Rising Seattle University School of Law 3L Ivett Martinez was moved to tears as she listened to Judge Jimmie Reyna at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C. earlier this summer.
Martinez, a first-generation law student, was in the nation’s capital with fellow rising 3L Cristina Espinoza and 24 other law students selected from across the country as part of the Hispanic National Bar Association’s (HNBA) Intellectual Property Law Institute (IPLI), an annual IP and tech law immersion program. Attending a legal writing seminar with Reyna, the first Latino judge appointed to the Federal Circuit, and observing oral arguments in the courtroom presided over by him was deeply meaningful for Martinez.
“I couldn’t help but cry about how far I’ve come as a person, and my own community, my ancestors before me, and this legal journey, and the sacrifices that we’ve made to achieve the goal of becoming an attorney,” she said. “In that moment, it was the first time in my entire law school experience that I felt at home in a legal space.”
Each summer, IPLI scholars spend a week in Washington, D.C., engaging in substantive educational programming, hands-on practical experiences, and enhanced professional development opportunities, such as workshops on writing, interviewing, and reviewing resumes, getting paired up with sponsors and alumni mentors, and attending briefings from leading IP and tech law practitioners.
“Sometimes going to networking events can be difficult because it feels a little forced, but knowing that these attorneys and judges were there specifically for us, to get to know us and to help us, made that transition into talking with them very easy,” Espinoza recalled. “Also, the connections we made with the other scholars were such a good experience because they are going to be part of our network forever … bonding with them in that one week was such an indescribable experience in such a good way. You really have to go through it to understand the impact that IPLI makes on you and your career.”
The students also visited U.S. government institutions such as the Supreme Court, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the U.S. Copyright Office, the U.S. House and Senate Judiciary Committees, U.S. International Trade Commission, and the place that made such an impression on both Martinez and Espinoza, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
Seattle U Law alumna Catherine Romero ’96 co-founded IPLI because of the disproportionately low numbers of Latino/a lawyers in the U.S.
“I wanted to build a family,” Romero said at the 2025 Seattle U Law Technology, Innovation Law, and Ethics (TILE) Institute’s Annual Celebration of Alumni, where she received the Alumni Award for her mentorship efforts. “I wanted a place where the students could go and have a safe space to talk to each other, to lean on each other.”
That event put IPLI on the radars of both Espinoza and Martinez, inspiring them to speak to alumni of the program about their experiences and apply for themselves.
“It felt like being accepted to college for the first time again, because I was the first in my family to go to college,” Martinez said of the phone call telling her she had been chosen for IPLI. “It was affirmation that I belong in spaces where innovation and leadership are shaping the future … It felt like it wasn’t just an accomplishment for myself – it felt like an accomplishment for my entire family, even my professors like Professor [Steve] Tapia and Professor [Mark] Verstraete.”
The enormity of being accepted didn’t dawn on Espinoza right away.
“I forget that it’s not normal for my family to have someone doing these things, so it didn’t hit me that it was such a big program until I called my parents and let them know that I was selected, I was going to go to Washington, D.C.,” Espinoza said. “My mom started crying. That’s when it hit me – ‘This is such a big deal, such a great opportunity.’”
The two students already shared a bond as Moot Court partners, making the D.C. week even more special.
“It felt so amazing to share the experience with Cristina and have her be part of the program with me,” Martinez said.
Martinez spent several years in immigration removal defense before starting law school but became interested in technology law when she “saw how quickly technology was changing the legal space and practice and access to justice.”
“I was really fascinated by the legal challenges surrounding emerging technologies like AI, data privacy, and digital innovation,” said Martinez. That interest grew in her 2L year, when she took Foundations of Privacy through the TILE Institute and joined the Seattle Journal of Technology, Environmental, and Innovation Law (SJTEIL). “It reinforced that desire to build a career long-term in legal research and technology law … exploring how the law can encourage innovation and ensure that technological advancements are done responsibly and ethically and accessibly to the broader community.”
IP law appeals to Espinoza because it intersects with her other passions, including fashion, sports, and music. Taking Trademark Law through the TILE Institute helped her realize that this area of law was her calling.
“Being first-gen, I went to law school to get exposed to different areas of law … The TILE Institute at Seattle U Law has been really helpful in exposing students to tech and IP law, and I think that helped solidify why I wanted to do IP,” she said.
Applications for next year’s IPLI open in late autumn and close in January. Espinoza and Martinez recommend that prospective applicants interested in learning more reach out to IPLI alumni – including themselves – as well as IPLI Co-Chairs Tyler Quillin and Bernadette Lopez, who are both located in the Seattle area. To stay informed, join the HNBA’s mailing list.
3L Jorge Zelidon contributed to this report.