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Patent Pathways® is a nonprofit organization dedicated to breaking down barriers and creating equal opportunities in the patent profession. By offering free virtual education, mentorship, financial support, practical career guidance, and law firm matching, Patent Pathways® empowers talented individuals from underrepresented backgrounds—particularly those with STEM degrees—to succeed in patent law. Through this program, participants are provided with the tools, resources, and community needed to prepare for and pass the patent bar, as well as the opportunity to meet with and apply for roles with law firm partners, transforming career aspirations into realities.   The program arose out of patent firm Harrity & Harrity’s  “Give 2 Give” philosophy, through which the partners prioritize giving back to the community simply to make a difference. Launched in 2022, Patent Pathways® has since hosted over 130 virtual sessions for 91 participants, with a record 51 individuals in the most recent cohort. It is a 100% volunteer-based organization, comprised of over 40 law firm partners and corporate sponsors, 108 mentors, and 189 active volunteers all dedicated to improving inclusion in the patent field by bringing in individuals from all backgrounds sharing one common goal: passing the patent bar.   Pai Liu, one of the incredible members of the June 2024 Patent Pathways® cohort, recently celebrated that tremendous achievement: she passed the patent bar exam. Pai’s journey is a testament to her remarkable determination and highlights the powerful influence Patent Pathways® can have on those dreaming of obtaining a career in patent law.   With both a bachelor’s and Ph.D. in neuroscience from Emory University, Pai has already established herself as a trailblazer in the technology transfer field. However, balancing her patent studies with a full-time role was no easy feat, especially since she is not a native English speaker. Reflecting on this challenge, Pai noted, “Passing the patent bar is something I never imagined achieving (as English is not my first language). Just three years ago, I didn’t even know what patent law was, and I can hardly believe how far I’ve come with the support of this program.”   During her journey, Pai found invaluable resources, mentorship, and encouragement through Patent Pathways®. “I’m forever grateful for the encouragement provided throughout (I needed that to study after full-time work every day), the PLI study material, and the guidance from everyone on the Patent Pathways® Team,” she shared. Patent Pathways® provided the tools that allowed her to build confidence and thrive in the patent profession. “Passing the patent bar has been a game-changer for me as a technology transfer professional,” Pai said, emphasizing how the knowledge she’s gained “has enriched my work and boosted my confidence immensely.” One of the most memorable moments in Pai’s journey was her recent meeting with Kathi Vidal, Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). During their conversation, Pai shared her story and expressed that her success would not have been possible without the support of Patent Pathways®. Director Vidal later celebrated Pai’s accomplishment in a LinkedIn post , publicly recognizing her dedication and resilience. This recognition underscores the potential of programs like Patent Pathways® to elevate and inspire others pursuing and within the patent profession. John Harrity, Chairperson of Patent Pathways®, also praised Pai’s success, calling her journey “a testament to perseverance and the transformative power of support and mentorship.” He emphasized that Pai’s achievements—especially passing the patent bar as a non-native English speaker while managing full-time work—capture the mission of Patent Pathways®. “Your success is not just personal; it uplifts and motivates everyone involved in this community,” he noted, pointing out that Pai’s journey will undoubtedly inspire others who may have once felt that patent law was out of reach.   Pai’s story exemplifies the impact of Patent Pathways®’ commitment to creating a more inclusive future for patent law. Through mentorship, financial assistance, study resources, and ongoing support, Patent Pathways® empowers individuals like Pai to excel in patent law and make meaningful contributions within the innovation ecosystem.   Congratulations to Pai on this incredible accomplishment. Her journey offers powerful encouragement for those who hope to follow in her footsteps, and her success highlights the vital role that programs like Patent Pathways® play in building a diverse future for the patent profession.   Stay tuned for more stories as Patent Pathways® continues opening doors and paving new paths for talent in patent law.   Want to be part of our mission? Learn how you can get involved as a partner, sponsor, committee volunteer, or mentor at www.patentpathways.org . Samantha Sullivan ADAPT Communications Committee

Unlocking Potential, Building Bridges A fundamental question was asked by the founders of ADAPT: How can we scale efforts across the industry and academia in order to build a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive profession?  The REA Summer Engineering Experience has one answer.  This program helps engineering students thrive and graduate, some of whom enter the Intellectual Property professions.    What happens when a group of engineering alums ask themselves what more can be done to improve DEI in their profession?  Great things.  Enter the Rice Summer Engineering Experience (SEE) program.  The brainchild of leaders of the Rice Engineering Alumni, one of the primary goals of the program is to retain students in the engineering program and provide an experience that would motivate the students to remain in the profession.   Introduction to REA In the heart of Houston, Texas, Rice University’s Engineering Alumni (REA) Association is on a mission. Their goal? To support Rice students from under-resourced high schools to have a successful and exciting undergraduate experience that prepares them to achieve their career goals in the sciences. To do so, the REA established the The REA Summer Engineering Experience, an internship program that builds a bridge between academia and industry, fostering growth, diversity, and innovation. Why It Matters Creating Pathways REA recognizes that every engineer starts somewhere. For many students, that first step can be daunting. That’s where the Summer Engineering Experience comes in. Launched in fall 2020, the program focuses on first and second year students, or those who need a first real-world engineering experience, and partners with corporate sponsors to open doors for students who might not otherwise have access to these opportunities. It’s about creating pathways for the next generation of engineers. Diverse Talent REA collaborates with firms of all sizes, from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies, in providing opportunities to their students. REA mentors guide students in resume preparation and interview skills, ensuring they’re ready to shine. Corporate partners receive a curated selection of applicants based on their needs, from engineering majors to expected graduation years. It’s a win-win: students gain valuable experience, and companies tap into a diverse talent pool. The Impact 100% student graduation success rate with engineers headed to the workforce or higher education.   The REA Summer Engineering Experience works closely with the Rice Emerging Scholars Program (RESP), as well as the Rice chapters of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), and Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) to proactively identify internship candidates. First generation students and those from low-income backgrounds are particularly targeted, as access to engineering role models is key to supporting their career success.  By engaging with students early, REA not only impacts their career trajectories but also provides companies with exceptional talent. It’s a chance to shape the future of engineering.  REA hosts a luncheon each summer for the incoming class of RESP scholars. Other attendees include current/past SEE participants, REA Board members, and host company representatives.  Along with a speaker, the focus of the luncheon meeting is to allow RESP students to meet with upperclassmen and be able to inquire about careers as well as being a university student. By championing diversity, REA ensures that engineering reflects the world we live in—a world where innovation knows no boundaries. “We focused on this because we wanted to help students see what engineering was about and to understand that it was more than just solving problem sets in the classroom to see what engineers do in the real world” - Jim Pyke, Rice Engineering Alumni Board Voices from the Program   “When I heard I'd be working on ballistic missile submarines, at first I thought it was a joke. The CEO quickly let us know that it was not. So from there, there was a little bit of decision making to do, but I thought that well, this is as real as it gets. You know, those are the times that make you feel human and the fact I get to work or something like that is very special.  I currently want to work in renewable energy. I don't know what specifically, but I do know that. Eventually I'd like to own my own engineering firm that works solely on renewable energies, and I'd like to be the CEO.” Balla Sanogo, Rice Mechanical Engineering Student Intern, Unified Industries “Our Rice interns did not expect to work on some of the most sophisticated weapons platforms in the world. The maturity they displayed demonstrated the level of respect and responsibility that is warranted and demanded in supporting the Department of Defense.”  Ted Adams – President of Unified Industries, Inc “ I honestly didn't know what to expect, so I couldn't say that it was what I expected as a student who came from a lower background, this was an opportunity to expose myself to engineering. I got matched with Blade Energy Partners through an interview process and really friendly people, very nurturing and really helped me see the journey that being an engineering would take me.”  Leticia Souto, Rice Mechanical Engineering Student Intern, Blade Energy Partners   “I've been an electrical engineer for over 10 years and there aren't that many of us, so it was kind of like a mentorship or a sisterhood. I feel like that I could kind of give her some insight to what I've experienced as a female engineer and what she can expect to see and how she can overcome it.”  Alicia Boyd, EPG Project Manager, Key Capture Energy Get Involved Are you ready to empower the engineers of tomorrow? Visit the Rice Engineering Alumni website ( https://www.riceengineeringalumni.org/ )  to learn more about the program and how you can build your own program. We can build a brighter future—one internship at a time.  Adam Jaffe ADAPT Communications Committee

Interviewee: Jacob Song Director of Legal Affairs, Marconi   Interviewer: Nicole Cohen ADAPT Communications Team ADAPT strives to improve diversity, equity and inclusion in in the patent industry, in part, through accessibility to information. As part of this effort, ADAPT provides a platform that helps the industry jump-start DEI efforts by leveraging our database of volunteer and sponsorship opportunities for practitioners looking to join or sponsor an existing effort.   Avanci is the latest ADAPT member to leverage the platform to successfully learn, join and implement the program within their organization. We recently met with Jacob Song, Director of Legal Affairs at Marconi, to learn more about the company’s experience.   What inspired Avanci to join ADAPT? As a company with a diverse employee population around the world, joining ADAPT aligned with Avanci’s values of being collaborative and solutions driven. Avanci drives transformation in our industry through teamwork, and we feel we can accomplish so much more working together. As a fast-growing company with many experienced IP professionals at all levels, we found ourselves deeply committed to the principles of DEI but needed support to develop our own programs. ADAPT facilitates this support through their “direct join” measures in which they provide organizations with established DEI efforts to directly partner with.   Why Street Law? Some of our colleagues had prior experience with ADAPT before joining Avanci, so our DEI group took their suggestion to review the ADAPT resources to set our agenda for the year. After joining ADAPT, one of our colleagues highlighted his fantastic experience with Street Law at a previous employer. Street Law’s focus on connecting with the local community and raising awareness of careers in IP resonated with our ideas for incorporating DEI into our company culture. We felt inspired to share our career journeys and potentially provide exposure to IP for highly motivated students who might not otherwise know about those types of opportunities. The Street Law program stood out as something we all wanted to pursue. After the initial process of joining Street Law and identifying a partner school, we committed to running the Street Law program in the Fall of 2023 with the Judge Barefoot Sanders Law Magnet in Dallas. The Street Law program provided initial training for volunteers, followed by two visits to the school to teach lesson modules, and culminated in a capstone event at our office, hosting a class of more than 20 students and teachers from our partner school. What was your experience with Street Law like? While we get the chance to collaborate for work every day, this volunteering experience provided a unique bonding opportunity for all of us as we engaged with the students. We had the opportunity to explain our various paths to careers in IP, field their questions, and teach the students some of the fundamental concepts of IP and Advertising Law during the classroom visits. We were thrilled to find the students were incredibly impressive and engaged during the lessons, which in turn motivated our volunteers to put on a stand-out capstone event for the students.   On the day of the capstone event, folks at all levels of our company were involved — our President and COO Jamie Ribman offered welcome and opening remarks; founder and CEO Kasim Alfalahi addressed the students during the lunch break, and we presented certificates of completion to the students.   Though the volunteers were impressed after the classroom lessons, the students truly amazed our volunteers during the capstone event—every student was enthusiastically engaged, and their feedback confirmed that they got a lot out of the program. For example, they said:   “I learned a lot about patent law and advertisement law. But I also understood more about the rationale behind the law.” “It was very interactive and fun, especially the activities.” “There is not one way to become a lawyer.” “Maybe make it longer? It was a great experience, and I’d love to do more of it.” Looking ahead, how do you plan to collaborate with ADAPT and Street Law? We plan to continue with another Street Law program in 2024 and highly recommend any company—big or small—to consider this as part of their DEI program. Thanks to ADAPT we found this fantastic program and we hope to explore more DEI programs curated and promoted by ADAPT.

Interviewee: Azie Aziz, Ph.D., Patent Agent, Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP Houston Interviewer: Adam Jaffe ADAPT Communications Team I sat down with Azie Aziz, a Malaysian immigrant who has made Houston her home and winner of the 2023-24 Houston Intellectual Property Law Association (HIPLA) Excellence in Diversity Award.  She imagined and curated one of the most innovative diversity projects in Houston – the Art & Diversity Initiative.  Our discussion focused on her background, reasons for being the key representative for ADAPT at Womble, mentorship, and her plans for the future. Tell us about the Art & Diversity Initiative: I led and curated Womble Bond Dickinson’s Art & Diversity Initiative, a series of rotating art exhibitions organized to engage with local artists and create visibility for them in our Houston office.  This annual initiative, which launched in December 2023, is a series of rotating art exhibitions organized to engage with local artists and create visibility for them. The initial installation, ‘Nos Populi: We the People’, exhibits art from diverse Houston artists that highlight the diverse cultures, perspectives, and identities of Houstonians. The exhibition is installed across the main floors of Womble Bond Dickinson’s Houston office. What inspired you to lead ADAPT’s mission at Womble? I grew up in Malaysia in a small town called Teluk Intan. I remember understanding quite young that I would have to grow up very fast if I wanted to improve my life. I have worked so hard to even get to the same starting point as many of my peers. We did not have a television at home, and I remember that the only entertainment available was a textbook from school. I did not have a professional role model growing up. And the idea of going to college sounded like a foreign concept. My life changed when I was selected to enroll in a government funded boarding school, where I learned about going to college. This boarding school system was established in Malaysia to nurture outstanding students to excel in academics and extracurricular activities.  Because I received this opportunity, I became the first in my family to go to college. My childhood experiences growing up without privileges have sparked my passion for helping people challenged to find opportunities. When I heard about ADAPT at the end of my secondment at Google, I drew a parallel between ADAPT’s mission and EMERGE mentor Program – to inform and provide access to opportunity. What is the EMERGE mentor Program? I discovered EMERGE through a Google search with the keywords "underserved high performing students Houston." There, I found the EMERGE website. I wrote EMERGE an email expressing my interest in volunteering. My first EMERGE event was EMERGE Career Day at Rice University in 2018.  Through EMERGE Career Day at Rice, I met my current Firm’s Office Managing Partner, Jeff Whittle, who introduced me to patent law. EMERGE is very important to my life because it gave me the opportunity to be where I am today. That is the reason EMERGE is so close to my heart. I have a deep belief in the interconnectedness of humanity and its role in unlocking potential. What has been the impact of Emerge? One of my mentees, Nolan Zeng who is now an engineering student at Duke University became interested in pursuing a career in patent law.  Throughout his mentorship with me, I invited Nolan to my visit and attend information sessions with the patent attorneys.  As Nolan became more interested in patent law, Nolan expressed his interest in interning at the patent prosecution group at Womble Bond Dickinson.  Nolan wrote me to say “Ms. Aziz is a wonderful mentor and friend that I was introduced to through the EMERGE Mentorship program. Through the program, Ms. Aziz provided advice and glimpses of the professional world, encouraging me to step out of my comfort zone and network with working professionals, while remaining myself. Just as importantly though, Ms. Aziz shared her cultural heritage, hobbies, and life stories so that I also grew as a person throughout the program. Even now, after the program is finished, Ms. Aziz is somebody I can turn to and confide in anything. Thank you for being an integral part of my journey Ms. Aziz!” What are your plans for the future with ADAPT? I feel the same story can happen to an individual who has potential but lacks information and access to the patent law. It is time for me to give back. That is a strong reason that I want to contribute to ADAPT. At Womble Bond Dickinson, we have been actively supporting ADAPT’s Mission.  To date, Womble has provided 16 mentors and actively participated in the development of the Professional Guide.  This year, Womble continues to partner with a local university and corporation to organize student outreach via a panel discussion on dismantling barriers and creating pathways for success.  I also encourage more participation from my colleagues at Womble. For example, I partnered with Black Affinity Group (BAG) at Womble to encourage BAG members and ally to volunteer with ADAPT.  I also have a plan to sit down with other affinity groups to encourage them to jointly agree to work on one of the programs available on the ADAPT platform.  I also enhance communication within Womble by sending a monthly update to Womble ADAPT volunteers and sharing what I learn from ADAPT Quarterly calls.

Deborah L. Corpus - Partner at Pearne & Gordon LLP, Co-chair, DEI committee At Pearne, diversity has always been a priority. This is reflected in not only our our support and work with ADAPT and the ADAPT community, but also through our Diversity & Inclusion Committee and our continued work to improve diversity at the firm. We have tracked diversity statistics and our progress across our team for many years. The information we gathered, however, was limited in scope and informal. As a result, we did not know exactly where we stood, and how we could improve. To drive progress, we wanted to capture additional diversity information, but we had many questions and concerns. How can we capture more data? How do we ask? How would people respond? Ultimately, where do we start? Enter Mansfield Rule™ by Diversity Lab, a program that one of our partners heard about, passed it on to another partner on our DEI committee (me) (https://www.diversitylab.com/pilot-projects/mansfield_midsize/). The goal of the Mansfield Rule is to boost and sustain diversity in leadership in law departments and law firms through three main pillars: Shifting cultures and mindsets through data tracking, advancement process transparency, and considering a broad slate of 30-50% underrepresented talent for all leadership roles and the activities that lead to leadership; Sharing knowledge to work together, learn together, and succeed together as a community; and Increasing the marketplace visibility and economic power of underrepresented talent through Mansfield Client Forums, Diverse Partners Directory, and more. As part of the program, Diversity Lab works with participants to measure the outcomes and iterate the requirements to improve diversity over time. To ensure Mansfield’s long-term results, there is an increasingly challenging “Certification Plus” category that evaluates whether firms and legal departments have achieved diversity in leadership, not just considered it. To satisfy the requirements for certification, the Mansfield Rule requires, for example: consider 30% historically underrepresented lawyer candidates for hiring, consider 30% historically underrepresented lawyer candidates for equity partner promotions, consider 30% historically underrepresented lawyer candidates for participation in formal client pitches and client meetings… Participation in the certification process is open to both midsize and larger-sized law firms who share the desire and willingness to improve, learn and share with others about their experiences and processes relating to their firms’ DEI efforts. We joined the March 2022 cohort for midsize firms for the certification period ending July 15, 2023 - along with dozens of other midsize firms (25-150 attorneys) around the country. To drive change, the structure of the program’s certification process includes accountability, through frequent check-ins/audits, data collection, and reporting; the participants’ ongoing collaboration through monthly group knowledge sharing forums; and the transparency of publicly certifying. The certification process has taught us invaluable lessons we can leverage to continue to drive diversity at our firm and beyond. The process and information sharing has taught us effective methods for collecting attorney identification data in a confidential and objective manner, tracking participation for important client meetings, pitches for new or existing clients, and requests for proposals, and ensuring that we are providing all the information, tools, and guidance to attorneys as it relates to compensation and promotions in a transparent manner. One of the most valuable aspects of the process has been the knowledge sharing among other firms who have been certified or who are involved in the process along with us. The conversations are open and honest, and there is a mutual interest for all participating firms to succeed. As mentioned above, certification requires firms to consider at least 30% historically underrepresented individuals for various attorney and non-attorney leadership roles, client-facing activities, promotion, and more. Through the Mansfield Rule certification process, we are improving diversity in our firm’s leadership and attorney teams not just by chance but with intention and accountability. Our involvement with ADAPT is another extension of our DEI commitment and we are proud to work alongside so many others in this growing community. The Mansfield Certification is one of many programs that are highlighted as part of ADAPT’s platform, which provides a database of DEI programs and templates for corporate and law firm teams to jump start their DEI journey. If you are interested in joining, contact ADAPT today!

Wade Yamazaki - Supervising Principal Counsel at Cruise, ADAPT Co-Founder As an attorney at Cruise, one of the most significant benefits of co-founding ADAPT has been the opportunity to work with a diverse group of individuals who are passionate about DEI. Through ADAPT’s platform, we have been able to learn from each other, share best practices, and develop new strategies for creating a more inclusive profession. As part of building the platform, I got the chance to use it as well. Using the programs and templates provided, I searched for a small-team friendly program I could contribute to, and I quickly learned about the Legal Education Access Pipeline (LEAP) program. I jumped at the opportunity to mentor an undergraduate student preparing to apply to law school. LEAP is an impressive program designed to give students from underrepresented communities comprehensive law school admissions assistance through a nine-month fellowship. They even train the mentors (e.g. me) on how to best work with the students to set them up for success. Working with my mentee through the LEAP program has been an incredibly rewarding experience. Throughout the process, I have been impressed by her intellectual curiosity, passion for social justice, and commitment to using her legal education to make a positive impact in the world. Despite facing many challenges throughout her life, she has shown a tremendous amount of resilience, perseverance, and dedication in her pursuits, her work with LEAP being no exception. The fact I can be even a small stepping stone supporting her along her journey, either through discussions of law school resumes, personal and diversity statements, letters of recommendation, or simply sharing my own journey from the law school application process to being a licensed attorney, is both humbling and inspiring. For my mentee, LEAP is an enabling opportunity: “I believe that LEAP will be the guide that I need to achieve my goals. While I have the passion, motivation, and determination to reach the places I want to go, I lack the connections and knowledge necessary to make it to law school. Like many, neither I nor my family possess the funds to even make it one year through law school. Having access to information on how to get scholarships, financial assistance, or even the best loans to take out can be extremely impactful on my journey in applying to and ultimately attending law school. I believe that LEAP will also benefit me as I prepare for the LSAT and my personal statement in giving me the tools I need to succeed and access my full potential while also learning how to showcase that potential to law schools.” - Amanda Pepe The impact of the LEAP program and ADAPT’s commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion in the legal profession cannot be overstated. For me personally, being a member of ADAPT and a mentor in LEAP has allowed me to start contributing back to the profession in ways I look forward to expanding on in the future.

Invented in 1829, braille is a system of raised dots representing letters that are read by touch. It can enable people with blindness to independently identify objects and spaces in their workplaces, homes and schools. Braille labels on objects can lead to an increase in daily efficiency for the more than 43 million people with blindness and 295 million more with moderate to severe visual impairment. For children, braille labels on their toys and objects in the home and at school could catalyze learning by helping them to associate written words with physical objects. For an adult, identifying objects such as file folders, boxes, and medications is a functional skill essential in the workplace. Yet, despite many benefits of braille labels, label makers available on the market are costly to manufacture, rely on proprietary tape, or are difficult to use. The Braille-It team, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology including Hilary Johnson, Vadim Kuklov, and Professor Alex Slocum, sought to enable people with blindness to live more independently. They worked to develop a label maker that would allow people to affordably and easily make their own braille labels within their homes, schools, workplaces and communities. "We designed an affordable, precise, multi-lingual, personal braille label maker as a tool for people with blindness,” Johnson explained. “Our work at MIT was inspired by work on braille labelers at a workshop in India run by a man with blindness named Govindraj. He emphasized to me that there are sighted labels everywhere, but not braille labels. We wanted to design a tool to empower people with blindness to make their own labels. The answer they came up with is Braille-It: an affordable, personal, braille label maker that allows users to quickly label items with braille. Braille-It uses flexural linkages and elastically averaged connections to enable users to press on keys that emboss braille characters onto Scotch Magic™ tape labels that can be applied to objects, walls and other surfaces. By providing a simple and convenient way to write braille on tape, this device can help people label their surroundings and access information more easily, thereby providing the people with blindness and visual impairment with opportunities and independence in their day-to-day lives. A team of MIT undergraduate students in MIT 2.75 Medical Device Design class, Sophia DiSabato, Christina Patterson, and Cindy Jie, are currently working to implement the design with the hopes of getting the devices in the hands of users worldwide. It is a unique solution that addresses an important need worldwide. The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office agrees, granting the team two patents protecting the device, U.S. Patent Nos. 11,373,549 and 11,580,880. The patents were granted with the help of Microsoft’s Make What’s Next Program, which aims to simplify the patent process and provide support and mentorship to women who are working on technology advances that are making real differences in the world. The team hopes that Braille-It will improve the lives of millions of braille users around the world by giving them more autonomy and access to information. On World IP Day, ADAPT (Advancing Diversity Across Patent Teams) celebrates the hard work of inventors like Hilary, Vadim and Alex and the MIT team, who are shaping the world through their imagination, ingenuity and hard work. The invention is a key example of how innovation and technology can improve the lives of people who rely on braille for literacy and communication. They hope that their story will inspire other young innovators and entrepreneurs to pursue their dreams and use their creativity and ingenuity to solve real-world problems. Make What’s Next is one of many programs that are available as part ADAPT’s platform, which provides a database of DEI programs and templates for corporate and law firm teams to jump start their DEI journey. If you are interested in joining, contact us today!

It started with a small idea among friends, grew to be a mission to make DEI programs more accessible and scalable, and now has become a fast-growing collective effort involving more than 30 organizations. Listen to the latest episode of the Inclusion Evolution podcast, where Judy Yee, Assistant General Counsel at Microsoft and ADAPT co-founder, and Elaine Spector, Partner at Harrity & Harrity, recount their DEI journey, how ADAPT came to be, and why they are driven to change the industry. Link to Spotify Link to Apple Podcasts

To celebrate Black History Month, we are highlighting the black-owned law firms that participated in Harrity & Harrity’s 2022 Minority Firm Incubator 2.0 program! Meet Arlene Neal, Founder & Managing Attorney at Neal Blibo, a black-owned, woman-owned law firm. When asked about being a black-owned, woman-owned law firm, Arlene said, “I see a lot of black-owned firms and I see a lot of women-owned firms, but I don’t see a lot of the combination- black and woman-owned. And I’m thinking to myself, “Well, I gotta be proud!” Can you tell me a little bit about yourself? My name is Arlene Neal. I'm the founder and managing attorney at Neal Blibo. I started Neal Blibo in 2010, so I've had it running for about 15 years. Overall, I've been practicing since 1998. I started at a small practice, and then I went to a larger law firm. So my experience is in small, large, and now entrepreneurial practice. What obstacles have you faced while getting into law, or starting your own firm, due to your race or background? I remember when I first started, I was very conscious of my accent because I did not grow up in the US. So, I was very conscious of how I sounded. And maybe that's why I went into patent prosecution- because I didn't have to speak to people. And I remember one of my first mentors- I thought, we had a really great relationship when he was mentoring me. And then I got another position, and I told him that I was leaving the state and I was moving to the DC area. So, I told the new firm that they could call him. And [one day], I didn't realize that he was talking to them, but just as he was talking to them, I was walking into his office and he made the comment, "You know she's difficult to understand, right?" And that really shocked me because I didn't expect that he would go there. But I think that made me even more conscious of the way I sounded, particularly in a professional setting. That was just something that I was concerned with when entering law. And like I said, I think it had an impact on my practice, because it made me go more towards the prosecution side. Maybe I wouldn't have been for litigation, but I think subconsciously, that had something to do with it. Do you feel like being a woman brought on any obstacles that maybe you weren't expecting? I feel like I see enough women in the profession and enough women doing well that I really never felt like being a woman was an obstacle. Actually, sometimes I think it's a plus! I got my first major client from a woman in IP connection at AIPLA. So I don't necessarily see it as something that I have to overcome. I know that the profession is primarily white male, but I think there's sufficient numbers as far as woman that can help each other out if we choose to. What piece of advice would you give to others who want to follow this type of career path? From the time I started working as an attorney, my spirit was always really entrepreneurial. So, even though I was in big law, a part of me always wanted to be on my own- to have autonomy and to make decisions for myself in the practice that I wanted to have. And I have not regretted starting my own firm. I actually love it. During the tough times, when I've considered what my next steps should be, I would never get to a place of saying, "I'm gonna go back into a law firm." No. I will never stop trying to make the law firm that I wanted to make. So if that's something that somebody coming up wants to do, I'd say definitely go for it. Make sure to get training, whether it's from a small firm or a large firm. And once you feel like you have to training and you can do the work, you have to understand all the different aspects of business. Understand that sometimes you will have to do secretary work, so you will need to know how to do everything. I think it's like any small business, right? Small business owners have to wear many hats. And sometimes you can hand the hats over, but sometimes you have to put them on and do the work yourself. But that's the fun of it. That's the thing that makes it great. So I would definitely encourage anybody who wants to do this to do it. People are doing it and it's rewarding. You can make a good living and be happy. And the world is changing- now, you can have a firm that is completely remote, which wasn't the case when I started. You can make your own rules and if being in charge of your destiny is something that you want to do, I would definitely consider doing it. What aspect of being a black-owned, women-owned law firm are you most proud of? I see a lot of black-owned firms and I see a lot of women-owned firms, but I don't see a lot of the combination. And as I was thinking of this, I thought, "Well, I've got to be proud of that!" I've done this for almost 15 years. I've served clients- from multinational companies to small companies. My clients love me, and you know what? That's something that I should say more. I'm a black woman. I'm out here running my own firm and it's great! ABOUT MFI 2.0: The Minority Firm Incubator 2.0 Program is Harrity’s 42-week program that provides the training and tools needed to propel female and minority-owned patent law firms, existing or yet to be launched, to the next level of success. The program includes free training & strategy classes, concluding with a pitch session with a panel of in-house IP attorneys. The MFI 2.0 is an integral part of Harrity’s ongoing diversity initiative to recruit, retain, and advance attorneys who will contribute to the diversity of the patent field. When speaking on this program, Arlene says, “As a Managing Attorney, I am always seeking out the best practices in running my firm. The MFI program exposed me to new processes for managing my firm and also helped me to refine current processes.” In November 2022, 7 minority-owned law firms graduated from the first iteration of this program after intensive law firm operations trainings from Harrity partners and pitches to a panel of in-house attorneys. You can learn more and apply to the 2024 program here.