The Chair’s Comments: A Word from Cynthia B. Rothschild

Article Date: Monday, February 28, 2011

Over that last few months, the Intellectual Property Law Section of the N.C. Bar Association has enjoyed good participation in programs we have offered for attorneys and law students in this practice area. As described in detail at our website at http://intellectualpropertylaw.ncbar.org/, our section provides its members with programs that are relevant to the practice of IP attorneys in North Carolina. The IP Section committees provide forums for discussion of issues relevant to various aspects of IP law, and include the Biotech & Chemical Patent Committee; the Electrical Engineering and Computer Software Committee; the Licensing Committee; the Patent Law Committee; and the Trademark
/Copyright/Trade Secret Committee. Most committees meet several times over the course of the year, with lectures and/or round-table discussions relating to topics of interest. IP Section members will receive an e-mail notice of all committee events. Further details about these various committees, along with e-mail addresses for the committee chairs, can be found at the section’s web page.

Additionally, the IP Section sponsors events that are designed to facilitate networking among section members. This year’s tri-city (Raleigh, Winston-Salem and Charlotte) held Nov. 17, 2010 was well-attended. Also, a networking mixer hosted by the Biotech/Chemical Committee, the Electrical Engineering/Computer Science Committee, and the Licensing Committee was held on December 7, at the Carolina Ale House. If you were not able to attend these events, additional opportunities for networking are available at the annual CLE, or may be organized via the NC Bar Facebook and Twitter sites: http://www.facebook.com/NCBAorg; http://twitter.com/NCBAorg; and http://www.twitter.com/NCBA_CLE .

Regarding membership, the IP Section has expanded upon the significant progress made by the Outreach Committee, which has as its goal to increase student participation in the section. For students and non-students alike, if you are not a member and are interested in joining the IP section, or know of others who may be interested in joining, signing up for the section may be done by visiting the website at https://intellectualpropertylaw.ncbar.org/join-renew.aspx.

The IP Section Annual CLE is scheduled for March 25, 2011 at the Embassy Suites in Concord, NC. The program and registration forms for the CLE is available at the Section’s web page or directly http://www.ncbar.org/cle. We hope you will be able to join us for what will be a very exciting and informative program!

The IP Section has a strong commitment to pro bono activities. The section’s Pro Bono Awards recognizing the firm and individual having the most significant pro bono contribution will be presented as part of the Section’s business meeting at this year’s annual CLE. Section members should have received a request for nominations for these awards. We hope you will submit your nominations soon! Applications for nominations are available at the Section’s home page on the N.C. Bar Association website (http://www.ncbar.org/media/10308704/2010outstandingAchievementProBonoAward.pdf). If you are looking for opportunities to do pro bono work, NC LEAP provides opportunities for attorneys to assist individuals in need of pro bono IP counseling; please visit the NC LEAP website at http://ncleap.ncbar.org, or contact Deborah Gerhardt, UNC Law School. Also, I hope you will mark your calendars for the 4ALL event to be held March 4, 2011 at various locations around the state. Application forms for the 4ALL program can be found at http://4allnc.org.

We also hope that our section members will consider participating in the Young Lawyer’s Division (YLD) mentorship program. Mentoring a young attorney can provide a fulfilling way to give back to our profession. Application forms are available from the Young Lawyer’s Division web site (http://younglawyers.ncbar.org/media/6862609/2010-2011mentorApplicationGuidelines.pdf) or by contacting the N.C. Bar Association.

The section’s newsletter, IP Links, is published several times a year, and provides an excellent opportunity for attorneys in the section to publish articles on topics of interest. Please contact one of the Newsletter Committee co-chairs, Justin Nifong and Alton Absher, if you are interested in submitting an article.

Further details about the section, section events, and section committees can be found at the section’s web page at http://intellectualpropertylaw.ncbar.org/. I look forward to seeing many of you at our upcoming CLE and annual meeting.

Views and opinions expressed in articles published herein are the authors' only and are not to be attributed to this newsletter, the section, or the NCBA unless expressly stated. Authors are responsible for the accuracy of all citations and quotations.