AIPLA: Overcoming COVID-19 challenges

American Intellectual Property Law Association president Joseph Re outlines how the association adapted, learned, and thrived despite challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Few of us could have imagined we would still be apart more than a year after our in-person meetings came to a sudden halt because of the COVID-19 outbreak. When the pandemic evolved into a tangible threat around the world, the safety of our members and our staff became paramount.

Like most of you, we had to immediately cease in-person operations to protect everyone involved with the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA). However, although we were not physically together, our operations continued, and our community stayed together.

Pivoting to online programming exclusively was one of the most visible ways AIPLA adapted to the new virtual environment. We had the infrastructure in place through our well-established online programmes, but it became like an extreme sport.