Dear ACPC Members,
I am honored to serve as your President during a time when ACPC marks a historic milestone with women serving as three of our four officers. Women represent about 26.4% of our regular corporate members, which is phenomenal when considering that women represent only 21.8% of USPTO registered patent attorneys and agents (and of those women, only 75.6% are attorneys).¹ The fact that the organization looks significantly different now than it did even just 5 or 10 years ago is a testament to the commitment of our members to both increase diversity in the IP profession and to make our organization an inclusive and welcoming environment for people of all backgrounds.
I also would like to take the opportunity to encourage you, our members, to register for our upcoming Summer Meeting on June 24-26 in Washington, D.C. The proximity of the meeting to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office and Federal Circuit has played heavily into the development of the engaging 2-day program by our Program Committee, led by Vice President Jennifer Miller. Highlights of the program include:
- Fireside chats with Vaishali Udupa, USPTO Commissioner for Patents, and Sharon Israel, USPTO Chief Policy Officer and Director for International Affairs and President of FADIPL
- Federal Circuit Judges panel
- Benchmarking Survey Results (please complete the survey!)
- 3 IP Operations Member Presentations
We also are excited to collaborate with the USPTO for expanded stakeholder meetings on Thursday morning following the conclusion of our regular programming!
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation to the Presidents who have come before me and the Officers, Executive Committee members, and Committee members that help continue to drive ACPC forward. Krish Gupta, Bernie Zidar, and Glenn Edwards each faced unique challenges during their terms as President due to COVID-19, while John Cheek helped reimagine our Summer Meeting format last year during a time when corporations continue to place limits on employee travel. I hope to continue building on the strong foundation of ACPC and look forward to sharing updates on our strategic plan and various initiatives later this summer.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Lester
President
¹ Elaine Spector and LaTia Brand, Diversity in Patent Law: A Data Analysis of Diversity in the Patent Practice by Technology Background and Region, Landslide, Vol. 13, No. 1 (September/October 2020). Available