Thursday, April 16, 2026 - 5:00pm • Lubar Center

Please join us for 2026 Nies Lecture in Intellectual Property. 

The Hidden Curriculum: Promoting Inclusion in Invention and Innovation presented by Colleen Chien, professor of law and co-director of the Center for Law and & Technology, University of California, Berkeley.

• Thursday, April 16, 2026 
• 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. followed by a reception  
• Eckstein Hall | Lubar Center

The event is complimentary, but registration is required HERE. 

Although talent is broadly distributed across the population, achievement in invention, innovation, and intellectual property is concentrated. What enables some to advance, beyond their peers, at companies, law firms, and law schools? This lecture will discuss evidence of the presence of a hidden curriculum in invention, innovation, and intellectual property, meaning the exposure, insights, know-how, and practices that have helped unlock potential both in intellectual property and in innovation careers. It will share ongoing work that aims to uncover this curriculum and describe the benefits of discussing it more broadly. 

This annual lecture remembers the Honorable Helen Wilson Nies, who served as a judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit from 1982 until 1996 (chief judge 1990 –1994).

Contact: Christine Wilczynski-Vogel, Associate Dean for External Relations