IP Day in ��ؿ�

Alexander Blewett III School of Law

Intellectual Property Law Section of the State Bar of ��ؿ� and the Blewett School of Law

Presents:

IP DAY IN MONTANA

Missoula, ��ؿ� | MARCH 27, 2026

IP Day 2026, ��ؿ�, Alexander Blewett III School of Law, All Things AI

Join us in Missoula on Friday, March 27, 2026 for our seventh installment of IP Day in ��ؿ�, taking place at the Blewett School of Law at the ��ؿ�.

This year’s IP Day in ��ؿ� 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 2026 IP Day in ��ؿ� will feature very special guest, Professor Martin Skladany who will offer insights on .

IP Day in ��ؿ� is the result of an ongoing partnership between the Blewett School of Law and the IPL Section of the ��ؿ� Bar.

The organizers and collaborators of IP Day in ��ؿ� are committed to continuing the mission of bringing free intellectual property education to students, businesses, and the ��ؿ� community. Therefore, if you register prior to March 16, 2026, this event is free to the general public, while legal professionals seeking CLE credit may pay $60.00 plus processing fees. Beginning on March 16, 2026, 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 ��ؿ� Schedule - Coming Soon

Speaker Bios

Martin Skladany, J.D., M.P.A. M.Phil. – Samuel Weiss Faculty Scholar, Professor of Law at PennState Dickinson Law

Martin Skladany is a professor of intellectual property, AI, law and international development, law and higher education, and health law. He is also a faculty affiliate with the Penn State University Center for Socially Responsible Artificial Intelligence.

Professor Skladany is the author of Copyright’s Arc (Cambridge University Press) and Big Copyright Versus the People: How Major Content Providers are Destroying Creativity and How to Stop Them (Cambridge University Press). In addition to publishing widely in peer-reviewed journals and law reviews, he has written for dozens of domestic and international newspapers and magazines.

Previously, as a copyright and litigation associate at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, he was a member of the legal team that represented the Association of American Publishers in the Google Books copyright suit.

Robert Hoffman – AI Scientist at Arlo Solutions

Rob Hoffman is a Senior Manager in AI-Enabled Learning and Project Innovation with more than 20 years of cross-sector leadership spanning government, academia, and private industry. Known for transforming complex challenges into scalable, future-ready solutions, he brings deep expertise in artificial intelligence, agile program delivery, instructional design, and strategic innovation. In his current role at Arlo Solutions, Rob leads enterprise-level initiatives at the intersection of emerging technology, adaptive learning, and workforce transformation. He oversees R&D programs, designs custom learning management systems (LMS), and develops large language model (LLM) integrations to drive mission-aligned training strategies across federal agencies. Rob’s leadership track record includes serving as a Chief Executive Officer, Digital Communications Manager, award-winning film and media producer, and public-sector strategist. He led statewide innovation teams, directed national product launches, and made history as the youngest Wing Commander in Civil Air Patrol. He co-developed the Valor Infinity role-playing game and Escape Da Box card game, and has contributed to emergency medicine education as faculty for the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and as an ACLS/BLS Program Administrator for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Rob is also a Disabled U.S. Army veteran. Academic Credentials • Doctoral Candidate, EdD in Higher Education Leadership • M.Ed. in Educational Leadership and Change • M-MBA in Information Technology • M-MBA in Leadership • B.A. in Criminal Justice with a concentration in Forensics Professional Certifications • Certified Artificial Intelligence Scientist • Certified Artificial Intelligence Management Professional • Certified SAFe 6.0 Agilist • Certified Change Management Expert • Certified Criminal Investigator (Financial & Forensic Specializations) Rob is passionate about building principled, human-centered AI solutions that bridge technology, education, policy, and design. His work focuses on enabling people to learn, lead, and adapt within rapidly evolving digital landscapes—empowering organizations and individuals to thrive through innovation.

Jacob H. Rooksby, J.D., Ph.D. - Smithmoore P. Myers Dean of Gonzaga University School of Law; Professor of Law

Jacob H. Rooksby is proud to be an academic, administrator, and attorney. Appointed Dean of Gonzaga Law School in 2018, Rooksby’s focus at Gonzaga has been on innovating the law school’s programming, facility, and operations and integrating the school further with the broader university and regional communities. A champion of diversity who established the first LGBTQ+ rights legal clinic at a Catholic law school in the country, Rooksby has worked to establish pay equity for faculty and provide equality of opportunity for students, faculty, and staff alike. He holds a joint appointment as a Professor of Law and Leadership Studies and has taught five different courses throughout his deanship.

Rooksby’s scholarship lies in two fields: IP law and higher education law. He published a book with Johns Hopkins University Press in 2016, The Branding of the American Mind: How Universities Capture, Manage, and Monetize Intellectual Property and Why It Matters. He also is co-author of the 6th edition of The Law of Higher Education, the leading treatise in the field. His edited book at the intersection of IP and higher education, Research Handbook on Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer, was published by Edward Elgar in 2020.

Rooksby enjoys a strong connection to the legal profession. He holds law licenses in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington and formerly practiced with McGuireWoods LLP and Dentons Cohen & Grigsby P.C., the latter while a full-time academic. He currently serves as IP Optimization Strategist for FIG. 1 Patents, PLLC, a boutique IP law firm based in Spokane, and is an elected member of the American Law Institute.

Rooksby earned his A.B., summa cum laude, in Hispanic Studies and Government from the College of William & Mary, where he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and spent his senior year living amidst costumed interpreters in Colonial Williamsburg. He holds J.D., M.Ed., and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Virginia and completed post-graduate training in higher education leadership and management in 2019 at Harvard University.

An avid enthusiast of the outdoors, Rooksby enjoys hiking, biking, and camping with his daughter throughout the Inland Northwest.

Meet the Organizers

Sarah is the co-founder and co-organizer of each of the installments of IP Day in ��ؿ�. She is a founding member and inaugural chair of the IPL Section of the State Bar of ��ؿ�. As part of her ongoing efforts and initiatives as past-chair, Sarah founded the Explorations Series featuring educational and professional development opportunities for ��ؿ� IP attorneys.

Now entering her 23rd year of IP practice in ��ؿ�, 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 ��ؿ�, the Federal Courts for the District of ��ؿ�, 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 ��ؿ� 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.
The organizers wish to acknowledge the efforts of Prof. Cathay Smith as a founder and former co-organizer of IP Day in ��ؿ�.
Prof. Smith is currently serving as Professor and Co-Director of the Program in Intellectual Property Law at Chicago-Kent College of Law.
Senior Technology Manager at ��ؿ� State University.

IP Day in ��ؿ� – 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 ��ؿ� 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 ��ؿ� State University and ��ؿ� 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:

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

Residence Inn by Marriott Missoula Downtown

Residence Inn by Marriott Missoula Downtown ($215/night)
125 North Pattee Street
Missoula, ��ؿ� 59802
(406) 542-6252

. (coming soon)

If this link is not working for you, please email us at ri.msori.sales@marriot.com with your reservation details. Hotel block rate available Thursday, March 26, 2026 - Saturday, March 28, 2026. Last day to book: 2/26/2026.

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 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.

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