Victoria Phillips

Professor Victoria Phillips is a faculty member at American University Washington College of Law, where she teaches communications and intellectual property law. She serves as the Director of the Glushko-Samuelson Intellectual Property Law Clinic, which she helped found, and is associated with the law school's Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property. Phillips previously served as a Visiting Associate Professor at Georgetown University Law Center and as Acting Director of the Institute of Public Representation's First Amendment and Media Law Clinic in 2008.

Professor Phillips' educational background includes:

• B.A. from Smith College
• J.D. from American University Washington College of Law (cum laude)

Professor Phillips specializes in intellectual property law, communications and media law, with a particular focus on the intersection of IP with gender, cultural identity, and public interest issues. Her scholarship explores the dynamic changes in intellectual property and information policy, examining challenging public interest issues raised by these developments. She has conducted significant research on Native American mascots and trademark law, women in invention, and the commodification of traditional art forms like the Gee's Bend quilts.

Analysis of Professor Phillips' publication history reveals consistent focus on intellectual property law's intersection with social justice issues. Her work spans trademark controversies (particularly regarding Native American mascots), gender dimensions of IP, media regulation, and clinical legal education. A notable trend is her examination of how intellectual property frameworks impact marginalized communities and cultural heritage, demonstrating her commitment to public interest perspectives in IP law.

Professor Phillips has received several notable awards:

• Champion of Intellectual Property Award from the D.C. Bar Intellectual Property Community (2024)
• Faculty Teaching and Service Award from American University Washington College of Law (2015)

As Director of the Glushko-Samuelson Intellectual Property Law Clinic, Professor Phillips oversees clinical education in intellectual property law, providing students with hands-on experience in IP advocacy. She has served as faculty advisor to the Communications and Media Law Society and as Chair of the Advisory Board of the Program on International Communications Regulation and Policy. In 2015, she was appointed by the FCC Chairman to serve on the agency's Consumer Advisory Committee. Phillips also serves on the Board of Directors of the Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts, connecting her academic work with practical legal services for the creative community.

Professor Phillips co-founded the Glushko-Samuelson Intellectual Property Law Clinic, which provides legal services to underserved creators and innovators while training law students in IP practice. Through this clinic and her involvement with the Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property, she has built a significant platform for public interest work in intellectual property law, focusing on issues of access, equity, and justice in the IP system.