Life in the Rear View
I spent six years working in broadcast journalism and nearly two years in digital marketing before coming to law school. Titles switched, duties expanded and employers changed, but intellectual property (“IP”), especially copyright, was always at the core. I existed in a constant state of media creation and consumption. Come along for the ride, and I’ll explain how. Continue reading “The Road To Loyola”
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.
Continue reading “Why Loyola: From Peter Pan to Intellectual Property”
Griffen Thorne is an attorney in Harris Bricken’s Los Angeles office. Griffen’s practice includes 
intellectual property (IP) as well as transactional, data security, and regulatory matters. As a member of Harris Bricken’s cannabis team, Griffen works with cannabis and hemp clients. Prior to joining Harris Bricken, Griffen was an intellectual property litigator at Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP in Los Angeles. Griffen graduated from Loyola University of Chicago School of Law in 2015, where he was Editor-in-Chief of the Loyola University Chicago Law Journal and graduated magna cum laude.
Continue reading “Weeding Through IP Cannabis Law: An Interview with Griffen Thorne”
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.
Continue reading “Intellectual Property Strikes a Chord: An Interview with Jimmy Theo”
Christian Morgan is an associate attorney at Norvell IP, LLC in Chicago, Illinois. After graduating from University of Nebraska—Lincoln with high distinction in 2014, he came to Loyola University Chicago School of Law where he discovered a future in intellectual property law. Continue reading “Making the Most of Loyola’s Opportunities: How Christian Morgan (JD ’17) Found a Future in IP”
IP Here, IP There…IP Everywhere
IP is everywhere and affects everyone. This principle was reinforced when I took Intellectual Property Law with Professor Ho during the Fall 2018 semester. We regularly had examples in class regarding the many ways IP intersects with everyday life, even including a copyright infringement case involving Kanye West. There were more examples at the end of the semester when students presented real and/or realistic applications of IP law. I especially enjoyed working on my final presentation with Jessica Fenton involving a local mom-and-pop donut shop called “Dunk Donuts.” If you’re thinking that sounds like Dunkin’ Donuts, so were we—and wondering whether this Oak Park donut shop might be liable to the national donut chain.
Continue reading “A Tale of Two Donut Shops: “Dunking” Into Trademark Troubles”
Women’s voices are underrepresented. Recent examples abound in news reporting, Op-Eds, economics, and politics. The patent world is no exception. Women still continue to make up just a small fraction, about 21 percent, of inventors on patent applications, as noted in a recent USPTO Report. However, women have been creating, designing, and innovating for centuries. So, why is there a gap?
Continue reading “Slowly But Surely: Closing The Patent Gender Gap”
Chicago-based, fast-food powerhouse McDonald’s has locations in over 100 countries. Accordingly, it is difficult nowadays to find people in the world that are not familiar with the Big Mac, a McDonald’s staple since 1967. Regardless of which language a McDonald’s menu is displayed, consumers relate the word “Big Mac” to the burger’s signature structure: two all-beef patties, “special sauce,” American cheese, lettuce, pickles, and onion, all served in a three-part sesame seed bun.
Continue reading ““Big Mac” Trademark Gets Burned In Europe”
IP Alumni Spotlight: William Cassin
Head of IP for North America at thyssenkrupp North America, Inc.
One day, as you diligently work through engineering design calculations, your manager puts a competitor’s product on your desk and says: “Our competitor’s have product X in the market and we need to make a similar product. Find out if they have a patent on this product, and if so, how can we design around it so we don’t infringe their patent.” If this scenario sounds familiar, your self-guided exploration of the merger of technology and law may have you contemplating a transition into the exciting world of intellectual property legal practice. Loyola’s Alumni Spotlight is pleased to share an interview with William Cassin (’06) about his journey to Loyola University Chicago School of Law and beyond.
Daniel H. Shulman is currently the Chief IP Counsel at Reynolds Group Holdings Ltd. and FRAM Auto Group and is a Loyola University Chicago School of Law alum. Dan has a math and science background from Northwestern University and had the intention of becoming a physicist. But throughout his schooling, including his 4th grade mock trial over Alice in Wonderland, Dan realized he had a knack for arguing and loved it. After reconsidering his interests, Dan decided that going to graduate school for physics was not his career path. Instead, he came to law school with the intention of becoming a patent lawyer. We recently had the opportunity to talk and ask Dan a few questions on his experience during and after law school in the field of IP.
Continue reading “Alumni Spotlight: Daniel H. Shulman, JD ’99”
