Oh, the places you’ll go

Nicole Gates JD 2013 takes on a role with Dr. Seuss Enterprises and chairs the San Diego chapter of the USC Gould Alumni Association

By Jill Barone

Nicole and Cooper, her running buddy

Born in Santa Barbara, Gates moved to the east coast with her family at a young age. She attended a science and technology high school and decided to complete her undergraduate degree in Art History, her other passion, at the University of Virginia (UVA). Gates considered a PhD in the subject but felt that it would limit her career options. She knew that a law degree would open many doors and realized that she could apply her art and science background to a career in intellectual property (IP) law.“People always thought I’d be a lawyer,” said Nicole Gates JD 2013, adding that law school had been in the back of her mind for as long as she could remember.  

Much of Gates’ family remained in California and she felt the pull of the west coast when she started to apply to graduate schools. Her visit to USC sealed the deal. “I immediately fell in love with ‘SC,” she said. “I really connected with the warm, welcoming community and the open-minded and diverse student population. And, after my time at UVA (located in the college town of Charlottesville, Virginia), I really felt like I wanted to be in a big city.”

While at the law school, Gates was a member of the Student Bar Association (SBA) and a Graduate Fellow at the USC Center for Law, History and Culture, which brings together faculty members from the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences and the Law School to sponsor a wide range of scholarly and cultural activities. As a fellow in her 3L year, Gates had a paper accepted for an international conference in London where she was invited to serve as a panelist, an experience that she valued greatly.

After graduation, Gates began work as an Associate at Bryan Cave in Santa Monica where she focused on technology and media-related commercial transactions. She returned to her love of IP at DLA Piper and made the move to San Diego, a city that she now calls home. Gates recently accepted a position as Corporate Counsel at Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P., and has been enjoying her time there. Her role focuses on areas such as licensing, copyright and trademark registration for all Dr. Seuss related media and merchandise. She reports that she uses many of the skills she learned at Gould on a daily basis.

As busy as she is in her new position, Gates has found time to volunteer and was recently appointed as the chair of the newly formed San Diego Committee of the USC Gould Alumni Association. “USC Gould gave me many opportunities. My Trojan family has been so good to me and helped me to get where I am today,” she said. “This is why I try to stay involved and give back, particularly as a woman of color who can share experiences and advice with others like me.”

During her first year as chair of the San Diego Committee, Gates would like to continue to raise awareness about the Alumni Association locally and get other Gould graduates excited and engaged. Next year, she hopes to establish regular events and welcomes Trojans’ ideas.  For now, the San Diego chapter is off to an enthusiastic start with a great turn out at the Alumni Day of SCervice on March 9 and more plans in the works, including an April mixer.

Outside of work and volunteering, Gates loves to run with her dog Cooper and enjoys San Diego’s beaches and breweries. She is a self-professed “dog lady” and fosters dogs when she can. She is also planning a wedding with her fiancé, a fellow Gould alum. “There’s still a lot of USC in our lives,” she said.