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Once again, we are proud to say that our annual CLE program was an overwhelming success. Dicky Grigg pulled a huge rabbit out of his “speaker hat”, thanks to cooperation from Dallas ABOTA member, Randy Johnston.
The first speaker on Friday morning had been touted as a “Mystery Speaker”. There could be no advance promotion and we all had to turn in any device that could take a photograph before entering the room. The guesses on who it was ranged from Oprah to Sandra Bullock to Barack Obama to John Grisham to former Pres. George W. Bush, to name a few.
After a poignant, emotional introduction by Randy Johnston, our speaker walked from the back of the room to the podium. It was Mark Owen, a member of SEAL Team Six who participated in the rescue of Captain Richard Phillips and the mission that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden. He spoke to us about his passion for becoming a member of the elite team and what it took to achieve that. He also told us about being on the helicopter that crashed inside the compound where Osama Bin Laden had been living for five years! His team somehow survived the crash and continued on their mission to find Bin Laden. Mark was the second person through the door when Bin Laden was killed.
But his story wasn’t as much about that event as it was about the importance of teamwork and always trying your best in everything you do. Needless to say, our members were moved by his remarks.
Certainly, that was a hard act to follow, but our other speakers held their own as they spoke about the reality of “virtual lawyers”, sex discrimination claims at universities and the fallout at Baylor, representing unpopular clients such as Robert Durst and a visit from long-deceased former Supreme Court Justice, Oliver Wendell Holmes.
Naturally, fun was had at our cocktail receptions and other activities, including a visit to the surreal immersive art experience, Meow Wolf.
This years annual award winners were:
Lawyer of the Year: Kenneth Tekell, Houston
Kenneth Tekell, Sr.
Jurist of the Year: Hon. Ken Molberg, Dallas (Remarks of Hon. Ken Molberg Santa Fe 071717)
Champion of Civil Justice: Robert L. Duncan, Lubbock
The weather cooperated with us this year, so there were no last-minute dashes inside to dodge rain drops.
Thank you to all of our sponsors for your support.
Saturday Night Dinner:
Saturday Night Cocktail Reception:
Friday Night Cocktail Reception Sponsor:
CLE Program Sponsors:
Welcome Reception Sponsors:
✪ Spivey & Grigg ✪ Kim Law Firm
✪ Ware Jackson Lee O’Neill Smith & Barrow, LLP ✪
✪ Ben C. Martin ✪ Capshaw & Associates ✪ Henke, Williams & Boll, LLP
✪ Holmes, Diggs, Eames & Sadler, PLL C ✪ Roach & Newton
✪ Scott Douglass & McConnico, LLP’s ✪ Richardson & Burgess LLP
✪ Winckler Harvey ✪ Howry Breen & Herman
✪Whitehurst, Harkness, Brees, Cheng, Alsaffar, & Higginbotham, PLLC ✪
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