Women's Struggle to Become First Chair Trial Lawyers in Patent Cases: Lots of Talk but Little Progress

Analyzing data starting in 2010 and drawing from 26 years of personal experience as a First Chair patent litigator, Engelberg Center Fellow Patricia Martone explores the current state of women at the top of patent litigation.

The results are detailed, and disappointing. Martone exposes the lack of meaningful progress made between 2010 and 2019, leading to a persistent under representation of women among first chair trial litigators.

Pushing beyond the data, Martone presents information from interviews, published reports, media articles, and first-hand experience to explore the current state of the field, illuminate barriers to change, and suggest positive paths forward.

In addition to the paper itself, the 2010 and 2019 data is available for further research and analysis.