Intellectual Property Law Section Statement on Racial Justice

March 2021

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are core principles that bind us together. We, the members of the IP Section, believe that racism, hatred, and violence have no place in our society. We are committed to the safety of all, including our Asian American and Pacific Islander members and others within the AAPI community. The recent rise in violence against AAPI individuals is a reminder that the legal community has a responsibility to demand and ensure not only equal access to the protection of law, but also equity and inclusion in the practice of law.

Though we as a Section have made strides in our diversity, inclusion, equity, and access efforts, we are committing to doing more. We are dedicated to ensuring that our webinar panelists, in-person speakers, and authors of Section publications reflect the diverse society in which we live. We are committed to developing programs that create opportunities for those in underserved communities, such as mock trials, diverse student mentoring, and inclusive speaking engagements. We are committed to increasing outreach to legal affinity groups and bar associations to improve the diversity of our section membership and the ideas that flow through our Section. We are devoted to listening to our members, our community leaders and those who have been historically marginalized, so that we may improve our programs to serve those communities.

Our Executive Committee is taking steps to create measurable goals and action items in furtherance of these efforts. In the meantime, we invite Section members to join our conversations and share ideas with us, as we move forward in supporting anti-racism efforts and diversity in the law and society. We encourage you to reflect on these goals and make a personal commitment to pursue them in your professional practice and everyday life.

August 2020

The shocking and needless deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and so many others are a compelling reminder of the legal community’s responsibility to demand and take action to ensure equality and diversity in and access to the practice of law.

Though we as a Section have made strides in our diversity, inclusion, equity, and access efforts, we are committing to doing more. We are dedicated to ensuring that our webinar panelists, in-person speakers, and authors of Section publications reflect the diverse society in which we live. We are committed to developing programs that create opportunities for those in underserved communities, such as mock trials, diverse student mentoring, and inclusive speaking engagements. We are committed to increasing outreach to legal affinity groups and bar associations to improve the diversity of our section membership and the ideas that flow through our Section. We are devoted to listening to our members, our community leaders and those who have been historically marginalized, so that we may improve our programs to serve those communities.

Our Executive Committee is taking steps to create measurable goals and action items in furtherance of these efforts. In the meantime, we invite Section members to join our conversations and share ideas with us, as we move forward in supporting anti-racism efforts and diversity in the law and society. We encourage you to reflect on these goals and make a personal commitment to pursue them in your professional practice and everyday life.