New Faculty Bring Expertise in Aviation, Intellectual Property Law

Two new faculty members have joined the University of La Verne College of Law.

Assistant Professor Ronnie Gipson Jr. will teach courses in torts, aviation, and criminal law. Assistant Professor Tim McFarlin will teach courses in torts, intellectual property, and property law.

“Professors Gipson and McFarlin are both strong in the legal fundamentals,” College of Law Dean Gilbert Holmes said. “In addition, Professor Gipson’s focus on aviation law will support the college’s initiatives surrounding the region’s growing supply chain economy, and Professor McFarlin’s expertise in intellectual property will provide students with insight into one of the fastest growing areas of law in the United States.”

Gipson, who comes to the University of La Verne Law from Soongsil University in Seoul, South Korea, provides legislative and policy counsel to the Experimental Aircraft and the Aircraft Owners & Pilots Associations. His research has supported U.S. policy and appeared in national and international publications, including the Journal of Transportation Law, Logistics and Policy.

Gipson volunteers for the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Young Eagles program, which helps young people experience their first airplane rides and inspires the next generation of aviators. He earned a Juris Doctor from the University of San Francisco and a Bachelor of Arts in Modern Languages from Texas A&M University.

McFarlin comes to the University of La Verne from Elon University in Greensboro, North Carolina. With a specialty in creative arts and the entertainment industry, his research has explored authorship in copyright law in the context of Orson Welles’ infamous War of the Worlds broadcast and has appeared in the Case Western Reserve Law Review.

McFarlin serves on the board of St. Andrew’s Management Services, which supports organizations operating senior housing communities. He earned a Juris Doctor from St. Louis University and a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science from the University of Missouri.