The IP field historically has been void of women of color since its insurgence – its not just the language of IP that needs to be challenged but the system needs to be fully redefined

This lack of data is problematic given that empirical information is critical to develop successful strategies to attract, hire, retain, and promote women of color in the practice areas that involve copyright, patent, trademark, and related fields like privacy, technology, and innovation law. While IP attorneys can, of course, face similar racial or gender biases in their careers, there are distinctions between the experiences of women of color and their white and/or male counterparts. Women of color face a double dose of both race and gender bias in the workplace, which can impact them in ways that men of color or white women do not face.

This intersectionality conundrum makes the experiences of women of color unique and necessitates a unique strategy to diversify the IP field across all related disciplines. Given this reality, diversity and inclusion efforts cannot exist in a one-size-fits-all type of vacuum. According to Dr. Arin Reeves, an expert on gender biases, diversity and inclusion efforts affect the majority of the people in that specific category. Under such logic, “minority” efforts largely benefit minority men, and women-specific strategies largely benefit white women. It is no wonder that women of color have statistically lagged behind their colleagues in terms of representation. Given this reality, quantitative data about women of color would provide better foundational context to tackle the issues revolving specifically around diversity and inclusion efforts for this uniquely situated group.