As a first generation American, daughter of immigrants, my family’s three options for my future were “doctor, lawyer, or engineer”. There was no flexibility, nor was there any other option for me besides going to grad school. Continue reading
An Inorganic Start
When asked why I chose to study intellectual property (IP), my most common answer is because of my unconventional wisdom.
Although this is true, it’s also a reference to my alma mater’s catch phrase, “Unconventional Wisdom.” Its true definition was a catch-all for not only describing the quirkiness of our university, but also how people used their unique experiences to solve problems and reach conclusions.
Every kid in the world at some point in their lives has probably dreamt of inventing something or creating a brand–and making millions off their creative genius. I know I have. While I regret to inform you that I am neither a millionaire nor the next Steve Jobs (yet!), I’ve dabbled in many areas of intellectual property, which ultimately led me down the path to IP law. Continue reading
I love commercials. As a kid, Bart Simpson sold me Butterfingers. I walked to school singing the KitKat song. When I was old enough to understand that someone had to write the commercial before they recorded it, I thought that was my dream job. Continue reading
If Raphael, Michelangelo, and Leonardo (painters or turtles) were to decide to paint something together, who gets to hold the brush? In Intellectual Property (IP) terms, working with multiple parties with competing IP interests can feel like many artists working on the same canvas. Let me provide some backstory before I answer this question.
“Mojtaba Hosseinzade” by 9spart9, licensed under Unsplash
I unknowingly have been interested in intellectual property law, specifically copyright law, since I attended dance classes as a child. When I was about 10, I began to wonder why certain songs were chosen and others were not for our annual productions. Why could we perform to Michael Jackson songs while wearing white, sparkly gloves, but we were not allowed to dance to Disney songs from “The Lion King.” Continue reading
My path to intellectual property began with an interest in healthcare law.
When applying for law schools I considered three things. I wanted to be in Chicago. I wanted a supportive environment like my undergrad experience. Lastly, I wanted a logical place to pursue my healthcare interest.
I remember the conversation that sent me to law school vividly. I was working in marketing for an arts organization, discussing an upcoming art exhibit with the artist. Of course, the topic of online marketing arose. The conversation went like this:
When I first learned about intellectual property (“IP”) law, my initial impression was that a large portion of IP involves patents and that patent law was only reserved for former science majors. However, my impression was wrong. In the past year, I learned that IP law is not solely focused on patents and that not every aspect of practicing patent law requires a science background.
Let me explain how I learned that and how Loyola Law played a major role in that story.
My path to an interest in intellectual property (IP) started with earning a bachelor’s degree in Genetics. I spent four years learning how complex our genetic code is. Classes in genetics, biology, and chemistry were enough to make my head spin. While I enjoyed learning science, I was always more interested in the real-life applications of the science I was learning. I was most interested in learning about how scientific developments could be used to help people. To explore this interest, I began to learn more about what happens with genetic research outside of a lab. I began to read more about how advancements in genetic are used in day-to-day life.
What I learned was that there are many legal implications to genetic research, especially with biotechnology. This research was my first introduction to the world of patent law.
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