/26/2010 THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA FOR PUBLICATION IN OBJ ONLY. NOT RELEASED FOR OFFICIAL PUBLICATION. In the Matter of the Reinstatement of: MARYLINN M. GRAVIS to membership in the Oklahoma Bar Association and to the Roll of Attorneys. ORDER OF REINSTATEMENT TO THE OKLAHOMA BAR ASSOCIATION AND ROLL OF ATTORNEYS ¶1 On May 24, 2010, Marylinn M. Gravis, now Haney, filed her petition for reinstatement to membership in the Oklahoma Bar Association (OBA) and to the Roll of Attorneys pursuant to Rule 11.1 of the Rules Governing Disciplinary Proceedings (RGDP), 5 O.S.2001, ch.1, app.1-A. There is no objection to the petition for reinstatement in the record before us. ¶2 After an investigation was conducted pursuant to Rule 11.2 of the RGDP, a trial panel of the Professional Responsibility Tribunal (PRT) held an evidentiary hearing on August 12, 2010, on the petition for reinstatement in accordance with Rule 11.3 of the RGDP. ¶3 On September 3, 2010, the PRT filed its report with the requisite findings in accordance with Rule 11.5 of the RGDP. The PRT unanimously recommended that petitioner be reinstated to membership in the OBA and that her name be reentered on the Roll of Attorneys. The OBA and petitioner waived their rights to file briefs. ¶4 This Court has exclusive jurisdiction over the licensing of attorneys. In re Reinstatement of Kamins, ¶5 The record before us establishes the following facts. Petitioner graduated from the Tulsa University School of Law in 1986. On October 15, 1986, petitioner was admitted to membership in the OBA. Petitioner practiced law in Tulsa, Oklahoma, until June 1, 2007, when she moved to Texas which was a result of her husband's job. In January 2009, petitioner's husband was relocated to the Czech Republic on an assignment which was scheduled to last for five years. Petitioner moved to the Czech Republic at the end of the spring school term in 2009. On January 12, 2009, petitioner tendered her resignation to the OBA because she anticipated that she would have difficulty completing the mandatory continuing legal education requirements while living in the Czech Republic. The OBA's Executive Director acknowledged receipt of petitioner's letter of resignation and transmitted it to the Clerk of the Supreme Court on January 22, 2009. In August of 2009, petitioner returned to the United States and has been residing in New Jersey since August 15, 2009. ¶6 Petitioner owes no money to the OBA, except for the costs of these proceedings as discussed below. Petitioner completed twelve hours of continuing legal education, including one hour of ethics, in July of 2010. At the time of the hearing, petitioner had met the continuing legal education requirements. She has been subscribing to the Oklahoma Bar Journal and has discussed with others current issues in the law. ¶7 Petitioner submitted affidavits from the Montgomery County, Texas, District Court Clerk's office and from the Court Clerk of Tulsa County stating that their records affirm that petitioner did not practice law during the relevant time period. Petitioner stated that she was unable to get verification from a proper New Jersey official that she did not practice law in New Jersey during the relevant time period. However, petitioner did attest that she did not engage in the unauthorized practice of law in the Czech Republic or in New Jersey during the relevant time period.