About GIPLA

Overview of the Organization

The Government Intellectual Property Law Association (GIPLA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the welfare of its members, keeping members informed of current events in intellectual property, especially with respect to government practice, encouraging networking within the government intellectual property community for jobs and advice, promoting cordial and friendly relations among the members of the profession, and maintaining the practice of intellectual property throughout the government on a high ethical plane.

Please note that, although GIPLA's membership is limited to current or former Government IP practitioners, we are an independent, non-profit organization and are not affiliated with or endorsed by the United States Government.

2008-2009 GIPLA Officers

• President: Philip J. Greene (United States Marine Corps)
• Secretary: Sarah Schwartz (Department of Commerce)
• Treasurer: Laura Scalise (Environmental Protection Agency)
• President-Elect: TBD

Additional GIPLA Support Positions

• Arrangements Coordinator : Duties currently shared by the President and Secretary
• Chief Information Officer/Webmaster: Richard M. Gray (Department of Defense)

Our membership consists of three categories:

• Active Membership - open to those persons admitted to the practice of law and employed by the U.S. Government in the field of patents, trademarks and/or copyrights;
• Associate Membership - open to those persons employed by the U.S. Government as a Patent Examiner or a Patent Agent; and
• Social Membership - open to former active members who leave the specialty but still remain in U.S. Government employment, former active members who separate or retire from U.S. Government employment, former associate members who cease to employed by the U.S. Government as examiners or agents, and former associate members who separate or retire from U.S. Government employment.

Please visit our Membership page for more information about becoming a member of GIPLA.

Activities and Events

During its association year, which usually runs from September to May, GIPLA holds monthly luncheon meetings at which a speaker makes a presentation on a topic of interest to the membership. Each March, we hold a full day Intellectual Property Law Conference at which continuing legal education credits may be earned (presently accredited for CLE in Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio). Occasionally the meetings are held at special locations and attendance is limited to members only. In the past this has included a luncheon hosted by the British Embassy. We provide each member with a directory of membership at the annual conference.

Please visit our Calendar of Events page for more information about GIPLA activities and events for this season.

Please click on the links in the navigation bar at the top of the screen to find out more about GIPLA.

Questions about this web site? Please contact the GIPLA Webmaster at webmaster@gipla.org.
Copyright 2004-2010 Government Intellectual Property Law Association - Please visit us at www.GIPLA.org
GIPLA is an independent non-profit organization and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the United States Government