For Practitioners Specializing in Intellectual Property Law 

Who We Are

The Judge Paul R. Michel Intellectual Property American Inn of Court is a professional community of distinguished intellectual property attorneys, judges, in-house counsel, academics, and law students in the Los Angeles area. We are a chapter of the American Inns of Court, a national movement dedicated to improving skills, professionalism, and legal ethics in the practice of law. Chartered in January 2008 as the Los Angeles Intellectual Property American Inn of Court, we are one of only a small number of Inns nationwide devoted specifically to intellectual property law. In 2024, the Inn was renamed in honor of Judge Paul R. Michel, former Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

What We Do

The Inn meets monthly in Los Angeles. In keeping with the tradition of the British Inns on which our movement is modeled, each meeting begins with food and drink, giving members time to connect and converse before the evening’s program. Programs are planned by our pupillage teams, which are small groups that bring together senior practitioners, judges, newer attorneys, and students, or by the Inn’s Board of Directors. Presentations are designed to provoke thought and discussion on current issues in intellectual property law, from patent litigation to trademark, copyright, and trade secret practice. Through these gatherings, members build genuine mentoring relationships and lasting professional connections between the bench and the bar.

Membership

Membership in the Michel Inn is by nomination. The Inn is intentionally kept small and selective, which preserves the candor, collegiality, and quality of exchange that define our meetings. Our members include leading IP litigators and prosecutors, members of the federal and state bench, prominent in-house counsel, and rising practitioners identified by their mentors as future leaders of the IP bar.

Members enjoy what few other professional organizations can offer: regular, candid exchange with judges and preeminent IP attorneys in an intimate setting, structured mentoring through pupilage teams, CLE credit for our programs, and a community that takes professionalism and civility as seriously as it takes substantive excellence.

Interested In Joining?

If you believe the Michel Inn may be a fit for you, we encourage you to reach out directly to a member of our Board to introduce yourself and request consideration for nomination.