Interview​ ​Assessment​ ​#3

Shloka​ ​Ramshankar
Question​ ​List​ ​and​ ​Notes​ ​on​ ​following​ ​pages
Name​ ​of​ ​Person​ ​Interviewed:​​ ​Ms.​ ​Molly​ ​Richard
Profession:​ ​Trademark​ ​Attorney
Location​ ​and​ ​Business​ ​Name:​ ​Richard​ ​Law​ ​Group
​ ​ ​ ​ ​8411​ ​Preston​ ​Road
​ ​ ​ ​ ​Suite​ ​890
​ ​ ​ ​ ​Dallas,​ ​TX​ ​75225
Date​ ​of​ ​Interview:​ ​October​ ​27,​ ​2017
Time:​ ​5:00​ ​PM​ ​-​ ​6:​ ​30​ ​PM
Last​ ​Friday,​ ​I​ ​experienced​ ​one​ ​of​ ​my​ ​favorite​ ​interviews​ ​so​ ​far​ ​with​ ​Ms.​ ​Richard.​ ​Richard
Law​ ​group​ ​was​ ​quite​ ​a​ ​drive​ ​to​ ​downtown​ ​Dallas,​ ​but​ ​the​ ​travel​ ​was​ ​ultimately​ ​worth​ ​it.​ ​The
suite​ ​was​ ​located​ ​in​ ​a​ ​tall,​ ​eight​ ​story​ ​building,​ ​complete​ ​with​ ​elaborate​ ​gold​ ​interior​ ​design​ ​and
dainty​ ​piano​ ​music​ ​playing​ ​in​ ​the​ ​background.​ ​Upon​ ​entering​ ​the​ ​office,​ ​I​ ​introduced​ ​myself​ ​to
the​ ​receptionist​ ​and​ ​she​ ​escorted​ ​me​ ​to​ ​a​ ​meeting​ ​room​ ​with​ ​a​ ​wonderful​ ​view​ ​of​ ​the​ ​city​ ​scape
below.​ ​Ms.​ ​Richard​ ​soon​ ​entered​ ​the​ ​room​ ​and​ ​after​ ​exchanging​ ​greetings,​ ​we​ ​began
conversation.
Perhaps​ ​most​ ​defining​ ​of​ ​Ms.​ ​Richard​ ​was​ ​her​ ​passion​ ​for​ ​trademark​ ​practice.​ ​She
immediately​ ​began​ ​describing​ ​how​ ​the​ ​field​ ​allows​ ​her​ ​to​ ​learn​ ​about​ ​a​ ​variety​ ​of​ ​industries​ ​and
the​ ​differences​ ​in​ ​every​ ​client.​ ​Some​ ​words​ ​Ms.​ ​Richard​ ​used​ ​to​ ​describe​ ​trademark​ ​practice
include​ ​“fresh”​ ​and​ ​“ever​ ​changing”,​ ​qualities​ ​I​ ​had​ ​not​ ​expected​ ​of​ ​said​ ​area.​ ​In​ ​fact,​ ​Ms.
Richard​ ​even​ ​explained​ ​how​ ​she​ ​had​ ​developed​ ​a​ ​diplomatic​ ​and​ ​business​ ​approach​ ​to
interacting​ ​with​ ​clients​ ​over​ ​the​ ​years​ ​as​ ​well.​ ​Though​ ​she​ ​directly​ ​stated​ ​it​ ​as​ ​well,​ ​I​ ​could​ ​sense
that​ ​Ms.​ ​Richard​ ​truly​ ​enjoyed​ ​working​ ​in​ ​trademark​ ​law.
At​ ​the​ ​beginning​ ​of​ ​our​ ​conversation,​ ​Ms.​ ​Richard​ ​told​ ​me​ ​her​ ​background​ ​in​ ​family​ ​and
criminal​ ​law​ ​firms,​ ​after​ ​she​ ​graduated​ ​from​ ​law​ ​school.​ ​Only​ ​after​ ​working​ ​on​ ​a​ ​trade
infringement​ ​case​ ​was​ ​she​ ​exposed​ ​to​ ​intellectual​ ​property​ ​law​ ​at​ ​all.​ ​Apparently,​ ​only​ ​two​ ​major
firms​ ​practiced​ ​IP​ ​law​ ​in​ ​Dallas​ ​and​ ​the​ ​trademark​ ​field​ ​was​ ​even​ ​smaller.​ ​Ms.​ ​Richard​ ​explained
how​ ​the​ ​requirement​ ​of​ ​a​ ​technical​ ​or​ ​science​ ​degree​ ​to​ ​practice​ ​trademark​ ​law​ ​was​ ​an​ ​immense
obstacle​ ​to​ ​those​ ​wanting​ ​to​ ​enter​ ​the​ ​field​ ​back​ ​in​ ​the​ ​day.​ ​However,​ ​this​ ​necessity​ ​has​ ​since
been​ ​repealed​ ​and​ ​aspiring​ ​intellectual​ ​property​ ​lawyers​ ​can​ ​receive​ ​an​ ​undergraduate​ ​degree​ ​in
practically​ ​anything.
After​ ​hearing​ ​some​ ​background​ ​information,​ ​I​ ​then​ ​began​ ​asking​ ​Ms.​ ​Richard​ ​more
technical​ ​questions​ ​regarding​ ​trademark​ ​law.​ ​She​ ​first​ ​described​ ​the​ ​“spectrum​ ​of
distinctiveness”​ ​that​ ​attorneys​ ​use​ ​to​ ​identify​ ​the​ ​uniqueness​ ​of​ ​a​ ​particular​ ​trademark.​ ​Next,​ ​she
conveyed​ ​how​ ​her​ ​firm​ ​subscribes​ ​to​ ​specific​ ​databases​ ​in​ ​order​ ​to​ ​help​ ​with​ ​research​ ​and
general​ ​search​ ​of​ ​trademarks.​ ​Additionally,​ ​she​ ​relayed​ ​how​ ​the​ ​distinction​ ​of​ ​trademarks​ ​truly
depends​ ​on​ ​the​ ​comparisons​ ​of​ ​similarities​ ​between​ ​goods​ ​and​ ​services,​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​the​ ​likelihood
of​ ​consumer​ ​confusion.​ ​Furthermore,​ ​Ms.​ ​Richard​ ​described​ ​how​ ​the​ ​internet​ ​and​ ​social​ ​media
have​ ​been​ ​both​ ​a​ ​“blessing​ ​and​ ​a​ ​curse”,​ ​in​ ​that​ ​research​ ​is​ ​faster​ ​but​ ​the​ ​amount​ ​of​ ​information
online​ ​can​ ​be​ ​overwhelming​ ​at​ ​times.
Finally,​ ​Ms.​ ​Richard​ ​was​ ​kind​ ​enough​ ​to​ ​provide​ ​me​ ​with​ ​her​ ​own​ ​advice.​ ​Her​ ​primary
message​ ​was​ ​to​ ​get​ ​good​ ​grades,​ ​as​ ​schooling​ ​becomes​ ​increasingly​ ​difficult​ ​over​ ​the​ ​years.
After​ ​that​ ​thought,​ ​she​ ​decided​ ​to​ ​call​ ​another​ ​principal​ ​attorney​ ​to​ ​join​ ​in​ ​on​ ​our​ ​conversation.
After​ ​the​ ​other​ ​attorney​ ​arrived,​ ​we​ ​all​ ​discussed​ ​how​ ​small​ ​(but​ ​high​ ​quality)​ ​colleges​ ​allow​ ​for
more​ ​personal​ ​interaction​ ​with​ ​the​ ​professors​ ​and​ ​better​ ​recommendations​ ​for​ ​law​ ​school​ ​in​ ​the
long​ ​run.​ ​Additionally,​ ​we​ ​talked​ ​about​ ​how​ ​Silicon​ ​Valley​ ​is​ ​a​ ​hotbed​ ​for​ ​intellectual​ ​property
law​ ​and​ ​I​ ​conveyed​ ​my​ ​considerations​ ​of​ ​going​ ​to​ ​California​ ​for​ ​both​ ​my​ ​undergraduate​ ​and​ ​law
school​ ​years.
As​ ​I​ ​mentioned​ ​before,​ ​this​ ​was​ ​my​ ​favorite​ ​interview​ ​thus​ ​far.​ ​Ms.​ ​Richard’s​ ​passion
and​ ​welcoming​ ​personality​ ​really​ ​allowed​ ​me​ ​to​ ​experience​ ​a​ ​wholesome​ ​interview.​ ​She​ ​really
opened​ ​my​ ​eyes​ ​to​ ​trademark​ ​practice,​ ​and​ ​I​ ​had​ ​not​ ​considered​ ​this​ ​field​ ​of​ ​intellectual​ ​property
law​ ​before​ ​meeting​ ​with​ ​her.​ ​Ultimately,​ ​ ​I​ ​learned​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​about​ ​trademark​ ​practice​ ​and​ ​had​ ​a
beneficial​ ​conversation​ ​with​ ​Ms.​ ​Richard.
Questions​ ​and​ ​Notes:

1) How​ ​did​ ​you​ ​become​ ​interested​ ​in​ ​trademark​ ​law?

a) Worked​ ​in​ ​family​ ​law,​ ​criminal​ ​law
b) Trade​ ​infringement​ ​case​ ​opened​ ​eyes​ ​to​ ​IP
c) Very​ ​few​ ​individuals​ ​involved​ ​in​ ​IP​ ​back​ ​in​ ​the​ ​day
2) Were​ ​there​ ​any​ ​particular​ ​courses​ ​you​ ​found​ ​beneficial​ ​to​ ​your​ ​current​ ​practice?
a) Not​ ​necessarily,​ ​these​ ​days​ ​you​ ​can​ ​get​ ​undergrad.​ ​degree​ ​in​ ​anything
b) Used​ ​to​ ​be​ ​requirement​ ​of​ ​technical​ ​degree​ ​to​ ​practice​ ​trademarks
3) How​ ​did​ ​you​ ​get​ ​involved​ ​in​ ​Women’s​ ​Business​ ​Enterprise?
a) Travelled​ ​to​ ​San​ ​Diego,​ ​met​ ​a​ ​head​ ​of​ ​the​ ​organization
b) Advised​ ​that​ ​she​ ​apply​ ​for​ ​Richard​ ​Law​ ​Group​ ​to​ ​be​ ​listed​ ​as​ ​a​ ​WBE
4) What​ ​differentiates​ ​a​ ​“strong”​ ​trademark​ ​from​ ​others?
a) Spectrum​ ​of​ ​distinctiveness:​ ​generic,​ ​descriptive,​ ​suggestive,​ ​arbitrary​ ​classes
b) Business​ ​usually​ ​want​ ​lower​ ​classes​ ​to​ ​appeal​ ​to​ ​more​ ​of​ ​general​ ​public
5) Do​ ​you​ ​use​ ​databases​ ​to​ ​assess​ ​strength​ ​of​ ​marks​ ​during​ ​your​ ​searches?
a) Yes,​ ​subscribe​ ​to​ ​databases,​ ​also​ ​order​ ​some
b) Databases​ ​allow​ ​cases​ ​to​ ​be​ ​tagged/identified​ ​easier
c) PTO​ ​class​ ​system,​ ​acceptable​ ​identification​ ​manual
6) *More​ ​information​ ​about​ ​assessing​ ​strength​ ​of​ ​trademarks:
a) Comparison​ ​of​ ​marks​ ​regarding​ ​similarities​ ​in​ ​goods/services
b) Identify​ ​the​ ​likelihood​ ​of​ ​consumer​ ​confusion
7) How​ ​often​ ​do​ ​you​ ​go​ ​to​ ​court​ ​for​ ​litigation?
a) Not​ ​often
8) Do​ ​you​ ​have​ ​experience​ ​defending​ ​against​ ​IP​ ​trolls?
a) Experience​ ​against​ ​“copyright​ ​trolls”,​ ​if​ ​anything
9) Have​ ​you​ ​filed​ ​before​ ​the​ ​international​ ​trade​ ​commission
a) *Answered​ ​in​ ​the​ ​midst​ ​of​ ​another​ ​question,​ ​actually
10) How​ ​did​ ​the​ ​initial​ ​years​ ​of​ ​practice​ ​differ​ ​from​ ​later​ ​on?
a) More​ ​women​ ​in​ ​trademark​ ​law
b) Trademark​ ​law​ ​is​ ​a​ ​booming​ ​field,​ ​has​ ​remained​ ​consistent​ ​unlike​ ​other​ ​practices
of​ ​law​ ​(e.g.​ ​banking,​ ​real​ ​estate)
11) How​ ​do​ ​you​ ​see​ ​artificial​ ​intelligence​ ​affecting​ ​trademark​ ​practice​ ​in​ ​the​ ​future?
a) Probably​ ​going​ ​to​ ​streamline​ ​research
b) May​ ​cut​ ​down​ ​on​ ​labor​ ​costs/need​ ​for​ ​research​ ​assistants

● Additional​ ​Discussion:
○ Global​ ​internet​ ​access​ ​and​ ​effects​ ​on​ ​law​ ​(efficient​ ​research,​ ​meeting​ ​with​ ​clients
via​ ​Skype​ ​and​ ​internet,​ ​ability​ ​of​ ​anyone​ ​in​ ​world​ ​to​ ​disrupt​ ​a​ ​trademark​ ​search)
○ College​ ​considerations:​ ​East​ ​Coast​ ​vs.​ ​West​ ​Coast
○ Technology’s​ ​impact​ ​on​ ​trademark​ ​law​ ​in​ ​general