Dear Colleagues,
I hope everyone had a wonderful summer with a chance to rest and recharge.
It was a pleasure to see many of you at the Boston Intellectual Property Law Association’s Celebration of the Judiciary in June! We were thrilled to present The Honorable Leo T. Sorokin of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts with BIPLA’s Distinguished Public Service Award. We also focused on the important topic of well-being with our keynote speaker, clinical psychologist Dr. Traci Cipriano. Special thanks to all of our sponsors who helped make the event possible.
BIPLA again has many exciting opportunities for you to get involved this fall, including an in-person advanced PCT seminar on October 15 with presentations by a delegation from WIPO. We are currently accepting nominations for Invented Here! and our annual pro bono award, as well as final submissions for the writing competition. And we look forward to gathering at our Annual Meeting on December 3 to conclude the year’s business and celebrate together.
We welcome everyone’s participation to help us continue BIPLA’s role in advancing intellectual property discourse and building community among intellectual property practitioners throughout the First Circuit. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions or suggestions. You can reach me atpresident@bipla.org.
Emily R. Whelan President, Boston Intellectual Property Law Association
Editor's Notes | Celebration of the Judiciary | In-House Committee Brown Bag Lunch |
The BIPLA had an exciting summer program headlined by the Celebration of the Judiciary, celebrating Judge Leo Sorokin. Our keynote speaker, Dr. Traci Cipriano, gave an inspiring speech on concrete steps lawyers can take to promote our well-being. The BIPLA is continuing with the wellness theme in this issue of the newsletter with an article from Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers and a list of additional resources from around the New England legal community. Our summer program also included two programs sponsored by the In-House Practice Committee, including a discussion of career development and a social gathering in Cambridge. <<Read More>> | On June 26, 2025, the BIPLA gathered for its annual Celebration in Honor of the Judiciary at the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse. Honorable Leo T. Sorokin of the U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts, was the 2025 recipient of the BIPLA’s Distinguished Public Service Award while Dr. Traci Cipriano, a professor at the Yale School of Medicine and author of “The Thriving Lawyer: A Multidimensional Model of Well-Being for a Sustainable Legal Profession,” gave the keynote speech. The BIPLA would like to thank all of the event’s sponsors for their support. | The in-house committee hosted a hybrid brown-bag lunch meeting at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals to discuss career development for IP practitioners. We considered the career paths to become Head of IP or General Counsel/Chief Legal Officer. We talked about the pros and cons of each path, how to increase the breadth of legal experience needed, and how the size of your company affects exposure to learning experiences. We had great participation from both in-person and online attendees, and an in-house committee happy hour is being planned for late summer. Stay tuned! <<Read More>> |
In-House Committee After Hours | Invented Here! Nominations | 2025 Pro-Bono Award Nominations |
On August 14, the In-House Practice Committee hosted an After Hours event in Kendall Square, Cambridge. It was a beautiful summer evening with lively and engaging conversation, pizza, and drinks in a relaxing environment. We thank everyone who attended. |
The purpose of the Invented Here! Program
is to celebrate New England innovators, their inventions, and the
stories behind their innovations. Through the program, the Boston
Intellectual Property Law Association (BIPLA) is transforming the
nation’s relationship with science and technology and providing
educational opportunities that inform the public of these fascinating
innovators and innovations.
| The BIPLA is accepting nominations for its annual BIPLA Pro Bono Award. It’s time again to recognize those of us providing critical legal services to under-resourced individuals, non-profits, and undeserved communities. |