Copyright Office Announces Arrival of 2024–2026 Ringer Honors Fellow

The U.S. Copyright Office is pleased to announce that Elizabeth J. “Liz” Porter has joined the Office as a fellow (2024–2026) in the Barbara A. Ringer Copyright Honors Program. Porter started her two-year appointment in September and, while working primarily with the Office of Policy and International Affairs and the Office of the General Counsel, will obtain exposure to all parts of the Office.

Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter appointed Porter after a competitive application and interview process and welcomes her to the program. Ringer Fellows acquire unparalleled insight into the U.S. copyright system to draw upon in their future careers. "The Ringer Fellowship program’s namesake, Barbara Ringer, was appointed by the Librarian of Congress as the eighth Register of Copyrights and the first woman to lead the U.S. Copyright Office. The Office honors her legacy through this paid fellowship, which offers a unique public service opportunity for early-career attorneys who demonstrate a strong interest in copyright law and a record of achievement in law school or practice," Perlmutter said.

Porter earned her law degree from the Sandra Day O’Connor School of Law at Arizona State University in 2024. During law school, Porter served as the student executive director for The McCarthy Institute for Intellectual Property, president of Law Students for the Arts, and co-host of an IP law podcast called, “Minimally Creative.” Porter previously interned with the Copyright Office in fall 2023 within its Office of Public Information and Education. Porter completed her bachelor of arts in political science and Italian from the University of Arizona.

For more information about the Ringer Copyright Honors Program, please visit the Ringer Fellowship webpage. The Office is accepting applications for the next fellowship term through December 31, 2024.