The work of the ABA Section of Intellectual Property Law (ABA-IPL) - through its eight Divisions and over 60 committees- is the foundation and heart of our productive efforts as the largest and most influential organization of intellectual property lawyers in the world.

Committee membership is available free to all ABA-IPL Section members.

Members can volunteer their time, enthusiasm and commitment to ABA-IPL committees and make a significant impact in advancing the profession, the practice and their own firms.

Each Section committee deals with a special aspect of the law as it relates to intellectual property under the statues, common law, and the provisions of the international treaties. Committee work is often the basis on which the Section Council and membership take action in Congress, in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and in the U.S. Copyright Office, in other agencies and in the courts. Our committee members write, critique, and comment on current and proposed policies, laws, rules, and cases relating to intellectual property.

The work of our committees and contributions of the members is the substantive content for the flagship publication Annual Review of Intellectual Property Law Developments. Committee members have opportunities to publish Section books and publications, including our new magazine, Landslide. Committees also assist in producing Section CLE programss, Section Roundtables and webinars.

All committees communicate via teleconference and email and often meet in person.

To join a committee, please look for your Division of interest and appropriate committee to become involved immediately!

Committee membership is available only to ABA-IPL Section members. To join a committee, please click on the Division of interest below and then on the appropriate committee for the committee join link.

All members need to register — even if you are participating in the same committee

Please be sure to sign up for committee(s) of your choice for the 2008-2009 Association Year.

Take advantage of an opportunity to participate in and play a role in deciding Section policy. In the past, an ABA-IPL Committee needed a quorum of all lawyer members in order to have a valid vote on a resolution being presented to the Section Council. The process has changed and now resolutions will be voted on by a group of self-subscribed voting committee members. Voting members will be asked to study the policy issues of the committee and vote on the reports in a timely and responsive manner.

To become a voting member of the committee of which you are a member, go to that committee's page and sign up using the link provided. [use the list of Divisions below to navigate to your committee]

Committee members that do not chose to vote can still participate in all the other committee activities. Details on Committee Voting Membership:

• Committee Members may sign up throughout the entire year. Once a committee begins deliberations on a particular resolution, no new voting members will be allowed to subscribe for the purpose of voting on that particular resolution. The committee chair determines the date on which deliberations have begun.
• Members may opt out of being a voting member at any time by notifying the Committee Chair. Those opting out of voting membership will still retain their membership in the committee.
• A valid vote on a committee resolution will consist of a majority of a quorum of the voting committee members. There is no upper limit, nor lower limit to the number of people who may subscribe to be voting members on a particular committee.
• Only Lawyer members of the committee are eligible to be become voting members of the committee.
• Voting members will receive a communication from the Committee Chair once voting begins, requesting a vote by a date-certain. Voting members not submitting a vote by a requested date for two successive resolution vote calls will revert to regular membership of the committee, and will need to re-subscribe as a voting member.
• The committee rosters, including the roster of voting committee members will roll over to subsequent years. There is no need to re-subscribe as a voting committee member with each new Association year.