With the memory of final exams fading and the spring semester off and running, Pierce Law bids farewell to a few graduate students who graduated in December. This week On the Stand we bring to you one of them, Gerardo Jose Guillén, from Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

With an academic background of Bachelor of Sciences and Letters, Gerardo is an attorney in his country. Now specializing in Intellectual Property, he chose this field after observing that Intellectual Property is the most internationalized field of law. It is fast gaining more and more importance in Central America as it has in the rest of the world.

Gerardo was attracted to Pierce Law by its international reputation for excellence in intellectual property and its large faculty of IP professors who are recognized around the world as an authorities on patent, copyright, trademark and other aspects of IP law on the subject all over the world. He says that one of the most extraordinary features of the school is the faculty's helpful and friendly attitude towards students.

Gerardo returns to Honduras to work in the field of intellectual property law, and hopes to start a new IP department in his firm and may pursue an MBA, as well. He is interested in politics and also wants to engage in work with nonprofit organizations, especially those working to help the children and senior citiizens with diabetes problems. We look forward to keeping up with you in the years to come, Gerardo!

From the Law Library at Pierce Law, this week On the Stand, we have a staff member, Jenease Grieco. Originally from São Paulo, Brazil, Jenease describes himself "1/8 Black, ¼ Italian and 5/8 Portuguese" -- a typical American.

At Pierce Law, he is responsible for the archival and preservation of all the periodicals in the library and the organization of the Government documents. He is a senior at the New Hampshire Technical Institute (NHTI) in Concord, where is majoring in paralegal studies. A work study job with the New Hampshire Supreme Court Library led to a recommendation for the government documents position at the Pierce Law Library.

Jenease says he is always urging students to take advantage of the library's government document holdings. “At Pierce Law Library we have all the information that our Government publishes through the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). This is an honor and privilege, we must take advantage of all this information.”

Jenease says found his way to the legal field when he learned firsthand how perilous it can be to not understand how the legal system works. Several years ago, fearing his safety at home due to his sexual orientation, he sought asylum in the United States. While waiting in the U.S. for his application to proceed, he discovered too late that his attorney had taken his fees but never filed his application. Jenease was arrested and detained for 21 days until a new attorney was able to get his case opened. He now has permanent asylum status, but his experience left him wanting to make sure other immigrants do not get taken advantage of by unscrupulous attorneys.

Jenease's experience also taught him another lesson: “Follow you heart. There could be many rules and regulations, but doing what you think is right and standing for your values is the most important thing you could do for yourself and community.”

Next on the stand, we have Anne St. Martin. Born and reared in Ottawa, Ontario, to a French Canadian father and a mother from Connecticut, for Anne her family always comes first and foremost, especially her parents who, she says have always been extremely supportive of her unorthodox educational endeavors.

After completing high school at St. Mark High School in Manotick, Ontario, Anne went on to complete a double major at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. She earne a Bachelors of Science with High Distinction in Chemistry, as well as a degree in International Studies. Along the way she has studied abroad a great deal, including in Russia, Namibia, Germany, France, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, China, and other countries.

Anne enjoys hiking, running, and horse riding. When horse riding she concentrates on dressage which is a classical form of English riding in which the rider displays skill at controlling the horse. She is an active member of the Outdoors Club on campus at Pierce Law. She is on the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot team and also serves as the secretary of both SIPLA and the Licensing Executive Society and Vice President of International IP Organization.

Currently a student in the second year of the JD program, her main areas of interest focuses on organic chemistry and the affect of international IP rights on pharmaceutical development and access in the developing world. Anne chose to come to Pierce Law on th strength of the IP program here and the great faculty resources, she says. Though she loved chemistry, she says, did not want to remain restricted to the laboratory for the rest of her life. "With a career in IP, I can play a role with emerging discoveries without having to spend a lifetime in the lab developing them." The global nature of IP, Anne adds, provides a perfect combination of her interest in international relations and transactions and her love of chemistry.

Thoroughly enjoying her time at Pierce Law, Anne says she finds the faculty here most extraordinary, with the way they enjoy what they do and equally enthusiastically share their passion with everyone. She is also highly appreciative of Stan Kowalski and Professor Cavicchi’s work with international IP management and agricultural development. Anne says the IP Development Clinic is a completely revolutionary concept that could be highly beneficial to many developing nations if they are able to gain the right funding and support.

"Pierce does a good job training a fair amount of professionals each year to build capacity in these countries," Anne says, "but there is always more that can be done. Moreover, if American students during their time at Pierce Law are exposed to the needs of these countries as part of their studies, then they will be more likely to apply their knowledge in the future through pro bono initiatives such as PIPRA."

Anne plans to work for an IP firm and solidify IP prosecution skills after she graduates from law school. She says she would eventually like to do IP transactional work, get some experience with IP litigation, pursue the very narrow avenue of IP arbitration, and work her way into an international IP organization (or start her own) to work with developing countries.

Anne is particularly excited about the new International IP Organization that is bringing domestic and international students together to talk about IP issues with a global perspective. She invites students to participate by giving a brief presentation about an IP topic in the context of their home countries. To volunteer or get involved, email IIPO@piercelaw.edu.

This post is the first of a new regular series, On the Stand, in which we will profile members of the Pierce Law Community. The series will primarily feature students but will include some staff and faculty.--Ed.

Alberto Interian III, a student in the second year of the JD program, came to Pierce Law with an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering. The eldest of eight siblings Alberto was born in Miami, Florida, where his parents settled after coming to the U.S. from Cuba in the 1960s in search of political freedom.

He could not have pointed out New Hampshire on a map when he first heard of the school, Alberto says, but was convinced to apply after learning about the great IP program. “Having never lived very far from my home in Miami, I thought it would be an interesting experience to live in a small town in a different part of the country.”

He also thought being in New Hampshire would mean fewer distractions, making it a good place to pursue the rigors of law school. But, there are so many nice things to do right here in his new backyard, he says, that sometimes he finds it hard to confine himself to a chair for several hours a day.

At all times of year, New Hampshire will tempt anyone who loves the outdoors with many opportunities to be immersed in nature. Alberto loves to go for walks in the woods, swim in local lakes and rivers, and when it starts to snow, glade ski at local mountains. He insists he is still a city boy at heart, and loves to go out dancing, so he occasionally makes the hour-long trip to Boston to hit the dance clubs.

He also is very active at the Vrinda Center of New Hampshire, a Vaishnava temple on South Main Street in downtown Concord. (Vaishnavism is a branch of Hinduism.) Alberto helps lead several programs throughout the week, including vegetarian cooking classes, meditation and yoga classes, philosophical discussions, and Kirtan, a type of meditation which takes the form of chanting bhajans (songs) and mantras.

The bhajans are one of his favorite types of music. "It is quite stress-relieving, even when one does not understand what all the words mean," he said. He encourages everyone to come visit the Vrinda Center, especially when feeling stressed by law school and life in general.

Though he never lived anywhere but Miami before arriving in Concord, Alberto has enjoyed travelling widely. Fluency in three languages — his native Spanish, English and French — has helped him meet many very nice people in 19 different countries he has visited, as well as people from all over the world who are here in the Pierce Law community.

"It is an immense pleasure to have the opportunity to meet so many people here from such diverse backgrounds, getting to know them better both at personal and professional levels and getting such varied perspectives and opinions on so many contrasting issues, both inside and out of classrooms."

After he graduates, Alberto plans to work as a patent attorney. He wants to work with law firms as well as with nonprofit organizations and other concerns in the public interest.

Friends describe Alberto as humble and down to earth, with a smile for everyone, a great friend and someone you want to know better after you meet him the first time.

Thanks for being our first student On the Stand, Alberto! It’s nice to have met you!