Community

Giving

Giving back to the community is an important aspect of being an attorney. This is why I was a founding contributor to the Turner Boyd Seraphine LLP Women in Intellectual Property Pipeline Scholarship at California State University Northridge. While women have made up at least 50 percent of all students graduating from law school for many years, women are underrepresented in IP law. One of the reasons for this underrepresentation is a pipeline problem: a baccalaureate or advanced degree in a technical field is required to practice many types of IP law and is a helpful background for others, and women continue to receive proportionally fewer STEM degrees than men. This scholarship that I helped endow seeks to address this issue especially in first generation and other underrepresented populations served by CSU Northridge.

Pro Bono

I I have also contributed extensively to pro bono causes throughout my career.  My first major case after becoming a lawyer was a pro bono case to assist an indigent individual whose health insurance had been wrongfully terminated by her carrier.  Our team secured a substantial settlement against the carrier that meaningfully contributed to the client’s ongoing medical bills.  I have also successfully assisted victims of domestic violence in San Mateo County to secure restraining orders against their abusers.

Inns of Court

Since almost the beginning of my career, I have participated in Inns of Court composed of other attorneys who share a passion for professional excellence. During my participation in the San Francisco Bay Area IP Inn of Court and the Edward J. McFetridge Inn of Court, I have connected with judges and other attorneys of all experience levels. In our meetings, we keep our legal skills current by discussing fundamental concerns about professionalism and pressing legal issues of the day. We also share mentorship opportunities in order to offer career-long learning opportunities to more junior attorneys.