World IP Review (WIPR) recently released its annual diversity issue, which examines diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the IP industry. WIPR interviewed Finnegan managing partner Erika Harmon Arner for her thoughts on the current state of DEI in the IP industry.
Erika commented on how socio-economic background plays a part in how quickly an individual may or may not advance in their career. She said, "There can be challenges that people who come from a more privileged background don’t even appreciate. I’m the first person in my family to go to graduate school and the first lawyer in my family. There is a disadvantage there; and many just have to learn on the job. For colleagues who grew up with parents who are lawyers, they just have an in-depth knowledge of the legal world. Nobody creates these disadvantages on purpose, but they are there."
Erika also commented on how becoming a parent can also impact one's career trajectory and the importance of parental policies. She said, "To expect that your path won’t change at all when you have kids is not realistic for most people. It was a struggle for me when my kids were born 20 years ago, and it remains one. My own career trajectory was affected by becoming a mother because I chose to go part-time for four years. But that was my choice; not everybody’s path can be identical." She added, "There are lots of different types of parents nowadays. Certainly, we see that in some organizations, parental leave has been extended to adoptive parents and same-sex couples. Making sure that those policies keep up with the evolving times is very, very important."
Read "G
