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Strategic Plan

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FAME Plan (650 × 325 px) (2)

MISSION

AIPLA fosters innovation, creativity, and fair competition by empowering IP professionals within an effective and balanced intellectual property system through education, advocacy, and the mutual support of a diverse community of peers.

STRATEGIC GOALS

The following summarizes the strategic goals discussed by participants, based on the environmental scan discussions that acted as a frame of reference for goal selection and strategy development.

• Foundational: Activities designed to support stewardship of member resources and their application to the Mission, Mission-based Goals, and the supporting organizational structure and staff of AIPLA.

• Advocacy: Activities designed to improve the legal/regulatory climate within which IP is practiced, including but not limited to, awareness, understanding and acceptance of consistent IP laws and regulations within and across relevant jurisdictions.

• Membership/Community: Activities designed to improve membership acquisition and retention and to improve participants’ engagement with AIPLA.

• Education: Activities designed to identify and build the IP, legal or practice, competencies of a target audience.

FAME

The overall approach for these strategies will place an emphasis on a proactive process to determine the high level areas of focus - the human, capital and time resources will be developed with the awareness that each of these resources is finite.

Resources will remain nimble and open to changes in the landscape and requests by committees and the Board.

The process for determining the proactive high level of focus will be managed by professional staff with input sought from multiple sources including Board liaisons and committees, subject to review & approval by the Board.

 

Foundational

Headed by: Bea Swedlow, Hongiman, LLP
Responsible stewardship of member resources and their application to the Mission, Mission-based Goals, and the supporting organizational structure and staff of AIPLA.

OBJECTIVES:

  • Provide ongoing cost/benefit analysis of AIPLA programs, services, and initiatives, identifying areas for expansion, contraction, or modification based on their success and the available or anticipated resources.
  • Support AIPLA’s human resources and technical infrastructure, enabling successful implementation of the strategic plan and satisfying the present and future needs of the membership.
  • Support sufficient financial reserves mitigating the risk of reduced member service or Mission-critical activities in the event of a substantial disruption in the operating environment. Support investments in critical multi-year infrastructure improvements with financial reserves.
  • Review and modernize the committee structure making participation more relevant and accessible to members, and ensure that the committees support the organization’s mission-based goals.
  • Protect Brand Strength through activities designed to improve the public and/or professional credibility of AIPLA and the Association’s ability to successfully provide high quality education, influence IP policy, and attract, retain, and engage members and other stakeholders to relevant discussions.

Advocacy

Headed by: Rivka Jungreis, Teva Pharmaceuticals
The public, IP creators, and domestic and global policy makers recognize AIPLA as an effective, credible, and useful resource on intellectual property law.

OBJECTIVES:

  • Identify, assess, and effectively advocate on the most substantial IP legislative, regulatory, or legal issues.
  • Evaluate and contribute to relevant international discussions surrounding IP policy.
  • Proactively collaborate with key policy makers, and other relevant entities, orienting and educating them on evolving IP issues and their implications on IP legislation, regulation, and law.
  • Communicate the breadth and value of AIPLA advocacy efforts and success to members, encouraging their engagement with advocacy efforts.
  • Support and collaborate with relevant organizations on advancing the value of an effective, balanced IP system.

Membership/Community

Headed by: Christal Sheppard, University of Nebraska College of Law
Diverse, engaged, and supportive network of peers committed to advancing the intellectual property law profession.

OBJECTIVES:

  • Recruitment – Improve and differentiate marketing to increase awareness and brand recognition among all member paying categories, with special focus on attracting students, early career professionals, employers, and virtual members.
  • Retention – Provide clearer return on investment across our members’ career trajectories, especially during transitions to more advanced categories. Promote awareness, understanding, and access to benefits of membership.
  • Engagement –  Invest in methods and technology to reduce barriers to engagement. Assess the changing needs of our members and develop innovative approaches to engage them with their needs in mind.

Education

Headed by: Angela Sebor, Tolmar, Inc.
Intellectual property professionals are knowledgeable practitioners providing the highest quality IP advice and counsel.

OBJECTIVES:

  • Monitor emerging issues in IP law, emerging technologies, and IP-adjacent topics, translating this information into useful and distinctive educational content.
  • Offer high-quality, accessible CLE/training relevant to the diverse and global community of IP professionals through online, face-to-face, and other channels, and increasingly utilize collaborative tools and course structures that meet their evolving needs.
  • Provide education and resources on the unique aspects of IP practice management for all levels of practitioners.
  • Identify and engage underserved or underrepresented groups within the profession of intellectual property, improving their access to and participation in education efforts and in the community of IP professionals.
  • Support and collaborate with other IP and IP-adjacent organizations to educate IP Professionals.