CBA Record July-August 2024

THE YOUNG LAWYERS SECTION

YLS Intellectual Property Committee: Knock-Out Networking By Sahil Malhotra T he YLS Intellectual Property Committee provides young attorneys with opportunities to connect, learn, and grow in the field of intellectual property law. Our committee

cations. Additionally, we dedicated a session to “Ethics in IP,” addressing critical ethical considerations for IP practitioners. To grow, in the upcoming bar year, we plan to continue offer ing CLE seminars and workshops that address current issues and developments in the field, ensuring our members stay informed. We also plan to collaborate with other YLS committees to offer joint programming, providing a broader perspective on topics where IP law intersects with other legal areas. We are excited about the 2024 bar year and look forward to enhancing our members’ experiences through innovative pro gramming and engaging social events. Sahil Malhotra is the Chair of the YLS Intellectual Property Com mittee and the founder of Drishti Law, a full-service boutique trade mark and copyright practice based in Chicago.

welcomes attorneys practicing in various IP disciplines, including patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and related litiga tion and transactional work. To connect, the committee organizes quarterly networking events and social gatherings, including happy hours and casual meetups at popular venues around Chicago. These events provide a relaxed atmosphere for members to build professional relation ships and exchange ideas. To learn, we coordinate CLE seminars and workshops cover ing a range of IP topics. Last year, committee meetings featured former examiners from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the U. S. Copyright Office, who provided invaluable insights into the examination process for trademark and copyright appli

YLS Moot Court Committee: Helping Lay the Foundation for Oral Advocates By Whitney Barr

F or 40 years, the YLS Moot Court Committee has hosted the CBA’s annual Moot Court Competition in Chicago. Every year, participants from ABA-accredited law schools across the country come to demonstrate their research, writing, and oral advocacy skills. Moot Court Committee members primarily meet over the summer and during the fall to prepare to host the annual com petition, which takes place one weekend in mid-November. Committee members work together to plan logistics of the com petition, draft the problem that participants will argue, draft the rules for the competition, prepare the oral argument schedules, and advertise for brief graders and judges. During the weekend of the competition, committee members ensure the competition is organized and runs smoothly. Members spend time directing

participants, training judges, compiling scores, and facilitating the awards presentation. Outside the annual competition, the Moot Court Committee is also a fun, interactive committee that many members return to each year. Committee members can meet and network with the practicing attorneys and judges who volunteer to judge competi tion rounds. If you have any interest in appellate or oral advocacy, this committee is for you! Please reach out to Moot Court Com mittee Co-Chair Whitney Barr at wbarr@caffarelli.com or moot court@chicagobar.org if you have any questions or are interested in joining.

Whitney Barr is an associate attorney at Caffarelli & Associates, where she centers her practice on employment litigation.

CBA Members can join CBA and YLS Committees at no additional cost at www.chicagobar.org. Committee members receive email notice of upcoming meetings and events.

38 July/August 2024