Ten Concrete Ways IP Firms Can Support Diversity

Ten Concrete Ways IP Firms Can Support Diversity
From Schwegman Lundberg & Woessner, P.A.

Certainly, there are no easy answers for how to increase diversity in the intellectual property field. No one firm has this challenging issue completely solved. Yet as we’ve pursued this goal, ten approaches have become apparent that can help to increase diversity in IP, one relationship and one step at a time.

Mentorship and sponsorship. From college interns to lateral hires, having a mentor can make an enormous difference in a person’s life. Quality mentorship can mean the difference between individuals feeling supported or feeling a little alone. Having a mentor means individuals have a designated person they can feel comfortable approaching with questions. A mentor can provide guidance that makes the next career step more accessible. What is the difference between mentorship and sponsorship? While a mentor provides guidance and shares lessons learned from experience, a sponsor says, “I’m throwing my weight behind you.” In addition to support and guidance, a sponsor can provide backing and influence. Both mentors and sponsors can also provide social connections.
Continuing education. Even the most well-intentioned of us can have blind spots: assumptions, stereotypes learned long ago, or habits we just don’t realize. Or perhaps we just were never taught what exactly a good mentor does or what improvements a certain approach can make. We all need continuing education to help us continue to grow and develop, and to help us overcome weaknesses we might not know we have. At Schwegman, yearly diversity speakers have covered such topics as empathy and implicit bias. These trainings provide the opportunity to take some time for self-reflection, learn about important topics, and keep improving on a personal level.
Supporting diverse vendors. Every firm inevitably works with vendors, to buy food, gifts, office supplies, and more. It’s worth taking a step back and evaluating, “Which vendors are we working with, and why?” Would it be possible to add more local restaurants and other vendors to this list?
Asking for honest feedback. This can be one of the most difficult steps to take, but it is unavoidably important. At Schwegman, we sent out an anonymous form internally and asked for feedback about what we could do within our firm to improve diversity and inclusion. Our team responded with honest feedback we could use to make concrete improvements to our policies and interactions. This is an incredibly important step in the process.
Helping tell people earlier in their studies and careers about IP. People need to learn about STEM careers and IP long before they ever go to law school. Recruiting in law schools is undeniably important, but so is making sure students have the opportunity to pursue STEM fields in college and learn what makes STEM so intriguing in grade school and high school. That’s one of the reasons IPO Education Foundation is so important.
Making IP education interesting and accessible. IPO Education Foundation’s programming helps students learn that science and technology can be fun and creative. It shows students that they have a place in STEM. Through programming such as the Stroke of Genius® podcasts, students learn that IP can be life-changing and make real differences for them and those they love. These podcasts help students learn that anyone can be an inventor or a scientist.
Preserving autonomy. Sometimes good intentions can lead to unintended consequences. It may be tempting to, in the name of having diverse teams, move people across work groups. But this can remove an IP professional’s autonomy and choice. Principal Andre Marais explains, “At Schwegman, attorneys have the ability to choose which technologies and clients are the best fit for their skills and interests, which is paramount to success, satisfaction, and longevity in our profession.”
Creating flexibility. Everyone’s life does not look the same. Embracing differences in attorneys’ schedules and location helps both quality of life and diversity. As Principal and Chief Innovation Officer Steve Lundberg describes, “Attorneys’ lives and careers evolve. With these natural changes, attorneys’ billing rates and hours should also be able to change. At Schwegman, attorneys can make these choices for themselves … We also make remote work a real possibility for our attorneys, and have done so for years. We want everyone to be able to succeed in the profession. It’s better for everyone.”
Joint programs hosted by companies and law firms. Beyond sharing metrics, companies can engage with their outside counsel to help make a lasting impact on individual careers and build diversity in the IP community. For example, law firms can help companies train their in-house law clerks as part of a firm “summer associate” program. In another example, companies can use “seconded” junior attorneys from their firms to meet their needs, while also providing valuable in-house perspective to the secondee.
Working together. While of course each firm wants to improve its own team, we need to also work together as an IP community. Sharing best practices and coming together in groups such as IPO Education Foundation helps make a broader difference. By pooling resources and working on programs together, we can not only help make IP more diverse but also help more people have the opportunities and dreams that they deserve.

It is always refreshing to have an open dialogue about issues that challenge us all. We are grateful to gather together with other firms and IP professionals to discuss what we can do so that our field can more fully reflect our country, and more people can have opportunities in STEM and IP.