PENN STATE DICKINSON LAW COHORT ATTENDS PENN STATE FORUM ON CAPITOL HILL
October 2023 — The inaugural Penn State Forum on Capitol Hill took place on October 24 and 25, 2023. Provost Justin Schwartz, Dean Danielle Conway, Associate Dean Daryl Lim, Professor Sara Gerke, Professor Andrea Matwyshyn, Kelly Rimmer, Robin Langhans, and Brett Conway participated as members of the Penn State community.
The Forum provides an opportunity for leaders from across the three branches of the U.S. federal government to engage stakeholders on issues of central importance to the Nation’s security and competitiveness, inclusive innovation, drug pricing and environmental sustainability, and stakeholder collaboration as they relate to intellectual property and innovation law and policy. Its closed-door, off-the-record, invitation-only format allows stakeholders to frankly exchange ideas in a way that is normally not possible.
Invitees are a balanced representation of experts and stakeholders with diverse affiliations and viewpoints. Members of Congress and their staff participated over the two days. The Forum consists of roundtables, each covering one topic area. For each topic area, there will be brief remarks presented by several principal discussants who are subject matter experts from academia, government, industry, practice, or civil society, followed by a discussion by all participants. The purpose is not to stake out positions but to examine the current situation and what improvements might be possible now or in the future. This format highlights what is known, moves the debate beyond the rhetoric at typical conferences and seeks solutions to systemic challenges.