Austin Inns of Court
2024-2025 Student Member Application Information
The Austin Inns of Court provide excellent opportunities for law students to meet and be mentored by local judges and practicing attorneys across a range of fields, and to learn about the American Inns of Court movement.
The five Austin Inns of Court accept a limited number of student members each year. Each Inn meets monthly, fall through spring. Students are assigned to a team of attorneys and judges, which meets to prepare a program and then presents the program at one of the Inn meetings. This is an opportunity for students to be mentored by practicing attorneys and judges that they wouldn’t get anywhere else. Student members often go on after they graduate from law school to join Inns of Court in the cities where they practice. For more information about the American Inns of Court visit: https://home.innsofcourt.org/
Austin General Practice Inns
The general practice Inns held a short information session for law students in spring 2022. View the video recording here: Austin Inns of Court
Please see below for information about each of the general practice Inns, including how and when to apply:
The Robert W. Calvert American Inn of Court
The Barbara Jordan American Inn of Court
The Lloyd Lochridge American Inn of Court
Austin Area Specialty Practice Inns
Please see below for information about each of the specialty practice Inns, including how and when to apply:
The Honorable Lee Yeakel Intellectual Property American Inn of Court
The Honorable Larry E. Kelly Bankruptcy American Inn of Court
General Practice Inns
The Robert W. Calvert American Inn of Court – applications accepted from May 1, 2024-May 31, 2024
Founded in 1990, the Calvert Inn is the oldest in Austin and is dedicated to enhancing ethics, professionalism and civility within the legal profession. The Calvert Inn’s current membership includes private practitioners with firms of all sizes, government attorneys, in-house counsel, law professors, and state and federal judges. Five to ten law students are invited to student membership annually. Student membership is extended based upon stated interest, rather than credentials.
The Calvert Inn year runs from September through May. Inn meetings are generally held at the Headliner’s Club in downtown Austin at 5:30 pm on the second Tuesday of every month. Dinner is provided. Students with questions should feel free to ask Dean Angélica Salinas Evans, Professor Mike Golden, or Professor Tracy McCormack, who have participated in the Inn.
The Calvert Inn will accept applications from rising second and third year law students until Friday, May 31, 2024. Applicants may email a letter of interest and a resume to the Inn’s Membership Co-Chairs, Matt Garcia, at matt@barnettgarcia.com, and Shelby O’Brien at sobrien@enochkever.com. You may also include a letter of reference, but it is not required. Please note if you are applying to other Inns as well. Students who receive more than one membership offer will be asked to commit to one Inn by Friday, June 28, 2024
The Barbara Jordan American Inn of Court – applications due May 31, 2024
The Barbara Jordan American Inn of Court received its charter in 2016 and has been recognized as an American Inns of Court “Inn of Distinction.” Jordan Inn members include Texas Supreme Court and appellate justices, civil and criminal court trial judges, Texas Law professors, in-house counsel, government lawyers, prosecutors and criminal defense attorneys, civil attorneys practicing employment, administrative, intellectual property, tax, commercial, probate, immigration, real estate, insurance, and family law, and litigation and appellate attorneys. The Barbara Jordan American Inn of Court strives for diversity in both its membership and in its practice areas and is highly regarded for its collegiality and camaraderie. Five to ten law students are selected each year to become members and participate in all Inn activities.
Monthly dinner and program meetings are held from September through April from 5:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. on the second Tuesday of the month in central Austin (Chez Zee), with an orientation meeting in September and a social event with other Austin-area Inns in May. The Jordan Inn also plans members-only social, volunteering, and mentorship opportunities throughout the Inn term.
The Jordan Inn will accept applications from rising second and third year law students and graduating 3Ls (who intend to practice in the greater Austin area) until May 31, 2024. Law student members will be chosen from their letter of interest and resume sent to the Inn’s Membership Chair, Pam Deitchle at pam@dstexaslaw.com. Questions about the Jordan Inn may also be sent to that address. Students who receive more than one membership offer will be asked to commit to one Inn by June 30, 2024.
The Lloyd Lochridge American Inn of Court – applications due first Friday in September
The Lochridge Inn is a highly selective Inn of the top litigators and judges in Austin, with mentorship at its core. Members include Hon. Robert Pitman, Hon. Mark Lane, Hon. Jeff Rose, Hon. Eric Shepperd, Hon. Todd Wong, Hon. Karen Sage, Hon. Elisabeth Earle, Hon. Nick Chu, Martha Dickie, Dirk Jordan, Karen Burgess, and David Gonzalez. Student members work with Austin lawyers on a presentation to the Inn and also have opportunities to get to know practitioners in informal settings.
The Lochridge Inn meets from September through April on the 3rd Tuesday of every month from 5:30 – 8:00 p.m. for dinner and a presentation regarding legal issues and/or the legal profession. All meetings will be held in downtown Austin at Chateau Bellevue, 708 San Antonio Street, Austin, Texas 78701.
Law student members will be chosen from the applications completed and emailed to Jacob Scheick, jacob@pilothouselitigation.com, by the first Friday in September. Please find an application for the Lochridge Inn here.
Specialty Practice Inns
The Honorable Lee Yeakel Intellectual Property American Inn of Court
Founded in 2010, the Yeakel Inn focuses on intellectual property law, and attempts to balance its membership across all areas of the intellectual property community. The Inn’s membership includes judges, judicial clerks, special masters, in-house counsel, litigators, prosecutors, transactional attorneys, professors, and law students.
The Inn meets monthly September – April of each year, with each meeting including dinner and a presentation by Inn members. Brian Nash, Inn President, and Travis Wimberly, Memberships Chair, handle membership applications and other membership-related matters. Please feel free to contact them with any questions you may have.
Applications are accepted from May 1 through May 31 each year. To apply, send a statement of interest, resume, and two letters of recommendation to Brian Nash (bnash@mofo.com) and Travis Wimberly (twimberly@pirkeybarber.com), with a copy to Darla Thomas, dkthomas@wsgr.com. Include “Lee Yeakel IP Inn of Court” in the subject line.
The Honorable Larry E. Kelly Bankruptcy American Inn of Court
The LEK Inn is comprised of judges and attorneys practicing bankruptcy law in Austin and San Antonio. Student members have an extraordinary opportunity to meet attorneys and judges in the bankruptcy field, receive advice, real life practice tips and establish professional relationships to last a lifetime.
Application is by invitation from a current member. A prospective member should complete an application provided by the current member, who will forward the application and a recommendation to the Membership Chair. A prospective student member without a sponsor should email the Membership Chair, Leslie Luttrell, at luttrell@lclawgroup.net or call her at 210.426.3600 to express interest in applying. If sending an email, please include the reference “LEK IOC applicant” in the subject line.
The LEK Inn year runs from August through April. There are six monthly meetings and a December holiday party. Historically the meetings are split geographically with two meetings in San Antonio, two in Austin and two in San Marcos. Students, like all other members, are expected to prioritize their commitment to the LEK Inn both by participating in their assigned pupilage team presentation and attending meetings.