[New Episode: Penn State Dickinson Law Profiles in Leadership — Gabrielle M. Buckley]

In this episode, I spoke with Gabrielle Buckley, Director of the Gannon Center for Women and Leadership at Loyola University Chicago. An international attorney, civic leader, and tireless advocate for women’s empowerment, Gabrielle shares her extraordinary journey.

Drawing from her formative experiences at MUNDELEIN COLLEGE, her immersion in Japanese culture, and her decades-long legal career, Gabrielle offers a powerful reflection on how law, diplomacy, and service converge in leadership. We discuss the enduring importance of single-sex education, mentorship, and intergenerational community, as well as the challenges and opportunities of shaping inclusive leadership programs for women.

Gabrielle’s story is a compelling reminder that leadership isn’t about title or volume. It’s about clarity of purpose, consistency in values, and the courage to create change.

Watch the full conversation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFHrxUpyq6Y

Full episode list: https://dickinsonlaw.psu.edu/profiles-leadership

#Leadership #WomensLeadership #InternationalLaw #HigherEd #DickinsonLaw #ProfilesInLeadership #Mentorship #Inclusion #PurposeDriven

Great to get to know the Studio Briefings team and their colleagues at the Practising Law Institute (PLI) during a recent visit to moderate a panel discussion featuring IP developments and institutions in Canada.

Mesmin Pierre, Director General, Canadian Intellectual Property Office / Office de la propriété intellectuelle du Canada

Anthony Prenol, Partner, CPST Intellectual Property

Chelsea Nimmo, Partner, Bennett Jones

Stephanie Vaccari, Partner, Baker McKenzie

Richard Gold, James McGill Professor of Law, McGill University – Faculty of Law

Catherine Lovrics, Partner, Marks & Clerk

Topics spanned trademark and copyright reforms, patent examination trends, regulatory modernization, litigation tactics, international IP frameworks, and the growing policy dimensions of innovation governance. We closed with a fast-paced lightning round offering practical tips, surprising insights, and a glimpse at what’s next for IP in Canada.

[New Episode – Profiles in Leadership: Kate Hudson]

Delighted to speak with Kate Hudson, MA, JD, MPAP, Deputy Vice President and Counsel for Government Relations and Public Policy at the Association of American Universities (AAU). Our conversation is a reminder that leadership isn’t just about credentials. It’s also about courage, conviction, and the capacity to serve others.

Kate’s path spans public defense, federal litigation, national policy, and parenting as a military spouse. She has led on privacy, intellectual property, and export controls, and now advocates on behalf of leading research universities on some of the most pressing issues of our time.

What we talked about:

– Growing up in the Midwest and discovering a calling in public service at age 16

– Navigating life as an Army spouse

– Practicing public interest law in rural Georgia and launching a solo firm in North Carolina

– The emotional toll and moral clarity of public defense

– Joining the federal government and the OPM cyberbreach

– Leading national IP and higher ed policy at AAU, including AAU’s recent lawsuit against federal agencies over research funding caps

– Parenting a teenager on the autism spectrum and embracing vulnerability as strength

– Championing servant leadership by leading from behind and uplifting others

Kate’s journey is one of purpose, resilience, and servant leadership — a masterclass in how diverse experiences can converge to create a life of public impact.

Watch our full conversation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9z2XrTc3Q4

#Leadership #ProfilesInLeadership #HigherEd #IPLaw #PublicService #AutismAwareness #WomenInLaw #ServantLeadership #InnovationPolicy #MilitarySpouse #PublicPolicy

[Who owns your thoughts? The Debrief Interview]

I had the opportunity to share some legal and ethical reflections in The Debrief’s excellent feature on brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) and Neuralink’s first human subject, Noland Arbaugh.

Reporter Chrissy Newton explores the implications of this emerging technology, from identity and autonomy to data ownership and regulatory gaps. Delighted to be featured alongside cognitive neuroscientist Julia Mossbridge, PhD, biomedical engineering professor Tom Chau, and primary care doctor Daniel Weaver.

Neural data exhibits properties of both biometric and medical data, but it also goes beyond them. Like biometric data, it can uniquely identify individuals. Like medical data, it may reveal sensitive information about mental health or neurological conditions. Neural data is also more intimate. It can reflect thoughts, intentions, emotions, or cognitive states. These are dimensions of personhood that existing legal categories do not fully capture.

It may be necessary to establish a new legal category specifically for neural data, one that integrates not only privacy and data protection norms, but also deeper concerns about mental autonomy, cognitive liberty, and freedom of thought. As neurotechnology advances, our legal frameworks must evolve in step. That means interdisciplinary, coordinated governance, beyond what any single agency can provide.

https://thedebrief.org/noland-arbaugh-neuralinks-first-brain-interface-recipient-reflects-on-neurotechnology-ethics-and-identity/

Penn State Dickinson Law