Current and aspiring law students with an interest in patent law are available for a number of scholarships. If your interest lies in patent law, join me as I walk you through the list of available patent law scholarships and how you can obtain them.
Going to law school is obviously a good investment but can be expensive and you could easily end up in hundreds of thousands of dollars in student debt. To suppress the amount of money you owe after graduating from law school you should strongly consider applying for law school scholarships, grants, bursaries, fellowships, and other awards that will earn you free money to support your law degree.
Yes, these options – scholarships and the likes – are free money because, unlike a student loan, you do not ever have to pay it back. They are offered to deserving students to help finance their education and help them achieve their dream. Millions of dollar worth of scholarships are offered annually to law school students, yes, they are that much, you simply need to know where to look to find them and start applying.
Universities and colleges and law firms are the most common providers of law school scholarship but they are not the only sources. Charities, foundations, businesses, organizations, and state and federal governments are also other donors/sources of law school scholarships. You will be surprised at the number of law school scholarships that you can qualify for and in recent weeks, I have carefully been gathering them for those who need them.
If you are a Black or African-American who wishes to study law but cannot afford it, I have compiled a list of law school scholarships for Black students. The Hispanics are not left out either as I also constructed a list of law school scholarships for Hispanic students to apply and get the financial support for their law degree.
There are many others which you will find on our site but I will have to keep it short for the sake of this article. You can scroll to the bottom of this article to find more recommendations on law scholarships.
But I have made a point in showing you that there are numerous scholarships for you if you are going to law school and the awards are generous, some of them can cover the entire three years of your law school degree. Although they are competitive with a strong application, good letters of recommendation, and a well-constructed statement of purpose you can land any law scholarship.
In this article, I present to you the list of patent law scholarships specially designed for those with an interest in patent law just like an article I recently published on public interest law scholarships. So, whether you are already in law school, applying for law school, or wish to go to law school and focus on patent law, then you should apply for the list of scholarships I have curated here.
The scholarships will support the cost of your tuition as you focus on pursuing a career as a patent attorney.
Before we dive into that list, let’s briefly take a look at the meaning of patent law and then extensively see how you can get a patent law scholarship.
Table of Contents
What is Patent Law?
Patent law is a branch of intellectual property law that deals with new inventions and gives its owners the legal rights to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention – which could be a product or process – for a limited period.
A person who specializes in laws relating to idea ownership is called a patent attorney or an intellectual property lawyer.
How Long Does it Take to Become a Patent Attorney?
It takes about 7 years to become a patent attorney. Four years of an undergraduate degree and three years of law school.
How to Become a Patent Attorney
There are 5 straight steps to becoming a patent attorney, they are:
- Earn a bachelor’s degree in science or engineering field
- Take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT)
- Attend an accredited law school
- Pass the state bar exam
- Pass the patent bar and register under the patent and trademark office of your country
The steps above are pretty straightforward, if you have difficulty understanding it, I suggest you speak with your current teacher or lecturer to break it down for you. Let’s quickly move on to how you can get a patent law scholarship.
How Can I Get a Patent Law Scholarship?
You don’t just look for patent law scholarships, you should also learn what to do to get them because it is competitive. Don’t think you are the only one applying for them, hundreds of students are applying for them as well. So, to stand above the competition, do the following:
1. Ace the LSAT
You must take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) if you want to go to a law school to become a patent attorney. There is an aggregate LSAT score you need to meet to be accepted into law school but since you are seeking scholarships then you need to ace that aggregate so that you can stand out from other applicants.
A LSAT score of 170 can get you considered for a merit-based scholarship but if you are applying for a need-based scholarship then a high LSAT score is not required.
2. Strengthen your Resume or CV
Strengthening your resume means gaining relevant work experience, skills, and law certifications maybe from online law programs/courses relating to patent law or intellectual property law. Let your resume show that you have a deep interest in patent law.
Your resume or CV should also contain your outstanding qualities and leadership achievements, these are components of a strong resume. The stronger your resume, the higher your chances of getting a patent law scholarship.
3. Submit a Solid Application
Most law school scholarships require a separate application while others do not instead they use your admission application to assess you for scholarships. Whichever of the options, still put in the work of submitting a solid application by writing an impressive essay and personal statement that aligns your interest with that of the school.
It should also tell your story in a unique and impactful way that leaves a great first impression. Your application should be free of grammatical errors and well-constructed. Your statement should further describe your interest in patent law and how you can contribute to evolving the field.
4. Be Ahead of Deadlines
Applying for admission or scholarships early increases your chances of getting a scholarship, this is because since your application is coming in earlier than usual, the Admissions and Scholarships Office would take their time assessing your application. But when you submit it late or close to the deadline, the officers won’t take their time to assess your application.
5. Keep up with Your Application
After you have applied for the patent law scholarship, do not relax rather keep up with your application by staying in touch with the admissions office and checking your email regularly.
Best Patent Law Scholarships
The following are patent law scholarships:
- Jan Jancin Competition
- Sidney B. Williams, JR. Scholar Program
- Mark T. Banner Scholarship
- Arcadia Fellowship in International Copyright
- ChIPs Scholarships
- HIPLA Scholarships
1. Jan Jancin Competition
The Jan Jancin Competition is an annual competition established by the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA) which invites institutions to nominate a law student in the second or third year who has excelled in the study of intellectual property law. The nominee must be from an underrepresented racial or ethnic minority group.
The scholarship is awarded based on merit and only one nominee and recommendation letter from each school is accepted. The selected student will receive $5,000 which they can apply towards their tuition.
2. Sidney B. Williams, JR. Scholar Program
The Sidney B. Williams, JR. Scholar Program was established by the Foundation for Advancement of Diversity in IP Law to promote diversity in intellectual property law. It is one of the best patent law scholarships and also one of the law school scholarships for minorities.
To qualify, you must have a background in STEM, be enrolled in an ABA-accredited law school in the US, and identify as a member of an underrepresented racial or ethnic group. The scholarship value is $30,000.
3. Mark T. Banner Scholarship
Mark T. Banner Scholarship is for patent law students and it is tenable only at George Washington University. So, you must be applying for the law school at GWU to be eligible for this award. The scholarship value is $5,000.
To be selected you must be in good academic standing, demonstrate leadership qualities, commit to pursue a career in patent law or any branch of intellectual property law, have community involvement, and be a member of an underrepresented group in intellectual property law.
4. Arcadia Fellowship in International Copyright
This fellowship is provided by the American University Washington College of Law and offered to High-achieving students who display academic rigor and dedication to the field of international copyright law. Interested applicants are required to submit a completed application along with supporting documents, recommendation letters, and a separate fellowship application essay.
The fellowship covers a 50% tuition scholarship, a paid research position within The Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property (PIJIP), and a faculty mentor.
5. ChIPs Scholarships
Females in law school with an interest in patent law or any branch of intellectual property law should apply for this scholarship and get up to $10,000 to finance their law school education. You must be in your third year of law school, be in good academic standing to be considered for the award, and demonstrate commitment to ChIP’s core mission.
Application requirements include a resume, minimum GPA of 3.0, most recent law school transcript, and completed application questions. The scholarship is offered annually.
6. HIPLA Scholarships
Houston Intellectual Property Law Association (HIPLA) in partnership with the Hon. Nancy F. Atlas Houston Intellectual Property American Inn of Court awards scholarships to law students whose focus is on intellectual property. The scholarship awards $3,000 to selected students enrolled in a law school in Houston, Texas.
Conclusion
To recap, the scholarships curated in this blog post are for law students interested in patent law which is a branch of law under intellectual property. However, you are not limited to the scholarships above, you can apply for many others whether or not they are related to law or patent law as long as you meet their criteria. The recommendations below will guide you to more scholarships.
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