Program Development

Each pupillage team is responsible for developing and presenting a 75-minute CLE at one of the Inn's monthly meetings. The co-chairs for each team lead the team members in deciding a program topic and researching and preparing a presentation and discussion for the entire Inn membership.

For example, programs in recent Inn years have included:

• Technology and the Changing Nature of the Practice of Law
• Legal, Ethical, and Professional Considerations in Running for Office
• The Legality and Ethics of Assisted Suicide
• The U.S. Immigration System: Design, Priorities, and Challenges
• Predicting the Future of Trial Practice from Historical Trends
• Best (and Worst) Practices in Witness Preparation and Presentation
• Guantanamo: A First-Hand View of U.S. Terrorist Detention Policy
• Gun Control versus Open Carry
• Effective Strategies for Jury Selection
• Compliance Programs, Prosecutorial Discretion, and Corporate Malfeasance
• Keeping the Jury Interested with Exhibits and Demonstratives
• The Magna Carta

Inn programs generally take the form of a multi-section presentation, followed by an open question-and-answer session. Often, multiple members of the team will each present briefly on various aspects of the issue under discussion to provide a multi-faceted understanding of the issue and its context. Although all team members are expected to assist with planning and development of their team's program, not every team member need take on a speaking role. To ensure that programs remain as substantive as possible, the Inn strongly discourages skits or other forms of scripted entertainment. Guest speakers are permitted sparingly, generally as a supplement to a team's presentation.

Mentoring

Pupillage teams are also where much of the Inn's opportunities for mentoring arise. Because they combine lawyers and judges from all different levels of experience and areas of practice, the pupillage teams provide all Inn members with great chances to develop one-on-one relationships with icons of the Austin bench and bar. Working jointly with the Inn's Benchers and senior Barristers through the small team structure provides unparalleled opportunities to learn skills and lessons won through years of practice and to foster informal mentoring relationships that can last for years. 

Ensuring an Exceptional Experience

The Lochridge Inn leadership team is deeply committed to providing members with the best possible experience through their participation in the Inn. To ensure that goal is met, the Inn has embraced the standards set by the American Inns of Court for national recognition under the AIC Achieving Excellence program. And the Inn is proud that, every year since 2016, it has satisfied the qualifications for Platinum certification under the Achieving Excellence program in recognition of the exceptional service and value it provides to its members. 

In addition, the Inn has always and will continue to seek out ways we can improve our programs, processes, and participation. Soliciting and receiving feedback from our members is a crucial component of this process of self-improvement, and the Inn takes that task very seriously.