Cuban to Present “The Addicted Lawyer” to Wyoming Lawyers

October 11, 2019 - News Releases

CHEYENNE – The Wyoming State Bar is pleased to announce that Brian Cuban, the younger brother of Dallas Mavericks owner and entrepreneur Mark Cuban, will be presenting “The Addicted Lawyer” to Wyoming lawyers and judges on Wednesday, October 16, 2019, from 3-5:00 p.m. at the University of Wyoming College of Law. For those who cannot attend in person, the Bar is also livestreaming the program.

Brian Cuban is a Dallas-based attorney, author and addiction recovery advocate. He has been in long-term recovery from alcohol, cocaine and bulimia since April of 2007.

Cuban will discuss his experiences with mental health issues, both as a law student and as a practicing attorney for over twenty years. He will also discuss his recovery, redefining his career as well as restoring family and passion for life.

A recent study done by the American Bar Association Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs and the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation found that between 21 and 36 percent of lawyers surveyed qualify as problem drinkers and that approximately 28 percent, 19 percent, and 23 percent are struggling with some level of depression, anxiety and stress, respectively.

“These are very troubling statistics,” said Jack Speight, Director of the Wyoming Lawyer Assistance Program (WyLAP). “Lawyers are dealing with substance abuse and mental health issues at alarming rates. WyLAP has the resources to help these lawyers, but we need to let them know that it’s okay to talk about these problems. We need to erase the stigma that surrounds these serious problems.”

The same study found that younger lawyers in the first ten years of practice experience the highest rates of problem drinking and depression.

“We are pleased to partner with the UW College of Law so that law students can also take part in this program,” said Speight. “We need to instill in these students early on that these problems are serious and provide them with the resources they need to stay on the other side of the statistics.”

Cuban is a graduate of Penn State University and The University of Pittsburgh School of Law. His first book, Shattered Image: My Triumph Over Body Dysmorphic Disorder, chronicles his first-hand experiences living with and recovering from twenty-seven years of eating disorders and Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD).

Cuban’s most recent best-selling book, The Addicted Lawyer, Tales of The Bar, Booze, Blow, & Redemption is an unflinching look back at how addiction and other mental health issues destroyed his career as a once-successful lawyer and how he and others in the profession redefined their lives in recovery and found redemption.

Cuban has spoken at law schools, colleges, universities, conferences, non-profit and bar association events across the United States and in Canada. He has appeared on prestigious talk shows such as the Katie Couric Show as well as numerous media outlets around the country. Cuban also writes extensively on these subjects. His columns have appeared and he has been quoted on these topics on CNN.com, Foxnews.com, The Huffington Post, Above the Law, The New York Times, and in online and print newspapers around the world.

Lawyers wishing to register for the program should visit https://www.wyomingbar.org/?p=7137 or call (307) 432-2103.