This episode of Virtual Water Cooler Chat features Mary Fuller, a legal leader whose career reflects the power of taking a non-linear path and building impact across education, public service, and innovation. Mary is currently the Dean of Lincoln Law School of San Jose, where she leads an institution committed to making legal education more accessible for working adults, first-generation students, and communities historically underrepresented in the legal profession. Her work centers on practical, practice-ready training that prepares students not just to pass the bar, but to serve their communities with confidence and purpose. Before stepping into higher education leadership, Mary held senior roles across the legal and technology field. Most recently, she served as Regional Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Western Regional Office, where she worked closely with inventors, entrepreneurs, startups, and policymakers to make intellectual property more understandable and more usable as a tool for growth and innovation. Across her career, Mary has consistently focused on strengthening institutions, aligning mission with real-world outcomes, and expanding opportunity through thoughtful leadership. She brings a deep commitment to equity, access, and public service, and her journey offers a powerful example of how a career can evolve across sectors while staying grounded in purpose. Connect with Mary on Linkedin. Our guest interviewer for some of today’s episode is Sarah Foley, Founding Partner of IP Law. A registered U.S. patent attorney with over 18 years of experience counseling clients in all areas of intellectual property law, Sarah has deep expertise within the technology sector, including software, hardware, networking, telecommunications and computer systems. At the start of her career, Sarah worked for a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, and her Representative’s work on the IP Subcommittee of the Judiciary inspired her to pursue a career in IP law; During law school, she worked as a Law Clerk at the Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, and as a Legal Intern with the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Ms. Foley began her legal career at a boutique IP firm that provided her with invaluable training and relationships that she maintains to this day. She gained additional and diverse IP experience at a large national firm before co-founding Barta, Jones & Foley, PLLC in 2016, where she served as a Managing Partner and Chief Diversity Officer. She founded Foley IP Law in 2023. Ms. Foley has been recognized by Thomson Reuters’ Super Lawyers® as a Texas Rising Star in 2010, 2020 and 2021, and as a Top Woman Attorney in 2020. Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn. Virtual Patent Gateway (VPG) reduces overhead costs by providing PTAB attorneys with on-demand and affordable paralegal support services. Virtual Patent Gateway Founder Ashley Cheung has a passion for supporting the next generation in the workplace and is committed to developing a growth mindset within VPG. Learn more about VPG here. Legal Disclaimer: This podcast is posted for educational purposes and does not constitute legal advice.
