Better read fast because as Ricky Bobby once said, ‘If you ain’t first, you’re last.’
If you breathed the same air as me this summer, you probably know I became a huge NASCAR fan. After hearing the first car roar on Michigan Avenue (even before walking into the Chicago Street Race), NASCAR earned my allegiance. So lucky you, you get to read about it too, haha! However, this time, with a recently acquired trademark lens. Continue reading “Tracks to Trademarks”
As I attempt my first blog post for IP Bytes, I am reminded of the overwhelming sense of apprehension I feel every time I sit down to write. What if I don’t choose the right words? What if I bore my audience? Will I look back at this post as a seasoned 3L and cringe at my first attempt at blogging? These questions taunt me as I begin to write.
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 “My Creative Journey Towards IP Law”
“They have law for patents?” I asked my friend. He was telling me about his new job as a legal assistant in a patent law firm. Little did I know, patent law would play a significant role in the start of my legal career.
She graduated from Cornell College in Iowa with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and a minor in Religion before attending Loyola University Chicago School of Law. While at Loyola, she competed on the National Health Law Moot Court Team and the Appellate Lawyers Association Moot Court Team. She wrote for the Annals of Health Law and Journal of Regulatory Compliance. Sarah externed at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab and clerked for the Honorable Judge Neil Hartigan in the Court of Claims. She was also a research assistant for Professor Cynthia Ho, who mentored Sarah during her time at Loyola after connecting during a prospective student tour. Sarah then went onto take all of Professor Ho’s IP courses in addition to completing the Advocacy and Health Law certificates. She was also a member of IP Bytes.
We recently spoke about her background, her Loyola experiences, and how IP has influenced her legal career.
While at Loyola she represented the school as a Student Member of the Richard Linn Inn of Court and as a Vis Moot International Commercial Arbitration Fellow. She was a Civil Procedure tutor for Professor Richard Michael and was the Chair of Professional Development for the National Security Law Association.
Kara joined NGE after graduating cum laude from Loyola in 2017. Her practice areas include trademark, copyright, and patent enforcement and litigation. She also works as an adjunct professor at Loyola, teaching Advanced Legal Writing in Intellectual Property and coaches the Vienna Vis Moot team.
When I first looked into Intellectual Property Law shortly after taking the LSAT, I thought that I was automatically ineligible without a science background. But, I was happy to learn that my initial assumption was wrong. It turns out you don’t have to have a science or STEM background to work in Intellectual Property. Those things are only required for those interested in the patent bar, which is only required to practice on behalf of inventors before the USPTO. In reality, IP is more than just patents, and a diverse background might be more helpful than you think.
Jimmy Theo is an intellectual property lawyer in Dinsmore & Shohl LLP’s Chicago office. Jimmy’s practice focuses on trademark law—an area he studied at Loyola University of Chicago School of Law. Jimmy graduated from Loyola in 2015 where he was captain of the 2015 Civil Law Mock Trial Team, a liaison of the Copyright Society of the USA, and a research assistant for Professor Matthew Sag. Jimmy knew entering law school that Intellectual Property (IP) was for him. Well before law school, Jimmy was attracted to music and the arts. His interest in helping musicians and other artists protect their work led him to a career in IP, where among other practice areas, he currently advises on the management of global trademark portfolios.