Connect with Peers and Practitioners through WSBA's 29 Sections
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Sections members become part of active professional communities and gain access to an array of exclusive section member benefits. Over 10,000 WSBA members currently belong to one or more of the WSBA’s 29 sections. The section membership year begins Jan. 1.
Member Benefits
In the past year, WSBA Sections have sponsored approximately 70 CLE seminars and hosted multiple professional networking events around the state. Various sections offer a plethora of member benefits, including, but not limited to:
- List serve communities
- Newsletters, reports, deskbooks, and sourcebooks
- Free and discounted CLEs
- Opportunities to engage in the Washington state legislative process
...and more! Join a Section Today!
Interested in Section Leadership?
Each section is led by a group of volunteers who are elected to serve on the executive committee. Many find leading a section to be a rewarding experience because of the leadership growth, professional development, firsthand experience with the legislative
process, and collegiality it offers. Executive committee discussions are productive and challenging, offering a unique opportunity to work with other legal professionals in a goal-oriented setting that benefits WSBA members and the greater legal community.
Executive committee terms begin Oct. 1, 2023, and sections accept applications for the following year in early spring. Consider applying to become a section leader!
For general sections questions, send an email with your Bar number to sections@wsba.org or call 800-945-9722.
WSBA Sections
Intellectual Property Section
The Intellectual Property Section strives to promote the practice of intellectual property law and focuses on patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and related matters. The Section promotes the development of industry and the useful arts by encouraging the establishment, maintenance, respect for, and utilization of intellectual property rights that fairly balance the limited monopoly enjoyed by the owner of intellectual property rights with the benefit to society derived from the creation of useful subject matter protectable by those rights.
The Section provides benefits to members by providing continuing legal education events, including the Intellectual Property Institute, and publishing a newsletter. The Section conducts outreach activities with members and law students providing financial support to law students attending law schools in Washington state. The Section reviews, comments on, and makes recommendations related to pending legislation, and proposes statutory enactments to improve and to facilitate the administration of justice.
Annual Report | Budget | Bylaws | Year in Review | Elections
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The Intellectual Property Section offers many resources and benefits for members. On this page you will find information about the section, their upcoming events and offerings, as well as information about the section's executive committee.
Upcoming ProgramsOn-Demand CLE Programs | Executive Committee |
Upcoming Programs
NEW Webcast! IP Timely Topics - Part II
Presented in partnership with the WSBA Intellectual Property Section
Join us for this year's IP Timely Topics as a three-part series. This is the second installment and the third will take place on March 19, 2025. The second installment focuses on 35 U.S.C. § 101 as well as online enforcement of IP.
When: Feb. 12, 2025
Time: 1–3 p.m. PT
Credits: 2.00 Law & Legal Procedure
On-Demand CLE Programs
The Intellectual Property Section has a great list of on-demand CLEs available. Click the following links to learn more.
| Title | Agenda | Law & Legal | Ethics | Equity Ethics | Other | Total |
| The 29th Annual Intellectual Property Institute | Agenda | 4.75 | 1.00 | 5.75 | ||
| IP — Licensing | Agenda | 4.5 | 1.00 | 5.50 | ||
| IP Timely Topics | Agenda | 5.25 | 1.00 | 0.50 | 6.75 | |
| The 28th Annual Intellectual Property Institute | Agenda | 7.75 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 9.75 | |
| IP Licensing | Agenda | 6.00 | 6.00 | |||
| IP Timely Topics | Agenda | 6.50 | 6.50 | |||
| The 27th Annual Intellectual Property Institute | Agenda | 5.50 | 2.00 | 7.50 | ||
| IP Licensing in 2022 | Agenda | 5.25 | 1.00 | 6.25 |
Executive Committee
Chair: Connie Wan (2024-2025) Chair-Elect: Syed Abedi (2024-2025) Immediate Past Chair: Rodney Tullett (2024-2025) Secretary/Treasurer: Jim Vana (2024-2025) Young Lawyer Liaison*: Heather Hedeen (2024-2026) Board of Governors Liaison*: Alain Villeneuve | At-Large Members: Greg Plichta (2023-2025) *Nonvoting member |
Please contact subcommittee member for details on their upcoming meeting dates and locations.
To join the Section list serve and get general section questions, please send your email address and Bar number to sections@wsba.org. For more information and to get involved with the Section, please contact the Section chair, Connie Wan.
