Thanks to all who came out to enjoy the beautiful weather at the MIPLA golf event at Midland Hills Country Club organized by Eric Phillips. All participants had a great time, but the team including Andrew Werner, Scott Krueger, Ben Armitage, and Ben Williams won the event with a score of -15. Andrew Werner won the longest drive, Ryan Meger won the closest-to-pin, and Brian Whipps won the longest putt competitions.

Event sponsor Round Table Group would like to say - Thank you all for a great event. It was wonderful to meet, chat, and play golf with such friendly, welcoming, and interesting people. For those of you I didn’t have a chance to meet, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if we (Round Table Group) can help locate experts for any of your patent, trademark, copyright, or other IP matters. There is no upfront cost to have us search our network of over 40,000 experts for expert candidates who fit your specific parameters (expertise, experience, geographical preference, testifying or consulting, academic or industry), send you CVs of qualified and interested candidates, and arrange interviews with candidates of interest. If you decide to retain an expert we refer, our compensation is built into the quoted hourly rate for the expert’s time. If, for whatever reason, you decide not to retain, there is no cost for our services. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or expert witness needs. dan.rubin@roundtablegroup.com, (561) 291-4276.

          

In the heart of St. Paul, Minnesota, an intimate evening took shape as 25 attendees gathered in a courtroom for a special event: “Empowering Her Justice: A Conversation with the Honorable Wilhelmina Wright.”

Judge Wright’s welcoming remarks beautifully blended her personal story with her professional journey. She traced her roots from humble beginnings in Norfolk, Virginia, to her esteemed role as a U.S. District Judge. Throughout her conversation, she candidly shared her experiences and the different judgeships that influenced her career. Her narrative carried a profound resonance as she openly discussed the distinct challenges she encountered as a black woman, even after achieving admissions to prestigious institutions like Harvard Law School and Yale University.

At the core of Judge Wright’s discussion was her deep commitment to justice, which served as the central theme of the evening. She expressed this passion gracefully, highlighting how it had led her to pursue a career in law, driven by a sincere desire to make a meaningful impact. Judge Wright’s diverse roles in the legal field, including her work as a law clerk at the 6th Circuit for Judge Damon Keith, her time as an associate at a law firm, and her roles as an Assistant United States Attorney, as well as her journey through state district, court of appeals, supreme court judgeships, culminating in her position as a U.S. District Judge, offered valuable insights into the intricate world of law.

Judge Wright’s inspiring journey was marked by important life lessons, emphasizing the importance of resilience and the ability to learn from challenges. She passionately encouraged aspiring legal professionals to seize opportunities and stay true to their values, drawing inspiration from her mother’s advice: “Don’t let others’ low expectations of you define you.”

During the conversation, Judge Wright also discussed the positive impact lawyers can have, not only within their legal circles but also in society at large. Her dedication to mentoring and promoting an inclusive environment to inspire upcoming judges and legal professionals was evident.

To give a fuller picture of her life, Judge Wright mentioned her love for equestrian sports, the comfort she finds with her horse, and the meaningful role of being a mother to her daughter. These personal details provided insights into various aspects of her life.

The event concluded with Judge Wright sharing a thoughtful book recommendation: “Song of Solomon” by Toni Morrison. She highlighted the lasting significance of this masterpiece in sparking discussions about justice and empathy.

Following the conversation, attendees transitioned into a networking event hosted in Judge Wright’s courtroom. This provided a unique opportunity for attendees to mingle with like-minded individuals and engage further with Judge Wright.

“Empowering Her Justice” was essentially a celebration of Judge Wilhelmina Wright's remarkable life and accomplishments. Her personal journey, steadfast dedication to justice, commitment to diversity, and the valuable wisdom she shared deeply resonated with everyone in attendance. The event showcased the significant impact one person can have on the legal profession and society at large.

Sheila S. Niaz

On March 6, 2023, Minnesota Intellectual Property Law Association (MIPLA) hosted its annual MIPLA Cup Moot Court Competition.  The MIPLA Cup is an Intellectual Property Moot Court Competition among teams from area law schools: University of Minnesota, University of St. Thomas, and Mitchell Hamline School of Law. It serves as a preview to the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA) Giles Rich Moot Court Competition.  Using the same problems set and issues as the Giles Rich competition, the MIPLA Cup challenges the students and serves as a warm-up competition before they head off to regionals in the Giles Rich National Moot Court.

This year, hosted at the University of St. Thomas Law School's ceremonial courtroom, four teams (two from St. Thomas and one each from the University of Minnesota and Mitchell Hamline) squared off in a round-robin competition. The team were well prepared and faced difficult questions from the volunteer judges, all being seasoned IP litigators from Twin Cities firms that were elevated to the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals (if only for one day).

The scoring was very close, but Team 1 (Kate Mares and Scott Meehan from the University of Minnesota) took first place.  Second place went to Team 4 (Morgen Dempsey and Erika Clyma from the University of St. Thomas Law School).  MIPLA will be awarding cash scholarships to these first and second place teams.

Special thanks go to the volunteer judges who put the students through their paces and gave helpful feedback as well: Peter Forrest, Jessica Gutierrez, Elvis Kim, Sharon Roberg-Perez, and Tony Zeuli.  Thanks also to the volunteer coaches for each team who have spent their time and energy to get the teams ready to compete.

We wish all of our local Moot Court teams success as they head off to the regional round of the Giles Rich Moot Court Competition!

Submitted by Kevin Conneely, MIPLA President

MIPLA was recognized as a "leader in giving" for its 2021 charitable contributions to Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid's Fund for Legal Aid. This recognition appeared in Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid's 2021 Legal Aid Annual Report.  MIPLA's contribution was in connection with the association's annual holiday happy hour event.  Numerous MIPLA members were also recognized in the Annual Report for their individual contributions.  Together, these contributions have helped support Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid's important work serving needs for legal services in the areas of housing, health care access, and independent living for seniors and people with disabilities.

On Wednesday. March 9, 2022, MIPLA held another successful version of its annual MIPLA Cup, an oral advocacy competition that serves as a friendly competition between the teams from three local law schools who are also competing in the AIPLA's national Giles Rich Moot Court Competition.

This year, like last year, the MIPLA Cup followed the format of the regional rounds for the Giles Rich Competition by conducting the whole thing remotely – reflecting the reality of arguing a case in the continuing pandemic.  We are hopeful that in 2023, we can return to an in-person format. Nonetheless, it was good to be back "in court."

The teams all argued the case well, leading to very close scoring by the judges, but in the end, teams from University of St. Thomas Law School grabbed first and second place. Congratulations to Natalie Thomas and Sara Engemann for winning 1^st Place and to Jessica Hughes and Javier Romay for nabbing 2^nd Place.  This year, MIPLA awarded a total of $3,000 in scholarships for the students' efforts.

We also thank Tony Zeuli from Merchant & Gould and new-to-the-bench Navin Ramalingam from Robins Kaplan.  These judges served very well and were generous with their time and advice to the participants. We already look forward to next year's MIPLA Cup!

Submitted by Kevin Conneely

On Thursday, March 11, 2021, MIPLA held another successful version of its annual MIPLA Cup, an oral advocacy competition that serves as a friendly competition between the teams from three local law schools who are also competing in the AIPLA's national Giles Rich Moot Court Competition.

This was the first year that the MIPLA Cup, like the Giles Rich Competition, has been conducted remotely – reflecting the reality of arguing a case in the continuing pandemic.  In fact, there was no MIPLA Cup in 2020 due the timing of the COVID outbreak, so organizers, the teams, and the many attorneys who volunteer as judges and coaches were glad to be back "in court."

The teams all argued the case well, leading to very close scoring by the judges, but in the end, the team from University of St. Thomas Law School grabbed first place, and there was a literal tie for second between teams from the University of Minnesota Law School and MitchellHamline School of Law.  This year, MIPLA awarded a total of $3,000 in scholarships for the students' efforts.

We thank Sharon Roberg-Perez and Ryan Dornberger from Robins Kaplan and Peter Forrest from Dicke Billig for generously giving their time as judges.  We already look forward to next year's MIPLA Cup, when we can hopefully gather in person. 

Submitted by Kevin Conneely

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER, BYLINE: This is PLANET MONEY from NPR.

KAREN DUFFIN, HOST:In the mid-'90s, there was this big new economic theory that was all the rage. It was an idea for how countries can produce unlimited economic growth, which is kind of the whole point of economics. You know, growth means less poverty, more prosperity.

MARY CHILDS, HOST:

For decades, economists had said there are basically just two ways to make an economy grow - invest in capital or in labor, in tangible, mundane things like factories and workers, which means growth is ultimately limited because there are just so many people you can hire or factories you can build.

DUFFIN: But then some economists, most notably Paul Romer, said, actually, there's a third way to grow - innovation. And before this, people thought of innovation as a sort of mysterious force that kind of comes and goes at its own discretion. Read more.

We received notification today that the Saint Paul Curling Club is closing for the season due to the COVID-19 outbreak and as a result, we will be cancelling our MIPLA Curling Championships 2020 event that was scheduled on April 21.

Thank you for your understanding and be well!

The MIPLA Board of Directors

The 2019 MIPLA Business Development Workshop was held on Tuesday, June 11th.

Presented by Michael Evans of BDforIP

Learn more about Michael Evans Here

When: Tuesday, June 11

Schedule:

• 8:00am – 12:00pm: IP Business Development Workshop; no cost for MIPLA members*
• 1:00pm – 5:30pm: one-on-one business development coaching sessions (20-minute time slots); $50 for MIPLA members

Where: Briggs and Morgan 2200 IDS Center, 80 South 8th Street, Minneapolis

*Become a MIPLA Member Today!

The 2019 MIPLA Cup was held on March 6 and hosted by Mitchell Hamline School of Law.  The Cup is an annual moot court competition among  Minnesota law schools who have also entered teams in the AIPLA’s National Giles Rich Moot Court Competition.  This year, two-person teams from the Univ. of St . Thomas, the Univ. of Minnesota, and Mitchell Hamline competed in a  round-robin format.  Judging was provided by volunteer MIPLA members wo are seasoned IP trial attorneys.  The  scoring was very close, and the team of Matthew Mirabella and William “J.J.” Pristanski from  the Univ. of Minnesota Law School took the top prize. Second place went to Lee Bennin and Kiersten Idzorek from the Univ of St. Thomas.

The MIPLA Board says “Thanks” to Prof. Sharon Sandeen and to Deanna Jackson from Mitchell Hamline for their organizing prowess and generous hospitality. We wish all the local schools the best of luck as they head into the Regional round of the Giles Rich competition!

                

The schedule can be found by clicking here.

The 2019 MIPLA Stampede Faculty list can be found by clicking here.

Presentations:

• Pitfalls and Privilege in a Post Halo World
• The Revolutionary Emergence and Intersection between AI and IP
• Pre-Launch Brand Selection and Planning
• Building and Protecting Your Brand Post-Launch
• NASA Presentation