Innovate Articles

My Experience as an Intern at the AIPLA

Barbara Angela Leitao

As an international LL.M. student in Washington, DC, any experience can be really challenging. From the reading assignments to the management of a schedule that comprises everything that needs to be done, the foreign IP training can be a very overwhelming experience.

A year ago, I left my work at an important IP law firm in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to have the opportunity of attending the IP program at The George Washington University, and despite the fact that I really enjoyed the classes and all the opportunities that we had inside law school, I missed the office environment, the people, and everything related to it.

Therefore, after completing the first semester, I decided to search for an internship that could provide me with not only IP knowledge, but also real-life experiences as I used to have back home. Luckily, I was selected, and the work at the AIPLA led me to a very different scenario: I went from being a corporate lawyer to assisting the deputy executive team of the Association, focusing on regulatory and legislative policy and advocacy. This change of perspective has been very rewarding, since here I have the opportunity to analyze and discuss things from a different standpoint than that of a private lawyer.

Although I previously had a few experiences with regulatory and legislative matters, it is indeed different when you have, for example, the opportunity to meet and discuss with people who are participating in the drafting of bills or attending public meetings and hearings with testimonials from experts in the area.  In this regard, I must highlight that the AIPLA has an impressive impact in the US IP system. Not only the Board but also the general membership – through its various committees – have been participating in the most important cases and discussions, and it is very gratifying to be part of it.

Since my first day here, both my supervisors – Chen Wang and Vince Garlock – demonstrated that the work as an Intern as part of their teams wouldn’t consist of only briefing cases. From events at the Library of the Congress, important meetings at the USPTO, to hearings on the Hill(!), the work here is intense and very dynamic. It is important to mention that, besides their busy schedules, all the team is very empathetic with my student needs. The last semester of the LL.M. course is nothing less than crazy - with the concerns about the final grades, research paper, job search, and everything related to the Bar exam.

Likewise, the team plays an important role when it comes to mentoring, with constant feedback about my performance. Since here I need to think “outside the box,” I really appreciate the fact that they are always available for comments and questions about everything, and that they make me go – as a patent law girl – outside my comfort zone and expand my horizons to other IP-related issues.

Being a part of the AIPLA allows me to have an intensive training not only about the US IP system, but gives me every day a broader, worldwide perspective about the area. AIPLA is also very active and does admirable work on diversity issues, which makes a difference and can serve as an example to many other places.