Executive Committee
The Lochridge Inn has been exceptionally successful in attracting members of experience, talent, and passion from both the bench and bar in Austin, and our Inn leadership team reflects that same excellence. Our current roster of officers includes:
- Immediate Past President: Ryan Botkin, Botkin Chiarello Calaf
- President: Michelle Fernald, U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Texas
- President-Elect: Adam Sencenbaugh, Haynes & Boone
- Treasurer: David Whittlesey, Shearman & Sterling
- Judicial Counselor: Hon. Elisabeth A. Earle, County Court No. 7, Travis County
- Membership Chair: Christie Hebert, Institute for Justice
- Past Presidents: Hon. Todd Wong, County Court at Law No. 1, Travis County; David Gonzalez, Sumpter & Gonzales LLP; Hon. Eric Shepperd, County Court at Law No. 2, Travis County; Catherine Robb, Haynes & Boone, LLP
- Program Chairs: Chase Hamilton, Richards Rodriguez & Skeith LLP; Lisa Paulson, Davis, Gerald, and Cremer P.C.
- Mentorship Chairs: Hon. Dustin Howell, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas; David Lein, University of Texas School of Law
- Communications Chair: Blair Leake, Wright & Greenhill, PLLC
- Administrator: Amanda Adame, Shearman & Sterling
Leadership Opportunities and Succession
Developing future leaders for our profession is among the Inn's critical missions, and we strive to welcome and recognize initiative and dedication among the members through opportunities to define and fill leadership opportunities both formal and informal.
The division of the Inn into pupillage teams during the course of each year both requires and encourages devolution of leadership functions and opportunities to a wide variety of Inn members. Each team is led by two individuals, usually two Barristers or a Master and a Barrister. Teams are self-organizing beyond that, and they are encouraged to select a team social chair with responsibility for promoting informal team interaction and socializing outside the team's presentation preparations.
At the executive-team level, leadership roles are generally filled by Masters or Barristers of long standing with the Inn. Each year, the previous year's President-Elect succeeds to the role of President. The executive team is responsible for selecting the President-Elect for the succeeding Inn year. The Lochridge Inn does not follow a set pattern of succession through roles on the leadership team. Instead, the selection of the President-Elect is based on a holistic assessment by the executive team based on the Inn's needs, the organizational and leadership strengths of the members, and prior leadership experiences of the candidates.