Today we’d like to introduce you to Mike Engelhart.
Mike, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I moved to Houston in 1992 to start law school at the University of Houston. I graduated in 1995. I had clerked for a law firm during law school and continued to work there until I started my own law firm in 1996. I practiced law with a partner until the end of 2008 as Engelhart & Greenwood, LLP. We specialized in plaintiff’s personal injury and commercial litigation. In 2007, I had decided to run for district court Judge as a Democrat. I ended up running against a three-term incumbent Republican Judge who was the cousin of a former US Secretary of State. I won that race by about 1%. I have been re-elected as Judge of the 151st Civil District Court two more times after that. Today, I serve not only as a District Court Judge but also as the Civil Administrative Judge of the 24 civil district courts of Harris County. I have won various awards for my leadership, public service, and legal research and writing. I married my wife, Eva, who is an attorney and Chapter 7 bankruptcy trustee, in 1996. We have two boys, Joey, 19, and Zachary 16. Joey is a sophomore at UT in Austin, and Zachary is a Junior at Emery Weiner School in Houston.
In addition to my professional pursuits, I am a member of the Board of Directors of Houston Kosher Chili Cookoff, Inc. It is a 501(c)(3) organization that raises money for local Jewish charities through a huge kosher chili cookoff held every year. It’s the largest Jewish community-wide event in Houston every year, and has attendees and participants from across the Jewish religious spectrum, and from all religions, races, creeds, etc. We have celebrity judges from the food media, other local media, and tons of politicians.
Has it been a smooth road?
I have overcome some hurdles. First, I didn’t really know anyone when I came to Houston from New Jersey (and from my undergraduate alma mater, the University of Michigan) so I had to develop contacts and a good reputation. Second, running your own law firm is challenging at the best of times. I started out on my own shortly after law school, so I had to learn how to run a business and how to be a successful lawyer on the fly in my mid-20s. We had some very lean years. We had some good years, too. I have also struggled with my weight my entire adult life. Only recently, have I become serious about weight loss, and I have lost 90 lbs and gone down several clothing sizes. When I decided to run for Judge in 2007 (for the 2008 election), it was an uphill battle the whole way. Democrats had been shut out of county-wide office for almost 15 years at that time. We swept Harris County offices for the most part, but most of us squeaked by with about 1% of the vote as a winning margin.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I am the Judge of the 151st Civil District Court. We try civil cases, which are cases involving money disputes like commercial and contract disputes, real estate disputes, and personal injury claims. I have been recognized by the Texas Association of CIvil Trial and Appellate Specialists as their 2015 Trial Judge of the Year. I also received the Public Sector Achievement Award from the University of Houston Alumni Association in 2015. In 2017, my law clerk and I were awarded the Texas Bar College’s Franklin Jones Award for Best CLE Article. In 2012, the Houston Chronicle called me one of “the top judges in the county, if not the state…” I routinely receive high marks from the lawyers who make up the Houston Bar Association in Judicial preference and qualification polls as well.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Houston will give anyone a chance to succeed based upon your work ethic. It has been exceedingly good to me and my family. It took someone no one knew anything about, allowed me to earn a living and make a good impression, and it rewarded me by giving me my dream job. The best job I’ll ever have.
If I had to complain, I’d say that Houston is too big. I’ve heard it said that Houston is about 90 minutes from Houston at any given time.
Contact Info:
- Address: 201 Caroline Street, 11th Floor, Houston, Texas 77002, 832-927-2455 (This is the number for our lead Clerk, Veronica)
- Website: http://www.justex.net/Courts/Civil/CivilCourt.aspx?crt=10
- Phone: 832-927-2455
- Email: mengelhart0@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mengelhart0/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mike.engelhart.5
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/MikeEngelhart
- Other: www.JudgeEngelhart.com
Image Credit:
Mike Engelhart
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