Maurer School of Law names new assistant dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion

Dr. Gabriel Escobedo has been appointed the Law School’s inaugural assistant dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Escobedo has strong ties to Indiana University, earning his Ph.D. in Anthropology of Performing Arts and Latinx Culture from the university in 2023. He was an assistant instructor in IU’s Department of Anthropology from 2013-15. “Gabriel will be a strong leader for our DEI efforts, and we’re excited to welcome him and his family back to Bloomington,” Maurer School of Law Dean Christiana Ochoa said. “His experience and success working collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders at Michigan Technological University stood out to us throughout the search process.

Dean\u27s Desk: Shining a light on the accomplishments of IU Maurer\u27s faculty

As dean of the Indiana University Maurer School of Law, I have the privilege of seeing howour community makes a positive impact on local, state, national, and international affairsevery day. Our students—deeply involved in their studies—still find time to donate thousands of hoursof pro bono service every single year. Our alumni, 12,000-plus strong, bring pride to ourschool and the legal profession every day. And our faculty, tasked with shaping the attorneysof tomorrow, devote extensive time inside and outside the classroom, ensuring our legacy ofproducing ethical, practice-ready lawyers by the time they graduate. But our faculty do more than that. I wanted to take this opportunity to shine a spotlight onsome of their recent accomplishments and how those achievements are—and will continue–making a difference in the world around us

Patent Term Tailoring

Patent rights are designed to encourage innovation with both the promise of a patent and with its expiration. Currently, patent term lasts from issuance until twenty years from the application date, with minor exceptions. The patent term is limited so that rewards for past invention do not overly hinder future progress. Although the goal is laudable, a uniform patent term is a blunt instrument to achieve such a nuanced balance. Historically, the patent system was not averse to tailoring terms through, for example, individually granted extensions to undercompensated inventors or term curtailment when a foreign patent holder failed to “work” a patented invention in the country. Currently, patent extensions are primarily granted to counteract time spent on administrative processes, and patent terms may be curtailed only by a patent holder through failure to pay maintenance fees or terminal disclaimer. This Article examines current and historical law and doctrine affecting patent duration and suggests changes to better pursue patent policies, making two contributions to the literature. First, this Article groups together all the various term-tailoring mechanisms for analysis, bringing theoretical consistency to analysis of rules that are often considered and analyzed separately. This grouping suggests potential avenues for reform, which is the second contribution. This Article argues that patent maintenance fees are an underused policy lever that allow patent holders rather than administrative agencies to evaluate the worth of inventions, ex post, and choose among simple term curtailment options, lowering third party costs. At the same time, patent term extension and adjustment result in variable extensions and potential term variations globally, while expedited examination remains an underused policy tool. These extensions, too, are ripe for modifications

Maurer BLSA earns Midwest Chapter of the Year

The Black Law Students Association at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law has earned national recognition, taking home Medium Chapter of the Year honors at the 56th Midwest BLSA Regional Convention in early February. The Midwest BLSA community includes dozens of chapters at law schools from Colorado to Ohio, including nearly all of the schools in the Big Ten conference. “Our Black Law Students Association isn’t just one of the best in the Midwest, it’s one of the best in the country,” said Indiana Law Dean Christiana Ochoa. “Congratulations to Nashuba Hudson, the executive board, and all who have helped make this chapter such a strong organization.

Criminalizing Sexual Identities: Queer, Female, and Wrongfully Convicted

This book examines the representation and misrepresentation of queer people in true crime, addressing their status as both victims and perpetrators in actual crime, as well as how the media portrays them. The chapters apply an intersectional perspective in examining criminal cases involving LGBTQ people, as well as the true crime media content surrounding the cases. The book illuminates how sexual orientation, gender, race, and other social locations impact the treatment of queer people in the criminal legal system and the mass media. Each chapter describes one or more high-profile criminal cases involving queer people (e.g., the murders of Brandon Teena and Kitty Genovese; serial killer Aileen Wuornos; the Pulse nightclub mass shooting). The authors examine how the cases are portrayed in the media via news, films, podcasts, documentaries, books, social media, and more. Each chapter discusses not only what is visible or emphasized by the media but also what is invisible in the accounting or societal focus surrounding the case. Lesser-known (but similar) cases are used in the book to call attention to how race, gender, sexuality, sexual orientation, social class, and/or other features influence the dominant narrative surrounding these cases. Each chapter addresses teachable moments from each case and its coverage, leaving readers with several considerations to take with them into the future. The book also provides media resources and supplemental materials so that curious readers, including scholars, students, content creators, and advocates, can examine the cases and media content further. The book will appeal to scholars and students of criminology, psychology, sociology, law, media studies, sexuality studies, and cultural studies, and people with an interest in true crime. Includes the chapter Criminalizing Sexual Identities: Queer, Female, and Wrongfully Convicted by Maurer Professor Valena Beety.https://www.repository.law.indiana.edu/facbooks/1335/thumbnail.jp