LEAD ACADEMY

Being a lawyer means more than courtroom advocacy. Whether it is navigating a case, the office, the courtroom or the Capitol, our members want and need skills and tools to give them an edge. 

The TTLA Advocates Committee Board of Directors is proud to announce a program to help attorneys build these key leadership skills and capabilities. 

Centered around the key areas of Leadership, Execution, Accountability and Development, the LEAD Academy is not technical, legal or legislative training. Rather, it is designed to help members become leaders within their firm, TTLA, other legal associations and our communities. 

TTLA LEAD Class of 2026 

Ard Ardalan, Ardalan Law Firm, PLLC, Austin
Michael Brennan, Houston
Terrelle Bynum, Law Office of Domingo Garcia, Houston
J. Alex Chaperon, Law Office of Jermaine Hayden, Houston
Lauren Gonzales, Gonzales Law Firm PLLC, Corpus Christi
Sarah Hufft, Slocumb Law Firm, LLC, Houston
Ajay Ketkar, Kelly Watkins McPheeters LLP, Houston
Patricia (Pati) Limón de Rodríguez, Sorrels Law, Houston
Emilio Lopez, Garza & Narvaez, PLLC, Austin
Katharine O'Brien, Katie O Law, PLLC, Carrollton
Tom Omondi, The Law Offices of Omondi & Associates, PLLC, Missouri City
Abraham Pena, The Stewart Law Firm, PLLC, Austin
Katie Quillen, Guerra LLP, San Antonio
Iliana Villalobos, Villalobos Law Firm, McAllen
Destinee Williams, Sandoval & James PLLC, Austin

Important LEAD Dates for 2026 

• February 23: Kick-off Zoom call
• March 4: Session #1 at TTLA Headquarters in Austin
• June 3: Session #2 at Mid-Year in Houston
• September 9: Session #3 at TTLA Headquarters in Austin
• November 10: Session #4 at TTLA Annual Meeting in Dallas

*Note: All locations and dates are subject to change

Topics Covered

• Emotional intelligence
• Diversity and inclusion
• Strategic planning
• Change management
• Communication
• Influencing others
• Giving and Receiving Feedback

Cost

• $500 per participant
• Travel, lodging and expenses are at the participant’s own expense

If you have any questions, please reach out to Kanice Spears or Zachary Caballero, current TTLA Advocates Board Chair. 

TTLA LEAD Academy Alumni

Kelsey Abbey, Guerra LLP, San Antonio
Tamer Abouras, Sloan, Hatcher, Perry, Runge, Robertson & Smith, Longview
Michelle Acosta, Amaro Law Firm, Houston
Byron Bailey, Byron C. Bailey & Associates, PLLC, Dallas
Wendy Bishop, Haun Mena, PLLC, Houston
Dominic Braus, Carlson Law Firm, Waco
Moses Cage, Law Office of Kelly T Curren, Dallas
Nathaniel Clark, Williams Attorneys PLLC, Corpus Christi
Will Clark, Alford & Clark PLLC, San Antonio
Michael Clinton, Perdue & Kidd, Houston
Megan Daic, Daic Law, Houston
Corwyn Davis, Howard Davis Law Group, PLLC, Dallas
Madison Donaldson, Marc Whitehead and Associates, Houston
Nnamdi Ekeh, Ekeh Law Firm PLLC, Dallas
David Farias, Sandoval & James Law Firm, Austin
Misty Farris, Dean Omar Branham Shirley, LLP, Dallas
Isaac Faz, Buckingham Barrera Vega, Dallas
Ben Feiler, McGehee Chang Landgraf Feiler, Houston
Edward Festeryga, The Ammons Law Firm LLP, Houston
Elias Hernandez, Espinoza Law Firm, San Antonio
Ian Hernandez, Hernandez Sunosky, LLP, Kingwood
LJ Jarrett, Jarrett Law Firm, Houston
Brennen Jenkins, Crosley Law Firm, San Antonio
Kolter Jennings, Patterson Law Group, Fort Worth
Kason Kimberley, Lenahan Law Firm, PLLC, Dallas
Chris Kwon, Kwon Law, PLLC, Pearland
Andrew Lemanski, Andrew E. Lemanski & Associates, Houston
Gabriela Lopez, Israel Perez Law, PLLC, San Antonio
Sawyer Massie, Sloan Hatcher Perry Runge Robertson & Smith, Longview
Julie Matsen, Guerra LLP, San Antonio
James Mattox III, The Mattox Law Firm PLLC, Houston
Britney McDonald, Marc Whitehead & Associates, Houston
David McNeal Jr., Sorrels Law, Houston
Jennifer Montemayor, Simon Greenstone Panatier, PC, Dallas
Kaitlyn Moreno, Herbert Law Group, Richardson
Melissa Munich-Droz, Underwood Law Office, Inc., McKinney
Gabriel Narvaez, Hill Law Firm, San Antonio
George Oginni, Leo & Oginni Trial Lawyers, Houston
Israel Perez, Israel Perez Law, PLLC, Fate
Roshun Phipps, Phipps Law Firm, Houston
Zain Pleuthner, Daniel Stark PC, Austin
Jessica Pritchett, Hilliard Martinez Gonzales LLP, Corpus Christi
Mary Allen Ramprasad, The Cole Law Firm, Houston
Alberto Rodriguez, Law Firm of Oscar A. Garza, PLLC, Eagle Pass
Leslie Rodriguez, Espinoza & Brock, PLLC, San Antonio
Nick Rodriguez, Nick Rodriguez Law, PLLC, Dallas
Alyssa Romero, Farah Law Group PLLC, Edinburg
Jeremy Romoser, Haney Paschal & Romoser, P.C., Huntsville
Miguel Salazar, Law Office of Miguel A. Salazar, PLLC, Brownsville
Daniel Smith, The Law Office of Joel A. Levine, PLLC, Austin
Mattilyn Smith, Law Office of Coby Wooten, Fort Worth
Meredith Smith, Richard J. Presutti, P.C., Houston
Jason Sosa, Webb, Stokes & Sparks, LLP, San Angelo
Sofia Straus, Law Offices of Domingo Garcia, Houston
Iyman Strawder, Simon Greenstone Panatier, PC, Dallas
SaraNeil Stribling, Cowen, Rodriguez & Peacock, San Antonio
Erin Svetlik, Marc Whitehead & Associates, Houston
Allison Taff, McCraw Law Group, McKinney
Michael Takla, McCarthy & Associates, Houston
Selina Valdez, Marc Whitehead & Associates, Houston
Bailey VanNatta, Guerra LLP, San Antonio
Rachel Varughese Morales, Kastl Law, PC, Dallas
Yurbin Velasquez, Velasquez Law Group, PLLC, Austin
Stephanie Vera, The Lane Law Firm, Houston
Anthony Vessel, Marc Whitehead & Associates, LLP, Houston
Jake von Plonski, Clark von Plonski Anderson, Dallas
Bridgette Williams, BLW Legal Group, PLLC, Dallas
Tesha Williams, TLW Law, Dallas
David Woolbert, Woolbert Law Firm, Austin
Zachary Zapata, Dang Law Group, Austin

Thank you to our Founding Sponsors!