Jeff Kline, Delta Phi/North Texas 2009, was recently named one of OKC.Biz’s Forty Under 40 for 2014 – a list of Central Oklahoma’s best and brightest achievers born between the late 1970s and the mid-1990s.
Brother Kline has worked as an associate attorney at Bays Law Firm for 4.5 years.
“The firm consists of my boss, Daniel Bays, and me. Daniel is a Theta Chi from the Gamma Zeta Chapter at Oklahoma State University (2001). He and I met when I moved to Oklahoma City for law school. I certainly would not have this job without us both being fraternity brothers,” said Kline. “I started as a law clerk while I was a law student, and was then promoted to licensed legal intern, which allowed me to perform certain lawyer functions under Daniel's supervision. After passing the Oklahoma Bar Exam, I became an associate attorney for the firm,” said Kline.
What are some of the responsibilities of your position?
“We're a pretty small firm, so I have my own office, caseload, and clients. We handle mostly domestic cases such as divorce, custody issues, child support enforcement, as well as criminal defense, bankruptcy, adoptions, guardianships, and personal injury cases,” said Kline. “I handle cases starting with the initial client intake, to all client meetings and court appearances, and ending with the final agreement. I even handle some appeal cases before the Oklahoma Supreme Court and the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals,” Kline continued.
Outside of the office, Kline very involved in the community.
“I volunteer heavily in the Oklahoma City Jewish community by serving on the boards of the Jewish Federation and the Hillel at the University of Oklahoma. For the Hillel, I serve as the treasurer, and I'm in charge of fundraising. I also plan events for Jewish young professionals in OKC,” said Kline. “I am also a chapter advisor for the Gamma Zeta Chapter at Oklahoma State University, and I am active in the University of North Texas Alumni Association and attend nearly all home football games,” added Kline. “I am an alumnus of Leadership Oklahoma City's LOYAL program, where I am frequently asked to help plan and organize various community wide events for different organizations,” Kline continued.
“So has your Theta Chi experience helped you in your career?
“Aside from simply helping me get my job, my Theta Chi experience definitely helped me with my career,” said Kline. “I deal with high conflict cases every day, and while our fraternity debates were much more simple and civil, those debates and disagreements helped hone my negotiating skills. During my undergrad time, I also had to sell the fraternity to potential new members; now I use those same selling skills but with my law firm,” he concluded.
To view the OKC.Biz Forty Under 40 list in its entirety, visit http://okc.biz/2014/11/12/forty-under-40-class-of-2014-list/
In addition to the Forty Under 40 award, Brother Kline was also named a 30 Under 30 recipient by Ion Oklahoma Online. To view the list, visit http://www.ionok.com/30under30/?page=winners