UDSL 2L student Ashley Krenelka is spending her summer learning (and taking part an active part in) the many faces of corporate law through an externship with the Huffy Corporation.
Where are you externing?
I am externing at Huffy Corporation in Miamisburg, Ohio.
Why did you decide to pursue this particular externship opportunity?
Because I had worked in a law firm, previously, I wanted a different experience for my externship. Corporate law really appealed to me because of the variety of types of law that are practiced. After my initial meeting with my field supervisor, I knew that Huffy would be ideal because they deal not only with typical corporate law, but also with products liability and trademarks (an area that I am particularly interested in, being in the IP/Tech track).
What is a typical day at your externship like for you?
My day always begins with going over emails. Because my field supervisor and the risk management specialist at Huffy both work later in the evenings, I usually have tasks that have been emailed to me from the evening before. If I have any questions about the tasks I’ve been assigned, I schedule meetings to ask those questions, but otherwise I get started on anything that’s been assigned to me. I keep pretty much to myself during the hours I’m at my externship. I have my own office where I keep the files that I am working on (which are, typically, files with license agreements, leases, or other contracts in them, not case files like you would see at a firm) and the majority of my work is done in my office. I attend an intellectual property teleconference with outside counsel once a week where the trademarks and patents held by Huffy and its subsidiaries are discussed.
What are you learning?
I am learning A LOT about corporate organization and what goes into mergers and acquisitions when you work for a relatively large company. I am learning a lot about trademark registration, both in the United States and around the world, and the differences between the two systems. I have also gained some practical experience dealing with bankruptcy law and products liability, particularly how long the cases can drag on for.
What aspect of the externship has been the most beneficial to your law education?
For me, the IP experience I’m getting is definitely the most beneficial. As a rising 2L, I have only taken the IP survey course (“the bus tour of IP, not the walking tour” according to Professor Lech). Getting to see the nitty gritty side of trademark law and what it takes, daily, to create, use, continue using, and terminating trademarks has been very interesting, particularly given the vast differences between the United States, European, and Asian systems of monitoring marks.
How has the externship experience impacted your future career plans?
This externship has solidified my thoughts that I not only want to be an IP (trademark/copyright) attorney, but that I want to practice in a corporate environment. I find the variety of work fun and fascinating and I am never bored, and it keeps me interested and eager to come to work every day. Jumping from a bankruptcy matter to a merger to a trademark licensing dispute all in one day can be overwhelming, but its very rewarding to know that I am gaining knowledge in so many areas that I can, hopefully, use in the future.