In 2023, gambling and running are both on the horizon for me.
Next month, I’m running the Rock ’n’ Roll Las Vegas half marathon on The Strip. And any ‘gainz’ I may get in morale or muscle on the race track might morph into monetary loss on the blackjack table. But hopefully I bring home the dough.
To train for the half, I’m running the upcoming ASC Heart & Sole 5K at White Rock Lake Dallas, mentioned in last week’s P.S. column. It’s put on by the Dallas women lawyer organization, Attorneys Serving the Community, and benefits women battling substance abuse.
Trivia is not so much in my future. I tried it at Plucker’s a couple times in my twenties, and after someone on our team broke the rules and pulled their phone out to look up an answer, we were disqualified. (It still hurts. It wasn’t me. And I’ve never played trivia since.)
What’s the point of mentioning these three activities? If you happen to be an enthusiast for any of these pastimes, see below for details that will allow you to gamble, run and play trivia to your heart’s content, and all for good causes, in the coming weeks. Plus: info on a CLE in Dallas next week that will educate the legal community on human trafficking trends and how lawyers can help domestically and abroad.
The Latest Charitable Happenings
— Next week on Tuesday, Jan. 17, a panel discussion featuring lawyers from the Human Trafficking Institute, T-Mobile and Greenberg Traurig will discuss state, federal and international human trafficking laws and explore the legal nuances and trends in human trafficking schemes at 3 p.m. at the Arts District Mansion. Major sponsors include the Association of Corporate Counsel’s DFW chapter, SMU’s Deadman School of Law and the Texas Lawbook Foundation. The event is available both in-person and virtually.
When: Jan. 17 at the Dallas Arts District Mansion. Program: 3-5 p.m. Reception: 5-6:30 p.m. Check-in begins at 2:30 p.m.
Panelists: HTI CEO and co-founder Victor Boutros, T-Mobile senior corporate counsel Alan Dorantes, Greenberg Traurig shareholder Elizabeth Hadley and HTI senior legal counsel Lindsay Lane.
CLE: The event counts for two credits of general Texas CLE. Kansas, Virginia and Washington CLE will be sought upon request.
Additional sponsors: Baker Botts, Locke Lord, Norton Rose Fulbright, Perkins Coie and Jackson Walker.
— Registration opened last week for the Houston Bar Association’s 38th Annual John J. Eikenburg Law Week Fun Run on at the Sam Houston Park Downtown on Saturday, Feb. 18. All are welcome and distances vary between a 1K kids’ run and an 8K adult run (wheelchair run included). Runners can compete individually or in teams. According to the Houston Chronicle, John J. Eikenburg was the HBA president in 1986 when he told the association’s executive director that he wanted to start a fun run that benefited a Houston charity. The fun run was renamed the John J. Eikenburg Fun Run in 1998 shortly after his death. Eikenburg’s son, John J. Eikenburg, Jr., is an in-house lawyer at PULSE Network in Houston and participates in the fun run every year with his family.
Proceeds from the fun run will benefit The Center for Pursuit, a Houston nonprofit that provides housing, education, job opportunities and resources for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and autism. To date, the HBA Fun Run has raised more than $1.6 million for the nonprofit.
Co-chairs this year are Benjamin Roberts of Roberts Law, Jesse Pence of the Harris County District Attorney’s Office and Lawrence Windsor of Vinson & Elkins.
To sponsor: https://www.hba.org/?pg=contributions&cpAction=showDetail&pid=93&cid=350
To register: https://runsignup.com/Race/TX/Houston/JohnJEikenburgLawWeekFunRun8k
— On Saturday, Feb. 4, Dallas CASA’s young professional group will host its CASAblanca Casino Night, an evening of gambling, dancing, cocktails and prizes. Proceeds and sponsorships from the event will enable the organization to provide volunteers to advocate for child victims of abuse. Dallas CASA recruits, trains and provides judge-appointed volunteers to advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children. The organization has significant lawyer leadership, including CEO Kathleen LaValle, a former litigation partner at Jackson Walker, and Mark Berg, executive vice president and former general counsel of Pioneer Natural Resources whose mom actually helped plant the seeds for what became Dallas CASA. Berg is a winner of the Association of Corporate Counsel DFW chapter’s 2022 Achievement in Pro Bono and Public Service award and is the subject of an upcoming Texas Lawbook profile of his work with Dallas CASA.
The event will be at The Hall on Dragon.
Law firm sponsors so far include Sidley Austin and Greenberg Traurig. Multiple sponsorship opportunities are still available.
To sponsor or buy an individual ticket, click here.
— Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas is hosting its 2023 trivia night on Sunday, April 16. The virtual event will last from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., and participants are encouraged to join from their office, home or best thinking place. All proceeds will support LANWT’s mission and work to ensure equal access to justice for low-income families in the area. The event includes prize draws, a silent auction and a wine pull.
Participants can compete in teams of four to 10. If you’re a single player, you will be randomly matched with others to form a team.
To register or donate: https://give.lanwt.org/ge/trivia2023
Sponsorships are still available. To sponsor, visit here or contact Sam Prince: princes@lanwt.org