Six years ago, MSL student Javier Jara was having trouble explaining to his colleagues why he had enrolled in the MSL – after all, he was a research professor at Feinberg with a PhD in pharmacology who was well-ensconced in an academic career. Javier proposed an event at which MSL students would present the work they do in the program as a way of explaining the substance and purpose of this relatively new law degree. One thing led to another and the MSL Symposium was born.

Since then, MSL’s annual Symposium has become a capstone event that gives students the opportunity to share their interdisciplinary work and insights and allows the public (including colleagues, friends, and families) to better understand why scientists and engineers choose to pursue a law degree.

The Symposium has seen many iterations, including a few completely online versions during the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s offering added a new twist – in addition to student presentations, the 2024 annual Symposium featured presentations from alumni showing how they have used the MSL’s unique training in the marketplace.

“These alumni are out in the world taking on work that is similar to the topics current students are presenting about,” said MSL Program Director Leslie Oster. “Including alumni is the perfect way for current students to see how graduates are putting their degrees to use.”

The idea to incorporate alumni into the Symposium came from 2023 MSL graduate Victoria Forte. Victoria – who came into the program with an MBA degree – was inspired by the classes she took in her last term of the program, and she continued her research on the topic of intellectual property valuation after she graduated. She approached the program and asked if she could present at the Symposium as an alum.

“Presenting was important to me because I wanted to demonstrate the value the MSL curriculum could bring to an experienced business professional who had already earned an MBA degree,” Forte said.

Forte’s presentation highlighted the real-world challenges businesses face in identifying and quantifying the financial value of their IP. Victoria’s goal in presenting was to demonstrate “how better business outcomes can be created by professionals who have a clear understanding of both business and legal issues.”

Two other alumni also presented at the Symposium: Peter Chan (MSL ‘19) (currently a JD-PhD student), and Dr. Charles “Chuck” Frank (MSL ’18). Chan helped co-found the Northwestern Pritzker Law and Data Society, an AI-focused student organization at the Law School; he and his MSL co-founders discussed the importance of data science and AI, noting that legal professionals, product managers, strategy consultants, and compliance specialists, “all share the interest and responsibility in the proper usage of AI models.”

Dr. Frank introduced a medical device company and discussed how MSL knowledge helps guide the development of a startup.

Having alumni return to the Law School to present at the Symposium shows that the learning process is ongoing and showcases the strength of the MSL alumni network. “It’s a demonstration of the commitment that our community has to the program,” Forte said. “We look to give back when and how we can, using our knowledge and experiences.”

Reflecting on the impact of her original suggestion to have alumni present at the Symposium, Forte said, “I hadn’t really considered what my suggestion would look like long-term, but I find the potential outcomes are overwhelmingly positive. Students who enroll in the program are from such diverse backgrounds and move on to apply their skills in such vast ways – there can never be too many examples of how this degree can help you on your journey or too many opportunities to find someone whose professional goals are aligned with yours.”