News Archive

Careers in IP Law: Alumni & Experts Share Insights

December 19, 2024

In fall 2024, the TILE Institute collaborated with the Intellectual Property Law Society to host a panel on careers in intellectual property law. The event featured alumni and professors with experience in music, video gaming, and other fields. Panelists discussed intellectual property rights in the age of AI, shared career advice, and provided insights on working in tech law. The speakers included:

• Adjunct Professor Mark Wittow, a partner at K&L Gates’ Intellectual Property Group
• Adjunct Professor Chad Smith, a member of Ironmark Law Group and former examining attorney at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
• IP Law Society President Hannah Porter, a student from the class of 2026
• Professor Jeffrey Omari from Gonzaga University School of Law
• Cayle Sharratt, a 2013 alumnus and in-house attorney for Business and Legal Affairs at SubPop Records
• Kathy Carpenter (née Kim), a 1995 alumna and senior in-house attorney at Wizards of the Coast.

Read more on LinkedIn: IP Panel.

AALS to Feature SU Law Legal Tech Symposium

December 9, 2024

The Association of American Law Schools (AALS) selected the symposium proposal, “Expanding Access to Justice through Legal Tech Innovation and Education,” to be featured at the AALS 2025 Annual Meeting in January 2025.

TILE Director and Professor Chon and Associate Director for Digital Innovation and Professor Thompson, along with Penn Carey Law School Professor Miguel Willis (SU Law '17), will assemble a dozen professors specializing in legal tech education to speak at this half-day symposium.

Students Earn Free Legal Tech Certification

November 18, 2024

The Seattle University Law Library offered 10 students the opportunity to earn a National Society of Legal Technology certificate at no cost. Completion of the certificate signals to employers and colleagues an expertise in legal technology or e-discovery.

TILE Event Speaker warns against Tech Addiction in Youth

October 2, 2024

The Seattle University Law Review has published Volume 48, Issue 3 (2025), titled "Re-imagining Tomorrow: A Technology, Innovation Law, and Ethics Symposium on Addictive Technology and Children." This issue was created in collaboration with TILE and organized by TILE Director and Professor Margaret Chon.

The focus of the publication is on technology addiction and its impact on children. It features contributions from Professor Gaia Bernstein, the keynote speaker for the TILE Fall 2024 alumni celebration, along with six other authors who analyze legal approaches to addressing the harmful effects of social media on youth.

Read more: TILE Event Speaker Warns of Youth Social Media Addiction.

TILE Alumni Celebration Highlights Tech & Ethics

October 2, 2024

TILE held its Annual Celebration of Alumni on September 30, 2024 with keynote speaker Professor Gaia Bernstein, introduced by TILE Director and Professor Margaret Chon. A law professor @SetonHallLaw, an internationally prominent thought leader, and the author of "Unwired: Gaining Control over Addictive Technologies," Bernstein spoke about the harmful effects of social media over-consumption for teens.

The event also featured opening remarks from Dean Tony Varona and the presentation of the 2024 TILE Alumni Award from Professor Steve Bender to @pennlaw Professor Miguel Willis '17.

Read more: TILE event speaker warns of youth social media addiction.

Seattle U Joins National AI & Education Institute

September 12, 2024

The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) selected Seattle University for its 2024-25 Institute on AI, Pedagogy, and the Curriculum.

Associate Director for Digital Innovation and Professor Thompson will participate in exploring the current digital evolution of student learning with generative artificial intelligence (AI).

The Institute asks how to ensure that students achieve a range of learning outcomes within existing courses and programs, balanced with academic integrity and traditional pedagogy, with the use of generative AI.

Prof. Cumbow Named Trademark Lawyer of the Year 

August 23, 2024

Longtime beloved Adjunct Professor Bob Cumbow has been awarded Best Lawyer 2024 Trademark Lawyer of the Year in the Seattle area. An SU law alumnus (class of ’91), Professor Cumbow has taught trademark law to generations of SU law students and has counseled many on their journeys toward careers in intellectual property law practice.

TILE Faculty Appointed to Washington State Legal Technology Task Force

August 1, 2024

Professors Chon and Thompson are also serving on the Washington State Bar Association Legal Technology Task Force, chaired by former Mayor and U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan. Also appointed by the WSBA Board of Governors to this task force are Seattle U Law alumnae Laura Lemire and Kari Petrasek.

The task force charge and charter can be found here: The Washington State Bar Association's Legal Technology Task Force (wsba.org).

The Task Force’s final report and recommendations were presented to the WSBA Board of Governors on September 26, 2025 and can be accessed here: 1 WSBA_Legal Tech Task Force Report and Recommendations.

Prof. Chon Reviews Landmark Trademark Case

December 21, 2023

TILE Director and Professor Margaret Chon just published a Review of Abitron v. Hetronic (U.S. 2023), regarding extraterritoriality of the Lanham Act.

Gigi Sohn Keynote Published in SJTEIL Journal

December 14, 2023

The Seattle Journal of Technology, Environmental & Innovation Law (SJTEIL) has published the TILE launch keynote speech by Gigi Sohn: "Broadband, Social Justice, and the Future of Universal Connectivity" (seattleu.edu).

Prof. Kirkwood Examines Laws to Control Tech Giants

November 22, 2023

TILE faculty member Professor Jack Kirkwood recently published a blogpost on The Sling and has also presented across the country on the role that new legislation and regulation might play in controlling the Tech Giants, on “Common Ownership and the Merger Guidelines,” as well as on two threats to administrative agencies - the Major Questions Doctrine and the Supreme Court’s reconsideration of Chevron.

Prof. Thompson Co-Chairs Digital Access Group

October 2, 2023

Associate Director for Digital Innovation and Professor LeighAnne Thompson is co-chairing a working group of Washington librarians to study legislative efforts to expand access to digital information.

Prof. Kirkwood Discusses Amazon, FTC, and Tech Mergers

October 1, 2023

Professor Kirkwood, a nationally renowned antitrust expert, has shared his insights on multiple media outlets on issues such as the Amazon suit that alleges inflation of online prices and overcharging sellers, the FTC’s challenge to the Microsoft/Activision merger, and the current FTC Chair, Lina Khan.

Prof. Thompson Leads ChatGPT Webinar for Lawyers 

August 9, 2023

Associate Director for Digital Innovation and Professor LeighAnne Thompson spoke about ChatGPT 101 for Lawyers at a webinar sponsored by the King County Law Library.

Kirkwood Authors Amicus Brief on Cancer Test Merger

August 3, 2023

TILE Professor John Kirkwood wrote an amicus brief, signed by 27 law professors around the country, as part of a federal court case challenging a merger. The brief argues that the merger is likely to reduce competition to develop a superior early-stage cancer test, delaying or degrading the creation of potentially life-saving technology.

Read the full brief.

Prof. Chon Joins USPTO IP Policy Listening Session

August 2, 2023

TILE Director and Professor Margaret Chon participated in the USPTO Stakeholder listening session: US intellectual property priorities abroad.

Chon Co-Authors Blog on Trademark Reach Abroad

July 17, 2023

TILE Director and Professor Margaret Chon published a blogpost, Trademark Extraterritoriality: Abitron v. Hetronic Doesn’t Go the Distance, with co-author Professor Christine Haight Farley in the Technology & Marketing Law Blog.

Prof. Chinen Publishes Book on AI Governance

June 6, 2023

TILE faculty Professor Mark Chinen has published a new book, The International Governance of Artificial Intelligence, which combines his expertise in AI and international Law.

Kirkwood Wins National Antitrust Writing Award

May 8, 2023

TILE faculty Professor Jack Kirkwood received the Jerry S. Cohen Award from the American Antitrust Institute for the best antitrust article on platforms, Tech Giant Exclusion.