LAW EXPERIENCE:
As a law student, Attorney Modha made sure to take classes in a broad range of disciplines. She has taken all the core law classes (Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Evidence, Legal Profession, Legal Writing, Moot Court, Real Property, Torts). Besides these core classes she took many other challenging classes. In addition to working towards her JD, she also decided to work towards receiving two certificates — one in Intellectual Property Law and one in Tax Law. When she had decided to pursue both certificates, she had been cautioned by attorneys that it would be impossible to complete both, due to the difficulty of course work and time commitment required. However, when a challenge is put forth in front of her, Attorney Modha strives to meet it and overcome it. She successfully received both certificates in May 2015.
Always pro-active, Attorney Modha worked hard to bring about positive change and leave an impact on the law school community. To meet this goal, she organized, moderated, and participated in panels composed of distinguished Judges and Attorneys that focused on domestic violence law, rape laws (local, national, and international), discrimination against women and minorities and the ethical implications of such discrimination. Her panels were well-received and are still talked about positively. Attendees praised the panels she organized as well as her able moderation, saying the unique issues raised and solutions she offered, helped change their perspective on certain areas of laws and helped shed new light on important issues.
As a student at the law school, Attorney Modha completed 100+ Pro Bono Hours by working in the areas of employment law, entertainment law, intellectual property law, and real estate (landlord-tenant) law. She also worked as a student attorney at the Intellectual Property and Entrepreneurship Law Clinic at UConn Law (see below for details).
MEDIA / ENTERTAINMENT EXPERIENCE:
From 2005 to 2008, Attorney Modha worked as a student DJ at Brandeis University’s WBRS.com radio station. The work experience allowed her to become familiar with copyright issues, radio and broadcast media, FCC regulations, and the legal aspects governing each area. From 2007 to 2012 Attorney Modha worked as a promoter for South Asian Artists. Since 2010, she has been working in media/entertainment as an editor, writer, interviewer, and movie/music/book reviewer. She has had a chance to cover many red carpet events and has been exposed to all aspects of the world of entertainment. Also, Attorney Modha is in charge of marketing for a film studio based in Chicago, for whom she handles public relations and creates effective marketing strategies to promote their films.
In the summer of 2011, Attorney Modha took – and successfully completed – entertainment/media law classes at the prestigious Biederman Institute: London Summer Program at University College London (UCL) in England. Classes were taught by some of the leading entertainment attorneys from California. The coursework exposed her to the fundamentals of intellectual property law and the international aspects of the law. It also gave her a more thorough understanding of film and the legal aspects governing the process.
Additionally, Attorney Modha has had a chance to experience the world of media, fashion, and entertainment from the other side as well. Making appearances alongside, and interacting with celebrities, broadened her understanding of the world of entertainment – especially with regards to the right of privacy and the right of publicity. By attending fashion weeks, she has been exposed to many of the IP issues and challenges facing designers in this modern age. She has also become familiar with contractual issues as pertaining to models in the industry.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY EXPERIENCE:
Attorney Modha completed clinical work at the Intellectual Property and Entrepreneurship Law Clinic at UConn Law. As a student lawyer there, she was exposed to a vast spectrum of IP issues – trademark, copyright, and primarily patent law. As a Student Associate at the IP Law Clinic during the Fall 2013 semester, Attorney Modha interviewed clients, conducted legal research regarding provisions of the America Invents Act (AIA), conducted patentability and trademark registrability searches and drafted reports summarizing her findings pursuant to a program operated by the USPTO permitting law students to practice before the USPTO while under the supervision of IP Law Clinic attorneys. The Clinic taught Attorney Modha how to deal with client issues through firsthand experience as well as giving her proficiency in all stages of applications for IP rights.
After her first year at the law school, Attorney Modha was awarded the Boehringer Ingleheim Scholarship for excellence in Intellectual Property Law.
TAX LAW EXPERIENCE:
Attorney Modha did really well in her tax law classes. She took a vast range of classes in taxation including Federal Tax Law, Multi-State Taxation, Taxation of Intellectual Property Law (writing a thesis on the taxation of film in the US and India), Tax Exempt Organizations, and American Indian Law.