Iris Gomez graduated from Loyola University Chicago School of Law in 2025. While at Loyola, Iris was no stranger to student involvement and success. Iris is a former Managing Editor, Senior Editor and Associate Blogger of IP Bytes, editor of the Public Interest Law Reporter, and member of the 2024 national champion team at the Saul Lefkowitz Trademark Moot Court Competition. She is now a first-year Litigation Associate at Troutman Pepper Locke LLP.

As a diverse law student, I was especially interested in Iris’s journey, which reflects the experience of forging a path in spaces where representation can feel limited. Her interest in traditional knowledge and the ways intellectual property can intersect with culture and identity resonates with my own. Iris’s story is a great testament to Loyola’s extensive intellectual property opportunities, and I had the privilege of speaking with her to learn more about her trailblazing journey of finding her voice.

The following is an edited and paraphrased version of our conversation.

Why did you go to law school and what drew you to choose Loyola?

I did not plan to go to law school. I kind of stumbled upon it. I used to work in fundraising communications in higher education. Then, I took a job at a Chicago-area law school. In this law school setting, I was able to read stories about the students and their journeys. I realized that my journey of becoming an immigrant, moving to the United States at 16, and being an advocate for my Spanish-speaking family, instilled many of the same skills law students develop. That is when I realized that law school could be a pathway for me.

I began studying for the LSAT during COVID and applied. I later attended one of Loyola’s Admitted Student events, where I met alum Justin Sia, who made himself available to answer any questions we might have. I reached out to him after the event and realized that he was community-driven, such that he valued mentorship. He showed me that the reason why he was successful was because he connected with other people and was involved with the LUC Law community. That is something I thought would be a good fit for me. Loyola is the school it is because of its people and the support its alumni community and faculty provide.

In what ways have your identity and diverse background played a role in shaping your path in intellectual property?

During my first year of law school, it was tough for me to figure out if law school was indeed the right place for me. I quickly became intrigued by IP after Prof. Ho mentioned the word “trademark” in our Civil Procedure class. However, my creative background made me fall in love with it. I have an undergraduate degree in Theater Design as well as a Master of Business Administration (MBA). IP was almost a seamless fusion of my academic degrees. Theater is rooted in creativity and expression, while the MBA emphasizes the broader business structure that supports and sustains those creative endeavors. However, many people in IP roles did not look like me (demographics, educational background, etc.). It was a bit discouraging.

I can be a bit stubborn at times, so I was committed to being in the IP world. My mentor, Alex Angyalosy told me about Loyola’s IP moot court team [fictitious appellate court proceeding]. I tried out and was selected to be an oralist [student who delivers the oral argument at the proceeding] for the INTA Saul Lefkowitz Moot Court Competition. This moment changed my trajectory and my perspective on belonging. That year, our team made history by winning Best Oralist Team, Best Brief, and first place at Regionals. We later moved on to become National Champions! I went from not knowing English to presenting mock oral arguments at the District Court for Northern District of Illinois and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in front of Trademark Trial and Appeal Board judges and local judges like Judge Young B. Kim.

As I reflect, this competition allowed me to see myself grow and succeed, especially since I won as an oralist despite English being my second language. This was a pivotal moment where my values of advocacy melted with a sense of belonging in this space. I, too, belonged in the legal field.

As a former Senior Editor of Loyola’s IP Bytes, was there a particular article or IP topic that you worked on that left a lasting impression on you?

My favorite IP Bytes post was “The Driving Force of Formula 1: Trade Secrets.” I enjoyed writing this post because it was the first time I felt confident in my IP issue-spotting abilities. I could visualize the trade secret elements. This post went through a lot of edit cycles, but I remained positive in my value add with this post and made this real-world connection to a newfound interest, motorsports. [Read more of Iris’s blog posts here.]

Another important IP topic to me is the intersection of culture and IP. I began working on a draft law review article, “Reclaiming the Stage,” during my last semester of law school. The article focuses on traditional knowledge (TK), which can be sacred items, practices, or skills, and how they are used in the media. For example, the holiday, Dia de Los Muertos in Mexican culture, and its use in popular movies, such as Coco.  [Read more about my connection to traditional knowledge here!] The question I wrestle with is: how should organizations, studios, and corporations handle this? My article does not propose that corporations stop using TK but rather ensure that the works are created with meaningful engagement with the culture. As one solution, I suggest a disclaimer that educates consumers. Creative conglomerates not only entertain but also inform, as studies show that many people have little exposure to other cultures and look to the media as a way to understand other cultures.

I also recommend a certification trademark program to give consumers the power to make an informed choice. Corporations would have to opt in and then meet certain requirements to obtain a certain level of certification. The program essentially provides the consumer with agency in their choices and allows consumers to apply their values to their purchasing power. Other programs, such as the LEED certification [a widely used sustainability certification for “green buildings” that meet established environmental and energy-efficiency standards], follow a similar opt-in framework by providing consumers with the information to support entities that align with their values. This article has been fascinating to research. I even had the opportunity to present on this topic at the Race + IP conference and learn from other scholars, thanks to Professor Ho’s encouragement and guidance.

Describe your transition from law student to a practicing attorney in a large environment.

The transition is like 1L all over again, but better. It is a lot of learning, but law school prepares us for this in an unexpected way. I have had the opportunity to work on many commercial litigation matters including copyright, trade secret, trademark, and even some regulatory matters as a Litigation Associate at Troutman. I am very fortunate to have the background knowledge from what I learned in law school to be able to provide support without a huge learning curve in IP topics. Some classes at Loyola that I can attribute this to are Global Access to Medicine: A Patent Perspective, Intellectual Property survey course, IP Colloquium, Copyrights and Trademark Law Seminar!

What is one piece of advice you have for law students?

You belong in the room, even when you don’t feel like it. Whatever your background is, you belong, and you have so much value to offer in that room.

 

Kendall Henry

Associate Blogger

Loyola University Chicago School of Law, JD 2027