The USC Gould School of Law 2026 Intellectual Property Institute convened hundreds of intellectual property professionals on March 16–17 for two days of continuing legal education focused on navigating a fast-shifting IP landscape.
Titled “IP Strategy in a Rapidly Changing World: Mapping a Course in Uncharted Waters,” the Institute examined the legal and business complexities of artificial intelligence, copyright liability, patent litigation strategy, trademark enforcement and IP considerations for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The conference was held in person at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows in Santa Monica.
Hosted by the USC Gould School of Law, the Institute welcomed IP attorneys, in-house counsel, federal judges, academics and industry professionals, who earned continuing education credit while engaging with nationally recognized speakers from law firms, corporations, consulting firms and the federal judiciary.
The luncheon featured a keynote conversation with John Slusher, Chief Executive Officer of U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Properties (USOPP), and Elisabeth Freinberg, Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of LA28. Moderated by Institute Chair Tamerlin J. Godley of Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, the discussion offered a behind-the-scenes look at the legal and strategic complexities of executing the Games, from brand protection and IP licensing to the unique challenges of a major international event hosted on U.S. soil.
“Really what we’re selling is IP, and the reason our partners are paying us is because they are buying exclusive rights in their category to use the official partner of Team USA and to use the rings,” said Slusher. “The ability to give them that exclusivity is what’s so important.”
The first day of the Institute featured the half-day AI for IP Workshop, a deep-dive program exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence and intellectual property law. Legal and technology leaders, including representatives from OpenAI and several of the nation’s leading IP firms, shared practical frameworks for advising clients as the technology and the law around it continue to evolve at speed.
“How do we come up with a sustainable ecosystem that works for original content producers? How do we have an ecosystem that works for the AI platforms?” said Jonathan Barnett, USC Gould professor of law. “The answer to that is going to be in the case law, but it’s also going to be in the technologies and the licensing technologies that are being developed.”
The second day of the Institute opened with the Julie H. Yi Diversity Forum, which examined how law firms and corporations are retooling their talent and inclusion strategies in a changing legal and regulatory environment. The program then turned to one of the conference’s marquee sessions: a judicial panel bringing together federal judges. Chief Judge Colm F. Connolly, Hon. Cathy Ann Bencivengo, Hon. Jacqueline Scott Corley and Hon. André Birotte, Jr. offered wide-ranging perspectives on the IP issues they see most frequently from the bench.
“Studies say that retention improves to about 65% or better if there’s visual as well as oral [evidence],” said Chief Judge Connolly. “I think that’s even more important now with younger jurors who need more input.”
Throughout the afternoon, attendees chose between concurrent breakout sessions covering copyright, patent and trademark law. The copyright track addressed secondary liability for copyright infringement, including the ongoing significance of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and the questions raised by the Cox v. Sony case before the Supreme Court, and examined the latest developments in copyright termination. The patent track explored strategies for coordinating district court and PTAB proceedings in light of recent Federal Circuit decisions. It featured an in-depth discussion of evolving patent damages strategies, including developments in apportionment and licensing comparability. The trademark track turned to advertising law, claims substantiation and endorsements, with particular focus on the risks surrounding influencer marketing, dark patterns and AI-generated content.
The Institute closed with the popular annual session “The IP Year in Review,” presented by Prof. Dennis D. Crouch of the University of Missouri School of Law, Prof. Christine Haight Farley of American University Washington College of Law, and Prof. Tyler T. Ochoa of Santa Clara University School of Law. The three scholars surveyed the most significant developments across each area of IP law from the past year.
“The patent side of the Patent and Trademark Office is a microcosm of what’s been happening on a larger scale. We’ve had dramatic pendulum shifts over the past fourteen months that began with DOGE, employment changes, et cetera, and it continues on through up to today,” said Prof. Crouch. “The next director will equally have this power. I fully expect that three years from now we’ll have another shift, one way or the other.”
Renowned as the premier gathering of top IP experts, the USC Gould School of Law Intellectual Property Institute stands as a flagship conference hosted by a top-rated law school in Southern California. Drawing a diverse array of industry leaders, practitioners and academics from across the country, the event provides a critical platform for navigating the shifts shaping the intellectual property landscape.
USC Gould School of Law offers continuing legal education opportunities for professionals who want to learn and network with leading experts in their industries. A fixture of the Los Angeles legal community since 1948, USC Gould Continuing Legal Education hosts six annual conferences for professionals at every level to learn from, and network with, the biggest players in entertainment, estate planning, business, tax and intellectual property. To learn more, visit or subscribe at gould.usc.edu/cle – and follow on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
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