Erin
Stender

“I want to make sure people are getting the protection they need for their ideas.”

Erin Stender had no need to experiment to find her career. The results were clear. Her dual science degrees led to intellectual property law. “I want to make sure people are getting the protection they need for their ideas,” Erin says. “I like problem-solving. I like being analytical. I want to use that to help inventors—scientists who put so much effort into their practice.”

 

As a registered patent agent, Erin prosecutes both utility and design patents in wide-ranging fields, including chemistry and agriculture.

 

Undergraduate degrees in chemistry and biology fed Erin’s problem-solving aptitude. “I’m good at problem-solving and being really analytical with that attention to detail,” Erin says.

 

Internships in both computational and analytical chemistry laboratories honed her skills. “I’ve seen how much effort goes into behind-the-scenes work,” she says. “I want to be able to use that in my own practice to help inventors who have put all this time and effort into these ideas.”  Representing inventors, Erin helps get ideas before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to help get protection for their work.

 

While her lab experiences gave her hands-on knowledge of how products are developed and refined, she wanted a more personal connection with inventors. An uncle, a patent attorney, had the ideal solution. “After talking with him about his job and what he does, I thought it sounded really interesting,” Erin says. “You still have the scientific aspects, but you’re joining that with the law in being able to connect with clients and help them protect their inventions.”

 

Client connections are key to Erin’s practice. “I want to be someone they can connect with and trust with their ideas,” she says. “I want to make them feel comfortable coming to me for advice and working through the process together.”

 

Besides lab experience, Erin also applies insights she gained from two very different professional endeavors: substitute teaching and a judicial internship.

 

As a long-term substitute teacher, Erin grew her ability and confidence as a public speaker. Plus, she learned to accommodate different learning styles. “I learned how to explain things in ways that make sense to a diverse group,” she says. “Each individual has a different learning style. You really have to understand how each student learns and be able to explain to them in a way that makes sense.”

 

The same principles apply when explaining an invention for a patent application or making an argument in a litigated dispute. “Some people are more visual, so you’re drawing diagrams to help them understand,” Erin says. “Some are good auditory learners so you need to walk them through a conversation of how something works. It’s helpful to be able to explain to a different demographic how things work or how this law works.”

 

As a judicial intern, Erin sat in on proceedings and saw the styles of different attorneys. She saw how they argued and how they drafted briefs. “It helps me understand what judges are looking for in a brief,” she says.

 

A native of the Des Moines area, Erin likes that her practice keeps her close to family. Outside the office, Erin runs to train for races and for enjoyment. Her high-energy Bernadoodle, Walter, often keeps her company.

 

In her practice, Erin keeps scientific principles in mind as she problem-solves for clients. “I like being able to analyze the factual situation, and then come up with multiple solutions,” she says. “I can go through the process of elimination to determine which solutions are going to be the best for this problem.”

Girls on the Run, coach

IP Moot Court

 

IP Law Society, president

 

Patent Drafting Competition

2023 International Intellectual Property Law Association (IIPLA) Conference, speaker

OVERVIEW

Erin Stender had no need to experiment to find her career. The results were clear. Her dual science degrees led to intellectual property law. “I want to make sure people are getting the protection they need for their ideas,” Erin says. “I like problem-solving. I like being analytical. I want to use that to help inventors—scientists who put so much effort into their practice.”

 

As a registered patent agent, Erin prosecutes both utility and design patents in wide-ranging fields, including chemistry and agriculture.

 

Undergraduate degrees in chemistry and biology fed Erin’s problem-solving aptitude. “I’m good at problem-solving and being really analytical with that attention to detail,” Erin says.

 

Internships in both computational and analytical chemistry laboratories honed her skills. “I’ve seen how much effort goes into behind-the-scenes work,” she says. “I want to be able to use that in my own practice to help inventors who have put all this time and effort into these ideas.”  Representing inventors, Erin helps get ideas before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to help get protection for their work.

 

While her lab experiences gave her hands-on knowledge of how products are developed and refined, she wanted a more personal connection with inventors. An uncle, a patent attorney, had the ideal solution. “After talking with him about his job and what he does, I thought it sounded really interesting,” Erin says. “You still have the scientific aspects, but you’re joining that with the law in being able to connect with clients and help them protect their inventions.”

 

Client connections are key to Erin’s practice. “I want to be someone they can connect with and trust with their ideas,” she says. “I want to make them feel comfortable coming to me for advice and working through the process together.”

 

Besides lab experience, Erin also applies insights she gained from two very different professional endeavors: substitute teaching and a judicial internship.

 

As a long-term substitute teacher, Erin grew her ability and confidence as a public speaker. Plus, she learned to accommodate different learning styles. “I learned how to explain things in ways that make sense to a diverse group,” she says. “Each individual has a different learning style. You really have to understand how each student learns and be able to explain to them in a way that makes sense.”

 

The same principles apply when explaining an invention for a patent application or making an argument in a litigated dispute. “Some people are more visual, so you’re drawing diagrams to help them understand,” Erin says. “Some are good auditory learners so you need to walk them through a conversation of how something works. It’s helpful to be able to explain to a different demographic how things work or how this law works.”

 

As a judicial intern, Erin sat in on proceedings and saw the styles of different attorneys. She saw how they argued and how they drafted briefs. “It helps me understand what judges are looking for in a brief,” she says.

 

A native of the Des Moines area, Erin likes that her practice keeps her close to family. Outside the office, Erin runs to train for races and for enjoyment. Her high-energy Bernadoodle, Walter, often keeps her company.

 

In her practice, Erin keeps scientific principles in mind as she problem-solves for clients. “I like being able to analyze the factual situation, and then come up with multiple solutions,” she says. “I can go through the process of elimination to determine which solutions are going to be the best for this problem.”

PROFESSIONAL & COMMUNITY AFFILIATIONS

Girls on the Run, coach

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS

IP Moot Court

 

IP Law Society, president

 

Patent Drafting Competition

SPEECHES & PUBLICATIONS

2023 International Intellectual Property Law Association (IIPLA) Conference, speaker