Jumpstart your career before you graduate. Student members of ABA-IPL have unparalleled access to networking and professional development opportunities in the field of intellectual property law.

Meet Professionals In Your Field of Interest - The Foundation of Your Careers...

Students who attend Section conferences and participate on Section committees gain valuable experience working with the top professionals in intellectual property law. Section participation provides the foundation for building professional relationships outside of your school or your place of work. Members can provide an outside perspective on questions about what to do with your career, where you should focus your studies or what you should know about clients with specific needs.

Cutting Edge Issues From the Source - Great for Interviews...

What interests you about intellectual property law? Maybe you have heard this question in an interview. Your answer is not just an opportunity to say “Prosecution” or “Litigation,” it is a chance to show that you understand the current issues in intellectual property law and that you care enough about this area of the law to know more than what is taught in the classroom. Participating in the Section and attending conferences gives students access to the private attorneys, general counsel and judges who are actively working on the cases you hear about in the news.

Valuable Practical Tips - Impress Your Boss this Summer...

OK, so you got a great summer clerkship by demonstrating that you can write, do research and speak well in interviews. So how do you set yourself apart? Wouldn’t you like to be able to show that you have a practical understanding of the law? By working with experienced professionals on a Section committee, students can gain an understanding of the issues that drive changes in our practice.

Message from Angela Morrison

2009-2010 Law Student Division Liaison to the ABA Section of Intellectual Property Law

Hello All,

I am a 2L at the University of Colorado Law School and am serving as this year’s Section Liaison. My role is to represent students’ interests to the Section, and to report back on issues that are important to students. This helps students obtain the greatest possible benefit from the Section and helps ABA-IPL leaders understand the needs of soon-to-be attorneys.

The ABA provides many valuable opportunities for education, participation, and leadership. I encourage all of you to get involved through the Section. This can include attending an ABA-IPL meeting or inviting a Section member to talk to students at your school about careers in intellectual property law. I would be happy to help you set up an event or get involved in other ways, so please email me with questions or comments.

• Events for Law Students
• ABA-IPL Events

• Committee opportunities

Judicial Intern Opportunity Program
Section Council approved participating in the Judicial Intern Opportunity Program, a full-time, six-week minimum, summer internship program open to all first- or second-year minority and disadvantaged law students who want to do legal research and writing for state or federal judges that is run by the ABA Section of Litigation. Five students/internships will be sponsored by the ABA Section of Intellectual Property Law.

Visit www.abanet.org/litigation/jiop to obtain the application, deadlines and further information.

American Intellectual Property Law Education Foundation presents the Sydney B. Williams Jr. Scholarship
Intellectual property law (patents, trademarks, trade secrets and copyrights) will have a tremendous impact on the future of our country and the world. It is critical that the legal profession serving this strategic area strive mightily to reflect the rich diversity of our great nation. To address this need, the ABA Section of Intellectual Property Law Education Foundation helps increase diversity in the IP bar.

The first initiative of the Foundation has been the establishment of the Sidney B. Williams, Jr. Intellectual Property Law Scholarships. The goal of these scholarships is to increase the number of under-represented minority groups serving as intellectual property law practitioners in law firms and the intellectual property law departments in corporations. The scholarships are named in honor of Sidney B. Williams, Jr. who was the first African-American to hold major leadership roles in both the AIPLA and ABA-IPL and who has and continues to give countless hours and boundless energies to influence minority students looking for a future in science and engineering to pursue law school and intellectual property law. He is a role model for all young lawyers. To learn more about this scholarship please visit www.aiplef.org/scholarships.

BNA Student Award
BNA sponsors a student award program in the field of Intellectual Property Law.

• Career Resources
• Subscribe to IPL-Students@mail.abanet.org - geared toward law students interested in discussing Intellectual Property Law topics.
• Hot Practice by Kimberly Smith
  Balance protection and innovation under IP law
• Watch the video clips from the recent ABA-IPL program on counterfeiting on YouTube"