2025 End of Year Recap

As we close another successful year, we want to highlight some of the impact of your contributions for 2025:

The Nexus of Social Justice and Intellectual Property

  • Our monthly newsletters (https://iipsj.org/latest-news/) provided readers with timely and relevant recent developments in intellectual property law that have particular impacts on diverse communities and the concept of social justice.
  • Working with our various academic partners, IIPSJ organized the 11th annual IP MOSAIC Conference (https://iipsj.org/programs/ip-mosaic/). The theme was IP and the Fabric of Nations.

Diversifying the Legal Field and the Intellectual Property Bar

  • For twenty-two years, the IIPSJ IP and Social Justice CLE program (https://iipsj.org/2025-ip-social-justice-cle-recap/) has provided a venue through which to showcase minority and women IP attorneys. The 22nd Annual IP & Social Justice CLE program (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpjeDSnL4i4lEMJf0N-48iqiZYF-CBvSb) explored the latest developments in IP law, including the relevant social justice impacts, strategies, and opportunities for enhancing the social efficacy of the IP legal regime.
  • IIPSJ co-hosted the inaugural West Coast IP & Social Justice CLE (https://iipsj.org/programs/west-coast-ip-social-justice-cle/), which included discussions on IP social justice issues as well as attorney wellness.
  • Working with our various academic partners and event sponsors, IIPSJ organized the 7th Annual HBCU IP & Tech Law Summit (https://iipsj.org/programs/hbcu-ip-tech-law-summit/), where the audience was treated to leading technology lawyers discussing Artificial Intelligence, Navigating Legal & Regulatory Issues with Emerging Technology, Legal Strategies for Developing, Advancing and Defending IP and more. 
  • IIPSJ continued the HBCU IP and Tech Law Summit Intellectual Property (IP) Internship Grant Program (https://iipsj.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2024-25-Internship-Grant-Brochure.pdf), which was sponsored by INTA Foundation, by awarding grants to two students. Under this grant program, we enabled students enrolled in a participating HBCU law school to work as unpaid interns for public interest organizations in connection with trademark, copyright, and other IP matters. This grant program supported students who would not be able to participate in an unpaid internship without receiving additional monetary support.

Advocacy for Participation in the Intellectual Property System

  • A new volume of The Cambridge Handbook of Intellectual Property and Social Justice is in development, which will be co-edited by IIPSJ Founder and Director Lateef Mtima.
  • In July, IIPSJ Associate Director for International Programs, Dr. Metka Potočnik, attended the 66th World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) General Assemblies (GA) (https://iipsj.org/blog-post-iipsj-attendance-at-the-66th-world-intellectual-property-organization-general-assemblies/) at the WIPO Headquarters in Geneva and represented IIPSJ as a WIPO Accredited Observer. Dr. Potočnik contributed a written statement, delivered an oral statement (view here, at 00:43:51, or here) and attended the length of the proceedings in person.

Community Outreach that Empowers Creators of Color to Share, Protect, and Monetize Their Work

 

Read our full 2025 End of Year Report here.