by Nicole Munoz Huschka

Adrianne Mandes is breaking glass ceilings and rapidly becoming someone you will keep hearing about both inside and outside of DAYL.  In an increasingly virtual world, Adrianne sets herself apart as someone getting out from behind a computer to create opportunities and advancements for her community and the legal profession.

Adrianne graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in history and political science from Texas Tech University and received her Juris Doctor from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law. As a senior associate at Eichelbaum Wardell Hansen Powell & Muñoz, P.C., Adrianne focuses on school law, labor and employment disputes, and constitutional law issues.  Prior to joining Eichelbaum Wardell, Adrianne obtained extensive experience working for DFW school districts. While in law school, Adrianne interned for the Dallas Independent School District focusing on personnel and employment matters. After graduating from SMU Dedman School of Law in 2019, Adrianne continued to focus on school law and school district representation.  She served as the Assistant General Counsel for the Lewisville Independent School District during the height of the COVID-19 delta and omicron variant eras, and during a time when controversial issues, such as Critical Race Theory and face mask mandates, became widespread in the news. In 2022, Adrianne decided to take her talents to private practice when she joined Eichelbaum Wardell.

When she is not spending time at the firm, Adrianne is making things happen for DAYL and DWLA. Adrianne hit the ground running when she was accepted into the 2021 DAYL Leadership Class. The following year, she became the DAYL Board of Directors Representative on behalf of the Dallas Women Lawyers Association – distinguishing herself as a leader for two major bar associations at the same time.  As the DWLA representative on the DAYL Board of Directors, Adrianne quickly became the go-to person on the Board for the Women’s Mentoring Circles Committee, as well as the CLE and Animal Welfare Committees.  Throughout 2022, “Adrianne will do it” became an unofficial theme of every DAYL Board of Directors meeting, a reputation that usually isn’t bestowed on a first-year Board member.  At the end of 2022, Adrianne was elected to the DAYL Board of Directors as a Director at Large.  She continues to serve on the Women’s Mentoring Circles Committee as a co-chair and Board Liaison.

Adrianne’s impressive ascension to bar leadership is no coincidence.  She leads by example, with humility and grit, and she always does what she says she is going to do.  For all of these reasons and more, she is the first One to Watch for 2023!