Page 32 - Cindy Salas Murphy San Diego Woman Magazine

Women of Distinction

that was really in her blood bar, you must have a specific
and not medicine. “I decided kind of science background
to go to law school and knew with a required number of
that my biology background credit hours, and notoriously
would be useful in the type of difficult, the patent bar has
law I was drawn to, intellec- only a 50% passing rate.
tual property (IP) law. I was One of the firm’s attor-
drawn to this legal field not neys was publishing a treatise
only because I felt that I could on intellectual property law
actually use my degree, but in cyberspace. The year was
also because I always wanted 1999 when the internet was
to, be in a field that would like the wild west. There were
allow me to travel interna- no rules, and nobody knew
tionally since I was very much what they were doing. “He
driven by global travel.” was looking for people to help
As a child of immigrants, contribute chapters to his
Rita traveled with her parents book and since I always like
often to both of their home- to challenge myself, I volun-
lands. “As an only child it teered to contribute several
was easier for us to travel, and chapters.
When the treatise was
we did a lot of travel when I published it was well received.
Rita Abbati Albert wanted me to not only see We were asked to speak at
was growing up. My parents
some law firms in California
where their roots were, but
they wanted me to see that
there was a big world outside where a lot of the cutting-edge
cases were taking place. We
Executive Director of Toledo. did so and on that trip Peter
Rita went to law school at
Connectmed International Loyola University in Chicago. and I fell for each other, and
he eventually became my
Loyola has a joint JD and Mas- husband.”
By Judith A. Habert ter of Social Work program Soon after we spoke to

Photos courtesy of Rita Abbati Albert there and although she chose these firms, they started court-
not to get into this program,
ing us to come work for them,
she was exposed to a lot of so that is how we ended up in
impactful community-based San Diego.”
Rita Abbati Albert was since I turned 16, so I strongly programs. “I started devel- Rita and her husband
born and raised in Toledo, identify with my Italian roots.” oping an interest in nonprofit worked for a law firm called
Ohio to immigrant parents Rita completed high organizations and the role that Lyon and Lyon. “We worked
who were both physicians. school in Ohio and left to go they could serve in society. there for four years, got mar-
Her dad was from Italy and to Cornell University in New Upon graduation, I got a job ried, and then I got pregnant
her mother was from the York. “I majored in biology, at an IP law firm in the heart with my son Nicholas. I took
Philippines. Rita grew up in because at the time I was of Chicago. It is such a great maternity leave to care for
the seventies and eighties and thinking that I might want to town to be in when you are my newborn. While out on
at that time Toledo was not a try med school and follow in in your twenties. It was a fun leave the firm, which had been
very diverse town, so she felt my parent’s’ footsteps. I found time.” around for a hundred years,
a little different from those out pretty quickly that I had a Rita worked there for dissolved their partnership
around her. Despite this, Rita very strong social justice com- about six years and was one and closed. So, I had no job to
had a great childhood, with ponent in me. Even in high of three women lawyers in go back to.
many great memories. school, I volunteered at home- the law firm. So even though Rita and her husband
Rita’s dad came to the less shelters and food kitchens there are a lot of attorneys found positions with another
US in his early 30s. He had and in those days the schools who are female, at that time large law firm, Rita part-time
studied and trained in Italy didn’t require that students did there were not a lot in that and her husband full-time.
to become a doctor before so, it was just so ingrained in particular field. To become an Rita also was teaching at USD
migrating here. “He is very me to do whatever I could do intellectual property attorney, Law School and raising an
Italian. He goes back to his to help those less fortunate.” you are required to sit for a infant. They decided to move
homeland every year and I After these experiences, whole other bar exam. To be back to Chicago so they could
have joined him each year she decided that it was law eligible to sit for the patent be closer to family and their

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