STEM education, or practical experience verified by individual states, is a requirement to take that bar exam. She is a staunch champion of diversity in the legal profession and is a founding member of the Black Patent Network and the Chicago Black Partner Alliance. Black IP Lawyers Who've Made It Look to Grow Ranks Beyond 1.7% Bloomberg Law August 6, 2020 "The rarity of being a Black intellectual property lawyer in the United States hits home for the 1.7% of attorneys who fit that description." Read the article She too has heard general counsel or IP counsel say they dont know any qualified black patent attorneys. NBA Annual Conference, 7/08), Pre-Conference Workshop on "Creating & Managing Patent Portfolios (2nd Annual IP Summit for Wireless Tech & New Media, 6/08), IP Litigation in the 21st CenturyA Look at In re Bilski, Post-KSR Litigation Strategies, & Stats on Best Patent Defenses (, At the Razor's Edge: Prosecuting and Defending Against Patent Infringement Claims Post-, Strategic Venue Selection & Use of IP Injunction (F&L Litigation Conference, 12/07), Navigating The Changing Tides of Patent Litigation (, Views from the Bench: Remedies in IP Litigation CasesA Roundtable of Judges from the Southern District of New York (Chair/Panelist, F&L 3rd Annual IP Conference, 10/07), Unexpected Results? They dont necessarily know about it, said Griffin, who runs a consulting firm, The Commercializer LLC, that works with entrepreneurs and startups to monetize their technologies. Beyond their behavior and comments being offensive, he said, they showed that they made no effort in the past to seek out or meet with attorneys like me.. Arent Fox LLP Arnold & Porter LLP Baker & Hostetler LLP Littler Mendelson P.C. Feeling a personal connection to the enterprise was critical. Numerous sources claim that she obtained a law degree from Howard University, but the college catalogues show that this was not the case. Gain access to some of the most knowledgeable and experienced attorneys with our 2 bundle options! She is a member (or participant in the activities) of several . On what other basis would you think that I couldnt possibly be [on the committee] other than my skin color or gender? she said. FURTHER DUPLICATION WITHOUT PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED. The California Association of Black Lawyers. We determined the average age of patent attorneys based on ethnicity and gender. If the data is going to change it will take intentional efforts to reach women and children at a young age, Bismarck Myrick, director of the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity at the PTO, said in an interview. (Charlotte Ray was the first black woman to obtain a law degree from Howard University in 1872, and a total of 34 more women lawyers graduated there by 1940.) https://www.law.com/therecorder/2020/06/12/take-that-on-black-patent-attorneys-say-its-time-they-are-recognized/. Yes, Patent Attorney jobs are male - dominated. A registered patent attorney, he uses his background in biomedical engineering to prosecute even the most challenging patent applications for medical device technologies. Interestingly enough, the average age of patent attorneys is 40+ years old, which represents 67% of the population. Other PTO efforts to close the gap for women and minorities include launching the Expanding Innovation Hub, with resources for inventors, and programs like Camp Invention, a STEM program for elementary-aged students. An active participant in several professional organizations, Ms. Allgaier is a lifetime member of the Black Women Lawyers Association of Greater Chicago, Inc., and she also belongs to the National Association of Patent Practitioners and the American Intellectual Property Law Association. Jeanne has authored (and regularly updates) a chapter on Experts for the Patent Litigation Strategies Handbook (BNA Books). The executive explained that he had asked his legal department to compile a list of the top black attorneys at big law firms, in the interest of diversifying the companys outside teams. Its hard to do if youre black, white, brown, green or purple, he said. Prior to attending law school, Ms. Allgaier worked as a research associate in the Section of Leukocyte Biology at Baylor College of Medicine. By looking through more than 961 resumes, we found that the most popular places for patent attorneys are Washington, DC and Chicago, IL. Im on the executive committee of the firm. Recognizing innovation in the legal technology sector for working on precedent-setting, game-changing projects and initiatives. The professional industry is the highest-paying for patent attorneys. Apart from racism, Black IP attorneys say there are distinct reasons why they make up just 1.7% of their specialty, a figure based on a survey by the American Intellectual Property Law Association. P.C. These multiple routes to a patent career promoted diversity, because they were especially valuable for women and other disadvantaged groups. The offices of patent attorneys (all white at the time) were in white-only commercial districts, hindering African American inventors from applying for patents, Cook wrote in an often-cited 2013 study that examined patent activity from 1870 to 1940. Theyre really at the top of the industry, Turner said. In particular, say Black lawyers who have broken through, people are surprised they can speak the language of patent law and that many of them have attained scientific and technical knowledge. The Confederate states allowed slave owners to patent the inventions of their slaves. After presenting, he was approached by an executive of a large technology company. Cooley partner Joseph Drayton, the immediate past president of the National Bar Association, would certainly belong on such a list, Turner said. Miriam E. Benjamin was born in South Carolina to a well-off family with a wide and influential social circle, and developed into an ambitious, confident and persistent young woman. Letsallget involved. Women, Influence & Power in Law UK Awards honors women lawyers who have made a remarkable difference in the legal profession. I was lucky enough to land in places where people saw something in me, and I was willing to receive it, said Waldrop, who is the head of Kasowitzs Silicon Valley office. Well continue lifting as we rise. Patent records therefore provide invaluable objective information that shed light on the actual rather than invented experiences of underrepresented groups. About Us| Before 1900, Cook finds patenting rates were lower for Black inventors than white inventors, but followed similar patterns increasing during economic booms, decreasing during downturns. With a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry, Dr. Black combines a strong scientific background and legal training to assist clients in obtaining and making use of their intellectual property rights. Site Map, Advertise| Their president, Jefferson Davis, had unsuccessfully tried before to get a U.S. patent on a propeller invented by a man, Benjamin Montgomery, enslaved by his brother, according to research from University of Kentucky law professor Brian Frye. Fraline J. Allgaier is an intellectual property law attorney in Glencoe, Illinois. Honored as an Up & Coming Attorney by Missouri Lawyers Weekly, 2021, Top 100 Black Lawyers, The National Black Lawyers, 2015, Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, University of Wisconsin Law School, J.D., 2007, Marquette University, B.S., Biomedical Engineering, 2004. Phone (206) 420-6057 Fax (206) 420-6051 Biography Dr. Bruce E. Black is a registered patent attorney and specializes in domestic and international patent procurement, client counseling, licensing, and due diligence for innovations in the areas of medical devices, chemistry, physics, materials science, biotechnology, mechanical arts, and software. There have been periods of history where the patent system wasnt even available to large swaths of the Black population, stymieing their participation. Previously, Dr. Black was a member of the legal affairs department at 3M Company where he supported 3Ms optical and display business units. Theyve never really seen it, its not something theyre aware of.. Most of what we know about African American inventors came from the research of Henry E. Baker. Return to our main appellate law firm page. So hes imploring in-house counsel not to turn to the same old network every time a new matter comes in. Ultimately, there might be valid reasons for choosing another lawyer. She is a member of the firms Management Committee and the Manufacturing Sector Advisory Board. Raychelle Tasher Company: U.S.. Dr. Black has served a variety of clients ranging from multinational corporations to small start-up companies and individual inventors. Duane Morris energy attorneys assist clients with advisory, regulatory, litigation, transactional and legislative matters involving environmental, energy and natural resources issues. You cant just wait until you have some applicants in law school to start diversity efforts, Longsworth said. After speaking with a new partner from another office for 15 minutes, he said to her, Well, it was good chatting with you, but Ive really got to meet members of the management committee. "Recent Developments in Patent Law & Best Practices with Patent Opinions" (Client CLE, 6/20) "2019 PTAB Year In Review" (F&L Webinar, 1/20) . All three credit mentorssome black, some whitewith making a difference in their careers. In addition, the industry that employs the most patent attorneys is the professional industry. Apprenticeships in the 21st Century, In Search of Hetty Green: Self-Made Women Millionaires, Patent Waivers (or Dont know much about history), Is Technology a Race? Well-versed in all aspects of intellectual property law, Jamaal focuses his practice on preparing and prosecuting patents in the U.S. and abroad. Part of the reason: The path to advancement at a law firm is to be a lead lawyer on a matter, Turner said. Patents & Trademarks. With this subscription you will receive unlimited access to high quality, online, on-demand premium content from well-respected faculty in the legal industry. Jamaal's enthusiasm for intellectual property law and the underlying science of medical device technologies is matched by his strong knowledge and mastery of the challenging patent process. We do some outreach to undergrads, and even students in middle and high school., Recruitment, said Joseph Drayton, a Cooley LLP partner and former National Bar Association president, should be followed with proper training, access to premium work including repetition in assignments specific to patent matters, tracking of work and success in execution of assignments.. Just based on the number of employees within each industry, we were able to determine the most common industries that employ patent attorneys. Youre not looking hard enough., To contact the reporter on this story: Ian Lopez in Washington at ilopez@bloombergindustry.com, To contact the editors responsible for this story: Bernard Kohn at bkohn@bloombergindustry.com; Keith Perine at kperine@bloombergindustry.com, Learn more about a Bloomberg Law subscription, Left to right: Gaby Longsworth, Sterne Kessler; Azuka Dike, Banner Witcoff; Jeanne Gills, Foley & Lardner, Jonathan Hurtarte/Bloomberg Industry Group. Born on September 1, 1857, in Columbia, Mississippi, Baker made it his mission to identify and publicly highlight the contributions of black inventors. Diversity, and Recruiting Committees and was the former chair and founder of the firm's African-American Attorneys Affinity Group. Foley & Lardners Gills faces the double challenge of practicing patent law while being black and female. Protecting And Enforcing Trade Secrets (AIPLA 2016 Spring Meeting), Check, Raise, or Fold: The Risky Business of IP (Chair, F&L 11th Annual IP Conference, 9/15), Trade Secret Protection and Enforcement in the U.S. (NBA Annual Conference, 7/15), Patents/Trade Secrets Overview (Client CLE, 4/15 and 7/15), Whats next? According to a recent article in Bloomberg Law, black intellectual property attorneys, in general, make up only 1.7% of all IP attorneys, based on a survey by the American Intellectual Property Law Association. For example, the highest salary of patent attorneys is $127,683. They benefit from a diversity of experiences in connection with among other things, witness preparation, formulating a trial story and approaches in relating to jurors. Patents Lawyer Serving Los Angeles, CA. We see strings of them every year, well beyond the subset captured on video.. As an African American Patent Attorney, she is an active member of The Chicagos first Black Inventors Organization and provides assistance to African American Inventors throughout the United States. from the John Marshall Law School. But if they dont open the pool to see whats out there, they dont know what theyre missing., Turner notes that the underrepresentation of black attorneys is far from a new issue. The figures are particularly damning for African American lawyers. He knows my wife. To understand what its like for a black lawyer practicing IP, she said to imagine playing a game of Monopoly where you begin with no money or property and your opponents already have significant amounts of it. When Cooleys Drayton took the helm of the National Bar Association in 2018, he became the organizations first leader from an Am Law 50 law firm. *** In 1906, the Boston Daily Globe reported that Through the untiring efforts of Miss Miriam E. Benjamin of Boston, a clerk in one of the Departments at Washington, $10,482 has been awarded Samuel Lee, a negro, who was elected to congress 25 years ago, but never sworn in. Benjamin lobbied to bring the bill to aid Samuel Lee before Congress nine times, until it finally passed in 1906. Use our chart to find out where that salary is located. From a broader historical perspective, she was not the first black inventor (Thomas Jennings obtained a patent in 1821), nor the first black woman patentee (Judy W. Reed, in 1884, was prior).