Author: Megan Griffin
Assistant Blogger
Loyola University Chicago School of Law, JD 2026
Imagine this: It’s 4 am and you’re working as an EMT running 911 calls. Dispatch notifies you that you need to respond to a call… now! You turn on the lights and sirens, also known as Code 3, and make your way to the call. You show up. It’s chaotic and you grab the gurney, nitroglycerin, and oxygen tubing amongst others. You save the patient, and everyone is happy. You clean the ambulance and sit down for a moment to relax. But dispatch rings and you’re off again.
While working as an EMT, I was exposed to numerous medications and medical devices. It wasn’t until my first semester at Loyola University Chicago School of Law that I realized so many features of the ambulance and almost all of the medications and devices I used, including those stated above, had one thing in common: they were Intellectual Property (IP).
Being Dispatched (to Law School)
Initially, I was working as an EMT to fulfill a requirement to help me get into medical school. However, in working 911, I was confronted with the many rules and procedures that I found ineffective in providing health care to someone. I realized that I was more interested in reforming the governing law of healthcare systems than I was in being a medical provider.
Arriving on Scene (to IP at Loyola)
The summer before starting my first year at Loyola, the school sent out an application for a legal writing class focusing on IP topics. I thought “if I’m going to have to write, might as well try an area I don’t know much about.”
After running a quick Google search, I discovered IP was present in so much of my life and I wanted to learn more about it. For instance: the Nike logo is trademarked, the iPhone is patented, and almost all songs on the radio are copyrighted! While I was swaying away from studying health law, there were so many overlaps with IP, and I wanted to broaden my knowledge of law.
I further immersed myself in the IP world by signing up to be a member of the Intellectual Property Law Society (IPLS), a club that exposes students to IP and provides opportunities to learn about careers in IP. In my first semester in IPLS, I attended a multitude of IP networking events with attorneys. For example, there was a speed networking event and a panel discussing the different sectors of IP (trademark, copyright, patents, and trade secrets). I loved talking with the panel, networking, and learning about the IP field.
I am currently enrolled in an elective class, Global Access to Medicine: A Patent Perspective. (Yes, you get to take an elective class as a 1L at Loyola!) The topics in this class are vast. This class focuses on pharmaceutical drugs, including the drugs I used to administer to patients, and international agreements between countries. I never thought I would get to experience an interdisciplinary approach to legal issues like this in the classroom. I love being able to tie in my past with my present and learn about the connecting world of law and medicine as well as IP and international law. (Let’s just hope I don’t have to pronounce any of the medication names!)
Staying on Scene (and Building a Career)
At one point, I did not think going to law school was a possibility. But as I know from 911 calls, things can change very quickly. I came to law school with an interest different than what it is now. I am so excited to learn more about the IP opportunities available to me! I can’t wait to see what else I can discover while at Loyola. When it’s my time to retire I’ll leave the scene of law. But for now, I’m going to stay on scene and learn as much as I can.
Megan Griffin
Assistant Blogger
Loyola University Chicago School of Law, JD 2026