October 13, 2025

ASU Law celebrates the launch of the Wolin Family Center for Intellectual Property

The energy at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law on October 7 was one of gratitude, vision and possibility. Faculty, students, alumni and leaders from Arizona’s growing technology sector gathered downtown to celebrate the launch of the Wolin Family Center for Intellectual Property — a defining moment that underscored ASU Law’s national leadership in innovation and legal education.

The new Wolin Center advances the study and practice of intellectual property law through education, research and industry collaboration. Building on ASU Law’s strong foundation, the Center will provide experiential learning and partnerships with leaders in technology and innovation. Focusing on patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets and emerging issues like AI and data privacy, it aims to prepare graduates to meet the legal challenges of a rapidly evolving world.

Opening the event, Willard H. Pedrick Dean and Regents Professor of Law Stacy Leeds expressed gratitude to the Wolin family and reflected on the Center’s transformative potential.

“We wanted to just take a moment to pause and thank the Wolin family for the remarkable philanthropy that supports this new center,” Leeds said. “If you read the press releases all around ASU, and if you land at the airport and drive, if you see a bus around here or a billboard, you can't help but know that ASU is number one in innovation.”

Leeds said ASU Law’s position — a top public law school next to the nation’s largest engineering school — makes it uniquely poised to lead in IP education. “With the right kind of support and the right kind of infrastructure, no law school in the country is more poised to accelerate and become an IP powerhouse,” she said.

For Leeds, the Wolin Center is “a catalyst that sparks that next move for our law school in this space.” Conversations with Harry and Tracy Wolin, she said, always came back to students. What will this do for them? How can we help them find the jobs of their dreams?

“When you look all around us here in Arizona, industry is on fire,” Leeds said. “They’re going to be looking to us even more for that talent that is going to be in this space.”

When Harry Wolin (JD ’88) took the podium, his words reflected both pride and purpose. A former general counsel of semiconductor giant AMD, he made clear that the Center isn’t about starting something new — it’s about elevating what already exists.

“This law school’s got a very impressive IP program to begin with,” he said. “And I’m hoping that with a little bit of new thinking and new opportunities and some partnerships within the community, we can take this from a level here to a level up here. When I talk about a level up here, I’m thinking about the number one intellectual property program in the country.”

Wolin praised ASU’s blend of academic rigor and practical training — including the Lisa Foundation Patent Law Clinic, which he called “something that frankly I haven’t seen anywhere else.” He also pointed to Phoenix’s thriving tech scene, from Intel to TSMC, as fertile ground for student opportunity.

“There’s no reason in the world you can’t come out of law school and be ready for a job at a top corporation, the same way the top law firm can hire you,” he said.

He closed with heartfelt appreciation for his wife, Tracy. “Every success I’ve had has been our success,” he said. “Hopefully this is something that you can get as excited about as we are… and if we look back on this in five or 10 or 15 years, I hope all these things we’re talking about come to fruition, and this is the preeminent intellectual property program in the nation.”

Among those inspired by the Wolins’ gift was Darci Botsch, a recent ASU Law graduate who flew in from San Francisco, where she works as a law clerk at Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Her father, also an ASU alum, once worked alongside Harry Wolin — a connection that made the evening especially meaningful.

“I’m so excited for this launch, particularly because my dad also graduated from ASU and worked alongside Harry Wolin for part of his career,” she said. “That’s actually a household name that I had heard, and my parents spoke very, very highly of him growing up.”

A proud double Sun Devil, Botsch earned both her engineering and law degrees at ASU. “There’s nothing so far that I’ve approached where I’m like, ‘Gosh, I have no clue how to do this,’” she said. “I feel like I’m coming in very prepared, and I think that’s definitely due to the faculty here.”

Botsch said the new Center reinforces ASU Law’s national reputation for innovation. “I think it puts ASU on the map as like, ‘hey, if you’re interested in IP, if you’re interested in tech, come here and learn,’” she said. “We have the classes, we have the faculty, we can support you, and we can prepare you for whatever you want to do.”

Douglas Sylvester, dean emeritus, professor of law and executive director of intellectual property at ASU Law, closed the event with reflection and optimism. “I’ve been part of this program for more than two decades,” he said. “Our IP program has always been linked to where technology is going, where the economy is going — that’s been incredibly exciting.”

He called the Wolin Center “the realization of a long-held dream” to give ASU Law’s IP program a home of its own. “To do that, we needed someone with an extraordinary vision, and you just heard the vision,” he said.

Sylvester challenged students and alumni to help build that vision: “Please take on Harry’s charge and bring it to us. What are the things you need to be successful? Give us your ideas and your passion.”

He ended by thanking the Wolin family for their generosity. “I really am grateful to Tracy and AJ and Harry for the incredible opportunity that they’ve given us,” he said. “This kind of opportunity for our students is spectacular.”

As the evening concluded, applause filled the room — a shared celebration of ASU Law’s past, its community, and the future the Wolin Family Center for Intellectual Property promises to shape.

The Wolin Family Center for Intellectual Property was made possible through generosity and shared vision. To help ASU Law continue expanding opportunities for students and innovation in this space, contact Douglas Sylvester at [email protected].

Written by Andrea Estrada