Delighted to sit down with Derrick Brent to hear his insights on life and leadership for the first episode of Penn State Dickinson Law‘s Profiles in Leadership series, now in its second season. You can catch episodes from our first season here: https://dickinsonlaw.psu.edu/profiles-leadership.

Deputy Director Brent is the Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Deputy Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

The USPTO is one of the world’s largest intellectual property (IP) offices, with over 13,000 employees and an annual budget of over $4 billion. Deputy Director Brent’s career includes vast public service and private sector work, including significant experience in IP law and work to assist startups and those who are underrepresented. He has served in all three branches of the federal government: executive, legislative, and judicial.

Highlights below.

1:16:– Current priorities and interests.

3:31:– The value of personal outreach.

6:33:– On Penn State.

8:32:– The value of a Northwestern education.

11:56:– Clerking for Hon. Algenon L. Marbley, Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.

16:40:– Chief Counsel for Senator Barbara Boxer and Senior Trial Attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division.

20:49:– Forging consensus.

26:22:– Selecting judicial nominees.

30:01:– On both sides of the America Invents Act (AIA).

34:20:– Subordinates and superiors.

38:18:– Finding balance.

41:43:– “More to do; better to do.”