Intellectual Property Law Section of the State Bar of Montana and the Blewett School of Law
Presents:
IP DAY IN MONTANA
Missoula, Montana | MARCH 26, 2027
Join us in Missoula on Friday, March 26, 2027 for our seventh installment of IP Day in Montana, taking place at the Blewett School of Law at the University of Montana.
This year’s IP Day in Montana program will feature many topics around AI & IP in addition to networking events! Don’t miss this opportunity to meet with and learn from the leaders in IP law. Whether you attend annually or if this will be your first time, we hope to see you there.
The 2027 IP Day in Montana will feature very special guest, Mark Bartholomew, Vice Dean for Research and Faculty Development at the University at Buffalo School of Law, who will offer insights on Intellectual Property and the Brain: How Neuroscience Will Reshape Legal Protection for Creations of the Mind.
IP Day in Montana is the result of an ongoing partnership between the Blewett School of Law and the IPL Section of the Montana Bar.
The organizers and collaborators of IP Day in Montana are committed to continuing the mission of bringing free intellectual property education to students, businesses, and the Montana community. Therefore, if you register prior to March 15, 2027, this event is free to the general public, while legal professionals seeking CLE credit may pay $60.00 plus processing fees. Beginning on March 15, 2027, registration fees will increase by $25.00 to accommodate catering adjustments. Please register here:
KEYNOTE: Martin Skladany, J.D., M.P.A. M.Phil. – Samuel Weiss Faculty Scholar, Professor of Law at PennState Dickinson Law
2026 IP Day in Montana Schedule - All Things AI
Friday, March 27, 2026 (Room 201, Blewett School of Law)
| Time | Description | CLE Credits Pending |
| 8:30 a.m. |
Registrant Check-In Begins |
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| 8:45 a.m. |
Introduction and IP Day overview by Conference Organizer
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| 8:50 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. |
NEW Montana USPTO Outreach Office
Sean will join us from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to share details about the new community engagement office in Montana. This initiative aims to create agile, high-touch points of presence within local innovation hubs such as universities, tech accelerators, and start-up communities. The Bozeman-Gallatin Valley area, serving as Montana’s tech hub, has experienced a significant doubling of patent applications between 2019 and 2023 and was federally designated as a Tech Hub in 2023. The new office, located at Montana State University, will advance the USPTO’s outreach efforts and tailor its programs to the region’s growing industries and stakeholders. |
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| 9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. |
Augmenting Reality: AI, Creativity, and the Human Role
AI does not create in isolation, it responds to human direction, context, and intention. This session offers a clear, non-technical explanation of what AI is and what it is not, followed by a discussion of how it can be used thoughtfully to enhance creativity rather than replace it. Using examples from music and art, the talk shows how AI can amplify human expression while still relying on human judgment, taste, and emotional intelligence. The goal is not automation for its own sake, but augmentation, using AI to extend human capability while preserving authenticity and meaning. |
1.00 General |
| 10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. |
Short Break |
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| 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. |
AI, Copyright, and Trademarks: What Your Business Clients Don’t Own (and Don’t Realize)
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1.00 General |
| 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. |
Lunch Break |
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| 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. |
Balancing Innovation and Safety: The Case for Adaptive AI Laws.Martin Skladany, J.D., M.P.A. M.Phil. – Samuel Weiss Faculty Scholar, Professor of Law at Penn State Dickinson Law We can’t predict how AI will transform society—but we can start preparing for every possible outcome. Join us as our keynote speaker, Prof. Martin Skladany explores adaptive AI laws: smart, flexible policies designed to activate only when real world benchmarks are met. Instead of regulating too early or too late, this approach lets lawmakers respond proactively to job shifts, inequality, education impacts, and more—while giving innovators clarity and room to grow. Real-world examples and policy precedents will illustrate how such laws can manage risks without stifling innovation. Come and discover why the future of AI may depend on laws that evolve as fast as the technology itself. |
1.00 General |
| 1:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. |
Short Break |
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| 1:15 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. |
AI, Legal Education, and the Practice of Law
This panel explores how artificial intelligence and human-centered design are reshaping both legal education and the practice of law. This panel of academics and professors discusses practical applications of emerging technologies, their impact on legal training and professional identity, and how innovation can be responsibly integrated into curricula and legal services. The conversation draws attention to aligning technological advancement with core legal values such as ethics, access to justice, and human judgment. |
1.50 General |
| 2:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. |
Short Break |
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| 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. |
Your Ethical, AI-Aided Law Practice - the 4Cs of AI Use
As artificial intelligence transforms the practice of law, attorneys are now grappling with real, day-to-day challenges and obligations when integrating generative AI tools into their work. This panel brings together experienced IP attorneys and AI experts to move beyond theory and share practical, firsthand accounts of how law firms are responsibly and ethically weaving AI into their actual workflows. Participants will dive into the nuts and bolts of internal AI use, focusing on the four pillars of responsible AI adoption—competence, confidentiality, consent, and candor—through real-world examples and scenarios:
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1.50 Ethics |
Speaker Bios
Mark Bartholomew is the Vice Dean for Research and Faculty Development at the University at Buffalo School of Law
BIO: Mark Bartholomew is the Vice Dean for Research and Faculty Development at the University at Buffalo School of Law. He writes and teaches in the areas of intellectual property and consumer protection law. Bartholomew received his B.A. from Cornell University and his J.D. from Yale Law School. After clerking on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, he practiced law, both as a litigator for a San Francisco law firm and as a deputy county counsel in Sonoma County, California. His latest book is Intellectual Property and the Brain: How Neuroscience Will Reshape Legal Protection for Creations of the Mind. The book explores the promise and pitfalls of using brain science to better understand creators and the audiences for their creations.
ABSTRACT: Although legal scholars have begun to explore the implications of neuroscientific research for criminal law, they have yet to assess the potential of such research for intellectual property law—a legal regime governing over one-third of the U.S. economy. In his talk, Prof. Bartholomew will explain how tools meant to improve our understanding of human behavior will inevitably shape this important legal field. Brain science touches on key questions in copyright, trademark, and patent law, potentially altering the balance of power between artists and copyists, businesses and consumers. For example, fMRI imaging can help pinpoint how viewers perceive the similarity of two trademarks or two songs, key questions for analysing trademark and copyright infringement. Neuroscience can offer much to improve our flawed system for regulating creative conduct and commercial communications. At the same time, it needs to be applied with careful attention to the reasons our system of intellectual property law exists in the first place. Describing recent scientific studies and using real-life examples of art, design, and advertising, Prof. Bartholomew will explore how lawyers and judges can best use brain science to unlock artistic innovation and promote consumer welfare.
Meet the Organizers
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Sarah is the co-founder and co-organizer of each of the installments of IP Day in Montana. She is a founding member and inaugural chair of the IPL Section of the State Bar of Montana. As part of her ongoing efforts and initiatives as past-chair, Sarah founded the Explorations Series featuring educational and professional development opportunities for Montana IP attorneys.
Now entering her 23rd year of IP practice in Montana, Sarah assists clients in securing and enforcing their intellectual property rights in the U.S. and international jurisdictions. Sarah counsels clients on developing strategies for protecting their IP assets and then represents them in patent, copyright, trademark, trade dress, trade secret and related matters. She is admitted to practice in the State Courts of Montana, the Federal Courts for the District of Montana, United States Tax Court, and is a Registered Patent Attorney. Sarah has served as counsel in trials and hearings in State and Federal Courts around the state, particularly serving as co-counsel with Michael Sherwood on many, varied criminal jury trials.
Sarah serves as Adjunct IP Professor at the Blewett School of Law and has presented a number of continuing legal education seminars over the years. IP Day in Montana is her firm’s central programming focus each year. Sarah would like to thank her paralegals Karen Fullerton and Caitlin Corson for their tireless efforts toward this event.
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The organizers wish to acknowledge the efforts of Prof. Cathay Smith as a founder and former co-organizer of IP Day in Montana.
Prof. Smith is currently serving as Professor and Co-Director of the Program in Intellectual Property Law at Chicago-Kent College of Law.
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Senior Technology Manager at Montana State University.
IP Day in Montana – Past Events
Each year, the organizers build educational programming featuring intellectual property. Past themes have included: IP for Start-Ups, Protecting Innovations in Business, and Ownership and Litigation of Ideas. In 2022, the IPL Section partnered with and hosted the event at Montana State University addressing topics on Agriculture & IP in Big Sky Country, particularly the Right to Repair. In 2024, the IPL Section and Blewett School of Law collaborated with the Montana State University and University of Montana Technology Transfer Offices to feature a day filled with University-inspired topics. In 2025, Professor Jorge Contreras presented on his book: The Genome Defense: Inside the Epic Legal Battle to Determine Who Owns Your DNA.
Check out books featured at past events:
- The Genome Defense: Inside the Epic Legal Battle to Determine Who Owns Your DNA by Jorge Conteras.
- The Branding of the American Mind: How Universities Capture, Manage, and Monetize Intellectual Property and Why It Matters by Jacob Rooksby
- The Right to Repair by Aaron Perzanowski
- You Don’t Own Me: How Mattel v. MGA Entertainment Exposed Barbie’s Dark Side by Orly Lobel
Parking
A parking permit or guest pass is required to park on the UM campus throughout the year, Monday - Friday, 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Daily parking passes for visitors to the University, available for $8.00, are sold online at the Parking Portal with Guest Account set up, at University Police, University Center Bookstore and Info Desk, the Treasury Office in the Lommasson Center, and the cashier’s window at Missoula College. More information, including a map of parking lots around campus and transportation alternatives, can be found at UM's Visitor Parking Page. View a map of the parking lot and law school entrances here. Parking Lot P is the closest lot to the law school.