M. Joe Crosthwait, Jr., Attorney
M. Joe Crosthwait. Jr. received his undergraduate degree from the University of Oklahoma in 1971 and his Juris Doctor from the Oklahoma City University School of Law in 1974. While in law school, he served as president of his class and was employed as a Legal Intern under the Attorney General of Oklahoma Larry Derryberry. He took and passed the bar exam before graduating and upon graduation was immediately admitted to the bar and opened his solo practice in Midwest City. Among his early accomplishments was establishing and being the first Director of the Legal Assistant Program at Rose State College (what was then Oscar Rose Junior College). Joe was an early adopter and innovator of technology in the legal profession having been one of the founding members of the American Bar Association’s Computer Committee and for now nearly four decades closely involved with both the ABA and the Oklahoma Bar Association’s technology efforts.
Joe continues to be recognized by judges and lawyers nationally and statewide for his legal skills and high ethical standards by having accorded him the highest rating accorded lawyers, the Preeminent AV rating, recognizing his superb legal skills and his highest level of ethical conduct.
Academically, Joe has been elected to the prestigious American Law Institute, the leading national independent organization of lawyers, judges, and law professors of the highest qualifications who draft model laws and clarify principles of law and which is highly influential with Congress, the state legislatures and courts. He also has been elected as a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation which is comprised of less than one-half of one percent of the attorneys, judges and law professors in the nation. In order to improve his skills as a lawyer, in 1993 Joe obtained and to this day maintains his certification as a Certified Financial Planner. Throughout his career, Joe has regularly taught continuing legal education courses on a state and national level.
Joe has also served as President of the Oklahoma County Bar Association, the Oklahoma Bar Association, and the National Conference of Bar Presidents as well as the Oklahoma City University School of Law Alumni Association. He serves in the ABA House of Delegates where he continues to serve as a delegate after more than 15 years. He has served the ABA on a wide range of committees and efforts including the first American Bar Association Computer Committee as well as the Standing Committee on Law and National Security, Chair of the Standing Committee on Solo and Small Firm Practitioners, and the House Committee on Scope and Correlation of Work. He is a Sustaining Benefactor Fellow of the Oklahoma Bar Foundation and served as a trustee of the Foundation for six years.
Joe has been recognized nationally with the ABA’s Small Firm Merit Award (awarded to one small law firm nationally each year for outstanding service to clients, the profession, and the bar), the ABA Edward Finch Law Day Speech Award (3rd place), and with the Oklahoma Black Lawyers’ Diversity Award, the OCU School of Law Distinguished Alumnus Award, the Oklahoma County Bar Association’s Young Lawyers’ Trailblazer Award, and numerous others.
Locally, Joe was Assistant City Judge of Midwest City for 10 years and served on the Oklahoma State Temporary Court of Civil Appeals for two years. He also served on and chaired the Midwest City Economic Development Commission. He currently serves as Trustee for the Rose State College Foundation.
Most importantly, Joe’s focus has always been and remains his clients and their needs.
Practice Areas
Estate Planning; Estate Litigation
Personal Injury
Probate Administration
Probate
Certified Financial Planner®
Family Law
Education
Oklahoma City University, J.D., 1974, University of Oklahoma, B.A., 1971
University of Oklahoma, B.A., Political Science, Economics, 1968 – 1971
Westminster College, 1966 – 1968
Admitted
1974, Oklahoma; United States District Courts for the Eastern, Western and Northern Districts of Oklahoma; United States Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit; United States Supreme Court
Biography
Assistant Municipal Judge, City of Midwest City, 1985-1996
Judge, Temporary Court of Appeals, State of Oklahoma, 1994-1995
Chair, ABA Standing Committee on Solo and Small Firms, 1999-2003
ABA Committee on Research on the Future of the Profession, 1999-2003
Member, ABA Standing Committee on Law and National Security, 2005-2010
President, OCU School of Law Alumni Association, 2002-2004
Emeritus, Ruth Bader Ginsburg American Inn of Court
President, National Conference of Bar Presidents, 2008-2009
Memberships
Oklahoma County Bar Association (President, 1994-1995)
Oklahoma Bar Association (President, 2000; Fellow, Young Lawyers Division)
Member, House of Delegates and Standing Committee on Scope and Correlation of Work of the ABA, 2010-Present
Fellow, American Bar Foundation
Sustaining Fellow: College of Law Practice Management
American Law Institute, Elected 2010
Reported Cases
Pulliam v. Pulliam, 796 P.2d 623, 59 USLW 2119, 1990 OK71; Kerby v. Kerby, 60 P.3d 1038, 2002 OK 91; Swick v. Swick, 864 P.2d 819, 1993 OK 151; Reeves v. Parker, 143 P.3d 516, 2006 OK CIV APP 113
Professional Associations and Activities
American Bar Association
House of Delegates, 1995-96, 1999-2000, 2005- Present
Chair, Standing Committee on Solo and Small Firms, 2003-2004 (member since 1999)
Vice-Chair, General Practice, Solo and Small Firm Section MentoringCommittee, 1996-98
Vice-Chair, General Practice, Solo and Small Firm Section Juvenile Law Committee, 1996-Present
Member, Science and Technology Section Millennium Project Committee, 1997-2000
Founding Member, Computer Committee, 1980-83
Fellow, American Bar Foundation (Elected 1999)
Member, Committee on Research on the Future of the Legal Profession, 1999-2002
Member, Task Force on Lawyers’ Center for Personal Legal Services and Client Development, 2002-2004
Member, Executive Council, National Conference of Bar Presidents, 2001-2004
President, National Conference of Bar Presidents, 2008-2009
Chair, Solo Advocacy Group, GPSolo Division (2005- present)
Standing Committee on Law and National Security Law Advisory Committee, 2007-2011
Oklahoma Bar Association
President, 2000
Member, Board of Governors, 1997-99
Chair, General Practice Section, 1997-98
Chair, Mandatory Post-Admission Task Force, 1997-1999
Member, Strategic Planning Committee, 1984-89; 1995-Present
Chair, Solo and Small Firm Task Force, 1994-97
Member, Solo and Small Firm Committee, 1995-Present
Member, OBA/Management Assistance
Program (MAP), 1996-Present
Fellow, Young Lawyer’s Division
Chair, Legal Assistant Committee, 1976-82
Chair, Professional Economics Committee, 1982-86
Chair, Law Office Management and Technology Section, 1986-96
Chair, Law Day Committee, 1992-94
Member, Professionalism and Civility Task Force, 1998-Present
Sustaining Benefactor Fellow and Trustee, Oklahoma Bar Foundation, 1995-2000
Oklahoma County Bar Association
President, 1994-1995
Vice-President, 1992-1993
Law Library Trustee, 1990-1992
Chair, Law Day Committee, 1994
Member and/or Chair of numerous other committees including Fee Grievance and Ethics, Bench and Bar, and Judicial Screening
Awards
Recipient, ABA Small Firm Merit Award, 1999
Recipient, Edward R. Finch Law Day Speech Award, Third Place, 2001
Recipient, Diversity Award, Oklahoma Black Lawyers’ Association, 2000
Recipient, Distinguished Alumnus Award, Oklahoma City University School of Law, 2002
Recipient, Oklahoma County Bar Association Pro Bono Award, 2006
First Receipient of the OCBA Young Lawyers’ Division Trailblazer Award, 2007
Other
Certified Financial Planner — Certification received in 1993
First Director of the Legal Assistant Program at Rose State College (the First Junior College to receive Full ABA Accreditation)
Sustaining Fellow, College of Law Practice Management since 1998
President, Oklahoma City Dinner Club, 1992-98
Member, Board of Directors, Oklahoma Congregate Housing for the Elderly and Disabled, 1982-2006
Member and Chair of Midwest City Economic Development Commission, 1986-94
Associate Municipal Judge, City of Midwest City, 1986-96
Member, Oklahoma Temporary Court of Civil Appeals, 1994-95
Member, Midwest City Memorial Hospital Ethics Committee, 1986-Present
President, Board of Directors, OCU School of Law Alumni Association, 2002-2005
Master, Ruth Bader Ginsburg American Inn of Court
Member, Board of Directors, First National Bank of Midwest City, 1983-1996
Member, Oklahoma Adoption Law Reform Committee, 1995-1998
Hometown
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma