Succession - Impact Fund Style: Thoughtful and Joyous!

Dena Sharp, Impact Fund Board Chair and Partner at Girard Sharp LLP

When I met Jocelyn Larkin, she was a celebrity of the plaintiffs’ bar, and I was a fan girl. When she asked me to join the Board of Directors and Grant Advisory Committee, I was floored, felt way out of my depth, and said ‘yes’ all the same.

In the spring of 2016, before my first Board meeting, Jocelyn invited me over to the Impact Fund’s office in the Berkeley Marina to meet the staff and get oriented. After a meeting in her office, Jocelyn took me around to meet the team. Teddy—as gracious and knowledgeable about the matters at hand as I was clueless—gently guided me through what was (and was not) expected of Board members. Amy couldn’t have been warmer, and I was so impressed with what she explained to me about the grant program.

Then I met Lindsay. She’d recently joined the Impact Fund, succeeding Robert Schug as director of litigation and training. Anyone who knows Robert and the special place he occupies in the organization’s (and Jocelyn’s) heart, knows those are giant shoes to step into. But it was immediately clear to me that Lindsay was super-smart and super-competent (and also super-hilarious).

In the 7+ years since then, my first impression has been borne out, and then some—in too many ways to recount. Take the annual Class Action Conference, where Lindsay in her unassuming way has gradually taken the reins from Jocelyn, has emerged as an unmatched panel-planning pro, and—so importantly—has figured out how to meaningfully amplify voices that ought and need to be heard. Lindsay is open, kind, and approachable, and has thus been able to bring to light perspectives and ideas we may otherwise never have had a chance to learn from. Her work in the Training Institute has yielded next gen Impact Fund acolytes who now know who to call when they don’t know where else to turn. What was mostly a California thing when I joined the Board somehow now feels like a lot more than a California thing, in large part because Lindsay casts the net far and wide, and sees value in everyone.

From Brad, to Jocelyn, to Lindsay, our vision is a more equitable world where everyone can achieve justice

That’s not even to mention her hard work and many victories on the litigation front… her work on DEI and inclusiveness, where Lindsay walks the walk, rather than just talking the talk… and the mentorship she provides to so many lawyers who hope to one day be able to write a brief half as good as the one she will (re)write for them.

And all that, I have learned, is what the Impact Fund is all about.

Under Jocelyn’s leadership, Lindsay has grown into the Executive Director role before our very eyes. Having had the privilege of being a small part of the succession planning arc for the organization, I know that Jocelyn has complete confidence that Lindsay is the right person to step into the Executive Director position. Lindsay’s colleagues and the Board unanimously—and joyously—agree. None of us takes for granted the rich resources and infrastructure that Jocelyn, Lindsay, Teddy, Amy, Erin, and the whole organization have so carefully cultivated over the years. They will serve the organization so well in this next chapter.

How fortunate we are. It’s the best of both worlds. The organization gets to grow and evolve and promote from within, consistent with its values. And the legal community gets to continue to benefit from all the Impact Fund has to offer, including Jocelyn’s intellect and experience, and Lindsay’s vision for the future.

I can’t wait to see what happens next!