What drew you to the law?
Many lawyers begin as argumentative and ultra-competitive kids. I am one of them. As a child, I already considered law a natural career choice. What drew me to intellectual property law, however, was my love and passion for literature, music and art, as well as my introduction to Apple II computers at a young age. Going to law school during the Internet boom in the late 1990s certainly deepened my interest in this area.
What do you enjoy most about teaching?
What I enjoy most is to see the lightbulbs turned on over my students’ heads. You don’t know what exactly you need to do to make that happen, but you are so happy and thankful when it finally does. As a wise colleague once told me, if you had a great class, it was because of your students, but if you had a bad one, it was because of you. I try hard to remember this piece of advice when I am in the classroom.
What do you hope students gain from your courses?
Intellectual property law is an area in which students will have the rare opportunity to shape the law immediately after they enter the profession. I hope my students will not only be comfortable in grappling with legal and technological complexities, but will also understand what it means to be a successful lawyer in the rapidly changing global business environment.
What are you passionate about outside of the law?
Travel, ethnic food, classical music, Broadway musicals, playing basketball and pool, reading mysteries and books on history and international politics, and cheering for the L.A. Lakers (whom I have supported since the mid-1980s). In college, I represented Wisconsin in the Big Ten Pool Tournament and was an intramural basketball referee.
What are your research interests?
My research focuses on intellectual property, international trade, communications policy, international and comparative law, and the transition of the legal systems in China and Hong Kong. I also have interdisciplinary interests in Asian studies, international relations, mass media and political science.