©2014. Published in Landslide, Vol. 7, No. 1, September/October 2014, by the American Bar Association. Reproduced with permission. All rights reserved. This information or any portion thereof may not be copied or disseminated in any form or by any means or stored in an electronic database or retrieval system without the express written consent of the American Bar Association or the copyright holder.
Perspective
For the Team
Lisa A. Dunner
At this time of the Association year, the chair of the ABA Section of Intellectual Property Law (ABA-IPL) takes on a role that starts—and goes by—very quickly. I am humbled to assume the very busy activities of this position, following in the footsteps of many esteemed chairs who have had their own passions and interests.
I am honored to introduce myself to all of you, fellow members and practitioners in IP law. I am looking forward to representing you with my own passions that have been shaped—as all of ours have—by many different backgrounds and areas of practice in intellectual property law.
My own path to practice in IP was unconventional, following six years as a touring professional tennis player. Surrounded by a family of lawyers, I had always known I wanted to become a lawyer, but it was later in life that I went to law school and then headed directly into private practice. Eight years later, as a partner in a big firm, I started my own firm and grew my practice, and I have never looked back.
I am enthusiastic to continue the work of our Section and all substantive policy activity that emanates from within our divisions and committees. I am particularly excited about continuing our initiatives to combat online piracy and counterfeiting, copyright reform and the many other diverse substantive areas of interests within ABA-IPL.
One of my greatest passions, however, goes beyond the practice and policymaking in IP law. Mine is a passion that my year as chair gives me new opportunity to foster: helping others, particularly young lawyers, become more involved and connected in our Section. It is my hope that my leadership of ABA-IPL will help bolster opportunities and support systems for our young lawyers, who I believe are the foundation of our Section.
I am sure that my sports background gives the concept of teamwork special meaning for me. Our Section is comprised of many teams: our committees, divisions, special task forces, publication boards, and dedicated and talented staff. These groups represent only a small percentage of our biggest team, the membership at large.
I invite you to become involved in whatever area of the Section will best meet your interests and to benefit from the knowledge and opportunities that ABA-IPL membership provides. I hope to connect with as many of you as possible and to help ensure that your experience with the Section not only contributes to your practice, but also fulfills your own passion.