Moderators: Rey Barceló, Barceló, Harrison & Walker, LLP and Jenny C. Wu, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP
Speakers: Bernie Knight, BK Consulting LLC (and former USPTO General Counsel) and Dahlia George, USPTO Office of Enrollment & Discipline (OED)
Summary: Ethics in 2018 includes more than just memorizing the rules. A strong dose of emotional intelligence and strong core values helps to avoid unintended ethics violations.
Experienced former and current USPTO key personnel will review the OED ethics rules and how they were amended in May 2013. The discussion will include an overview of disciplinary ethics proceedings and how they are instituted.
The importance of both emotional intelligence and strong core values to ethical decision making will be analyzed, along with examples of ethics violations and actual cases. The role that emotional intelligence plays in lawyering and ethical decision-making will be covered.
Finally, the discussion will examine the role that alcohol/drug abuse and mental health issues may play in ethics violations and how the new USPTO diversion program can help qualified practitioners.
Learning Objectives:
1. OED ethics rules and the procedures for initiating a complaint/grievance.
2. How emotional intelligence plays a role in ethical behavior.
3. Why alcohol/substance abuse and/or mental health issues can contribute to ethical mishaps and USPTO’s new diversion program to help qualified practitioners.