SOUTHFIELD, Mich. – Brooks Kushman recently held an event for Cadettes of the Girl Scouts of Southeast Michigan (GSSEM) to help them earn their IP Patch in partnership with Intellectual Property Owners Educational Foundation and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The event took place at the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) Regional Outreach Center, located at 300 River Place Drive in Detroit, which is one of just four Regional Offices in the United States.
During the event, Brooks Kushman attorneys led workshops for the Cadettes, where they learned about patents, how to identify and design their own Trademarks and how to create copyrighted pieces of work. Before teaching standard IP patch curriculum with the workshops, the Girl Scouts had a chance to tour the USPTO offices. The girls also had the opportunity to speak with USPTO Examiners and Judges, and learn more about the processes behind what they do at the USPTO on a day-to-day basis.
Since the inaugural IP Patch workshop last year, the program has grown to an average of 55 attendees per session, and has given out over 200 IP patches. This year, the USPTO will host two events for the Girl Scouts of Southeast Michigan. The final session is April 1, 2017, and Cristal Sheppard, the director of the Midwest regional U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, will be attending.
“We are excited to see how much the program has grown in just one year,” said Brooks Kushman Attorney Rachel Smith. “Every session was sold out. It is especially rewarding to see how eager the girls are at every session to learn more about the different career opportunities available in IP law and other STEM industries.”
Brooks Kushman co-founded the Michigan IP workshops in an effort to promote STEM education and awareness of STEM career opportunities for women in an industry historically male-centric. Smith notes, “Research shows girls typically start losing interest in math and science during middle school, but by providing a fun, dynamic, interactive workshop we increase the likelihood they will stay engaged with STEM learning throughout their academic careers. Inspiring girls to stay curious about STEM learning and potential STEM careers will help build a diverse and inclusive industry. The change starts with them.”
Rachel Smith, Erin Bowles, Irina Sullivan, Hope Shovein and Alena Vackova presented and lead hands-on workshops during the event.
About Brooks Kushman P.C.
Brooks Kushman P.C. is a leading intellectual property (IP) and technology law firm with offices across the nation, and represents clients nationally and internationally with respect to protection, enforcement and monetization of IP, including patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets. The firm has more than 90 intellectual property professionals specializing in various technical disciplines, and has a reputation for providing leading IP counseling with a focus on the business objectives of their clients.
Brooks Kushman counts a number of Fortune 100 companies across a variety of industries among its clients. The firm is also recognized by leading legal publications and rankings, including Corporate Counsel magazine, U.S. News & World Report, Law360, Intellectual Asset Management, Managing Intellectual Property, World Trademark Review, and Intellectual Property Today. For more information, please visit www.BrooksKushman.com/.
