Professor Townsend-Gard's Blog

I'm speaking at Arizona on the Proposed Google Book Settlement later this month. Here is the advertisement: http://www.law.arizona.edu/emailapp/googlebookspanel2009.cfm

I gave a faculty presentation on Friday on my current research in Copyright Law. So many people came to listen and offer suggestions. The faculty here is like no other--fun, smart, kind, and so incredibly supportive. I feel very lucky to be part of this institution. Then, on Saturday, one of my IP Fellows (a recently graduated student) and a 3L student came to my house for our weekly working session on the software we are developing. Again, I felt the same way as I did on Friday-- The Students here are like no other--fun, smart, kind, and so incredibly willing to play. We had a great session and may have solved one of our last big research questions needed in completing Phase One of the Durationator (tm). So we are very excited.

Perfect.

This weekend was Halloween, and I had the pleasure of not only spending the holiday--which is amazing here in New Orleans--with my family, but also with a 1L student and his family (girlfriend and brother in from out of town). Halloween here is AMAZING, and our experiences this year did not disappoint. First, we, of course, decorated the house with lots of lights, carved pumpkins and scary things. And of course, there were many pre-Halloween activities here--for all ages. Then, the night began with the neighbors out--not just in our area, but everywhere it seemed--from the little ones to the college kids. It is as if all of New Orleans opens its doors and welcomes everyone to play. We played in two venues, with our 1L group going on to the French Quarter. First, trick-or-treating on our block, which turned out to have its own impromptu party of all ages, but dominated by the very small. Even our daughter seemed to tower over many of the princesses and various cute things that kept arriving. But it wasn't just the candy and the move from house-to-house. People--some one knew and others one just had met--stopped and talked, as the children ran around, playing and making new friends. That was the first part of the evening. The second was our stop at Octavia--one of many streets in New Orleans that has a great time with Halloween. Each house has candy, of course, but for the children and often yummy drinks or food for the adults as well. (One house ran out of candy, but not wine.) The houses are all decorated, and many have parties going on in each. Professor Tetlow, from the first year we got her, had introduced us to her friends at one house, and so each year this has become a stop for us. There is something quite special about being welcomed into someone's home to stop and chat, eat and drink for a while, before moving on. Then, the 1L crowd--who had joined us to this point--meeting new friends too and connecting with people they already knew--parted. They went to the French Quarter, where they reported that everyone they saw had a costume on (we all had costumes throughout the evening, of course--ours being a Vampire Family, and they being a Knight/Princess and Sailor). They also reported having a wonderful time. We went on to a party ourselves, or so we thought. The directions to the party were, "House on the Corner, with lots of orange lights and big spiders." It turns out that at least five houses had that description--it's New Orleans at Halloween! Lots of Orange light and big spiders were NOT an identifying feature. We thought that was really funny, and so we were ready to call it a night. So, once again Halloween comes to New Orleans. It's like nothing I've ever experienced, and is one more element that makes this place really wonderful and special.

The faculty has approved the formation of the IPLC! Very exciting. We have been doing so many activities--the speaker series, the WIP IP colloquium, the Usable Past Project, ELLA, the great guests that the Entertainment Law and Arts Society brought in, the amazing work the IP journal is doing...I'm sure I'm leaving out so much. So, we now have an umbrella organization. Not much will change. We just have branding now. Again, very exciting, as I think it will put on display all of the hard work we are doing at Tulane in the field of IP.

This is the time for new admits to be making decisions. I thought I would write a quick post. I've had conversations with a couple of pre-students trying to make decisions. Well, I've been here now nearly two academic years. My love and pride in TLS has only grown. I knew it was a well respected school, but I did not know how unique and wonderful it would be. Our Speakers this Spring have seemed to notice what I too have found--smart, kind, interesting students. One Speaker commented, "Yes, I too find a class that is really smart." I responded--our classes are always like this. Smart, in a way that is not necessarily intimidating or mean. Law schools are known for mean tricks, mean students, and mean law professors. Here--we seem to take a different tactic. Kindness, community, hard work, and lots of interesting cultural events around the city (not just Mardi Gras). I find the students self-motivated and willing to add their own creativity and hard work to projects I assign, particularly as research assistants. The city itself--wonderful, beautiful, fun, and obviously tasty (food-wise). The weather, for the most part, is perfect. The summers can get a little bad--but that is true for most of the country, and I actually haven't found them too bad at all--just a little bit hot, but nothing compared to parts of Los Angeles in the summer or Tucson! The program: we just have such an interesting curriculum--the common law and civil law traditions. I do not teach any of the civil law courses, but I know that I am stronger and more aware in my own work because I am aware of the two major legal traditions around the world, and not just an anglo-centric view. We live in such a global world, I have to think that this has to be the trend--I know in intellectual property we cannot do much without bumping into treaties and traditions of other countries. The Internet has made us global. So, if you are reading this and still are not sure where to go, I am happy to email or speak to you. This is a great place--a national school that provides tremendous opportunities while here and in the future. When I was on the job market as a law professor--now nearly three years ago--Tulane was my first choice from the beginning. That opinion has not changed, particularly as I visit other institutions (I just came back from Boston College last night). And why? I sensed from the first interview all of the elements this post has described--from the faculty side. For me, it was the smart, kind, warm and intellectually brilliant colleagues. I did not realise at the time that that the same could be said of the students. So, if you have been accepted to TLS-congrats! That means you fit into this amazing world of kindness, smartness, and brilliance. We are a community in the best sense of the world. If you choose to spend three years here, I think you would find your life enriched in ways you waould never have dreamed. At least, I have.

Just got back from this one-day event. Really interesting materials. While we were at the conference the Golan decision from remand came back--and the court struck down 104A -- at least for reliance parties!! Amazing. I must get back to my 104A paper. Such busy times. But exciting! We will see what happens next.