Mary H.

For Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) Administrative Patent Judge Mary, “having it all” means the ability to have a family life and a meaningful career—complementary goals she’s always striven for. A career at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has provided her the “full life” she was looking for.

Originally from Pittsburgh, Mary remained in her home state of Pennsylvania to pursue her undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering at Drexel University in Philadelphia. During her senior year, she attended a career fair where she met professionals from America’s Innovation Agency—the USPTO. It was her first time learning about the agency.

She worked at a university research lab as well as private pharmaceutical company. Soon, however, she saw many of her co-workers become affected by massive layoffs; her father had also been affected by layoffs at his former employer. Seeing these challenges left her to value and search for job stability. The job stability of the federal government as well as her desire for an (eventual) career in law where she could utilize her scientific background led her to apply to the USPTO. 

In 2005, she was hired as a patent examiner. Through commitment, hard work, and dedication, Mary then pursued a law degree, part time, at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., while continuing to work as a patent examiner. This paved the way for her accepting a job as a Supervisory Patent Attorney at the PTAB, where she assisted Administrative Patent Judges (APJs) with their ex parte appeal caseload and supervised other patent attorneys. In this role, she also helped develop a new trial assistance program for PTAB patent attorneys to support APJs with their America Invents Act (AIA) caseload, including inter partes reviews and post grant reviews.

But Mary didn’t stop there. In 2023, she was appointed to the APJ position.

“Because of the flexibility and opportunities here at the USPTO, I was able to go to law school at night, have four children, and move up in my career from Patent Examiner to Supervisory Patent Attorney to Administrative Patent Judge at the PTAB,” she says. 

Mary made it happen by taking advantage of the USPTO’s law school tuition reimbursement program. She also sought out career growth and development programs like details—short-term job assignments which allow USPTO employees to develop skills beyond their core duties. Mary jumped at the chance to advance her career through details at the Patent Training Academy and the PTAB.

That’s why, for others going into the same field, Mary advises, “Take advantage of every opportunity—detail assignments, networking—and consistently do a good job.” 

Mary believes her current position as a PTAB APJ is just the right fit. Her daily work consists of cases involving AIA proceedings and ex parte appeals, which both require a lot of legal writing and analysis of impactful patent issues.

She also works in three-judge panels. “I enjoy collaborating with the other two judges to arrive at the best decision,” Mary, a self-proclaimed extrovert, explains. 

In addition to fostering an environment of camaraderie and mutual respect, Mary likes that the PTAB, specifically, offers its employees an atmosphere of career advancement through continual learning. “Every day I learn new things: either a new technology or a new aspect of the law. I also learn a lot from my colleagues,” Mary explains. She considers this continual growth one of the best parts of her job, in addition to the USPTO’s inclusive culture.

“I also like the USPTO because it’s diverse,” says Mary, who is a member of the American Muslim and Arabic Cultural Association employee affinity group as well as an active member of the PTAB’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Committee. “No matter who you are or where you come from, as long as you perform well at your job and have a good attitude, you will thrive at the USPTO.”

Mary now strives to share her career growth experiences with others to encourage them along their own path. She pays forward the same kind of guidance, attention, and encouragement she received throughout her early years at the USPTO by serving as a mentor in the USPTO Mentoring Program.

“Keep challenging yourself — don’t miss opportunities for growth and learning,” Mary describes. “It’s also imperative to be able to multi-task, to understand and communicate with people, to recognize and solve problems, but most importantly, to have a positive attitude.”

At the USPTO, where hard work is rewarded and work-life balance is supported, Mary has been able to design an approach that keeps everything moving in harmony.