Student Writing Competitions and Scholarships in Intellectual Property Law

Revision of this page is under way. Where up to date information has been received, it has been added to this page.  Most of these competitions take place annually, so simple searching online under the name of the competition will often yield current information.  For a list of related Fellowships, click here.

To submit updated or additional information related to either list, please send an email to madison@pitt.edu.

AIPPI (Association Internationale pour la Protection de la Propriété Intellectuelle) AIPPI (the Association Internationale pour la Protection de la Propriété Intellectuelle, the international association for the protection of intellectual property) will be holding its 41st World Intellectual property Congress will be in Boston in September 2008. As the premier global intellectual property association, AIPPI has the respect and ear of all major governments and global organization, such as the World Trade Organization and the World Intellectual Property Organization. Since it was founded in 1897, AIPPI has been consulted by decision makers worldwide on current intellectual property issues. The Boston Congress will be the largest meeting of general intellectual property attorneys in the world. We expect over 2000 participants, including highly experienced and respected outside intellectual property counsel and corporate intellectual property counsel from around the world. At the Boston Congress, which will take place September 6 - 11, 2008, the AIPPI will make its first ever AIPPI Academic Award, a $10,000 prize for a paper on international harmonization of intellectual property rights, international conventions on intellectual property rights, or comparative studies between at least two legal systems in the field of intellectual property rights. This first competition will be limited to United States residents who have a scholarly interest in intellectual property law, including professors, faculty members, and students. The papers are due June 2, 2008. Submissions should be made to Jack C. Goldstein, Chair or the AIPPI Academic Award Committee (jcgoldst@aol.com), and to Philip Swain, chair of the AIPPI Boston Congress (pswain@foleyhoag.com).

American Bar Association Section of Intellectual Property Law Jan Jancin Award This award is presented to an outstanding student of intellectual property law, selected from students nominated by faculty at participating law schools.

American Bar Association Section of Business Law Mendes Hershman Student Writing Contest A first prize of $2,500 and a second prize of $1,000 will be awarded to the best student papers on any business law topic of general and current interest. To be eligible, papers must be submitted by February 3, 2003.

American Intellectual Property Law Association Quarterly Journal AIPLA selects student members of AIPLA to serve as editorial staff for the AIPLA Quarterly Journal, the association’s principal publication. This competition is among first year students, for the right to serve on the Journal’s editorial board for 2 years. Competition rules are posted at the AIPLA website.

American Intellectual Property Law Education Foundation (AIPLEF) Sidney B. Williams Jr. Scholarship This $10,000 law scholarship will be awarded to minority students developing a career in intellectual property law.  Complete details are available here.

American Intellectual Property Law Association Fellows Award To be presented on October 18, 2007 at the 2007 Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, the AIPLA Fellows Award of $2,000 is awarded to the author of best article relating to: “Issues relative to fair use and the research exemption in intellectual property.” Articles must be original and written between July 1, 2006 and June 30, 2007, and must not have been published prior to submission.

American Intellectual Property Law Association Robert C. Watson Writing Award An award of $2000 is available for the best student article on a subject relating to the protection of intellectual property.  More information is available at the AIPLA website.

American Society of Composers and Publishers (ASCAP) Nathan Burkan Competition on Copyright Law ASCAP awards two prizes ($600 and $250) for the best student papers on copyright law at each participating law school. Pitt has been invited to participate during the 2008-09 academic year. Papers must be submitted to the Dean for consideration in time for the Dean to certify the winners to ASCAP by June 30, 2009.

Art & Law Forum at the University of Oregon School of Law The ALF publishes the Art & Law Electronic Journal, a free, on-line publication dedicated to exploring the intersection of culture, creativity, and law. The journal is sponsoring a student writing competition and is soliciting student work that critically examines the intersection of creativity, copyright law, and current technology. The deadline for submissions is March 10, 2003. The winner will receive $1,000 (there are cash prizes for second and third place) and publication in the journal. Click here for more information.

Berkeley Technology Law Journal Comment Competition First prize of $1,000, second prize of $750, and third prize of $500 for the best student papers that address some aspect of the law that implicates technology in any degree. Topics may include (but are not limited to) internet law, multimedia law, patent law, biotechnology, chemistry, engineering, environmental law, computer software, and genetics. Each author submitting a paper must grant the Journal a right of first refusal to publish the submission. Submissions will be judged anonymously. Three copies of the submission must be submitted (postmarked) by March 15, 2001.

Building Block CLE First prize of $2,500 to the student author of the best Intellectual Property paper received by July 1, 2003. The paper will be posted at the website of Building Block CLE, a for-profit company providing Continuing Legal Education courses to the intellectual property legal community, and will be adapted for an online CLE course. More information is available at www.bbcle.com. Competition submissions may be sent to 2003competition@bbcle.com.

Catholic University School of Law Stephen G. Thompson Memorial Writing Competition in Communications Law First prize of $1000 and second prize of $300 for the best student papers on communications law and applied fields such as copyright problems of the media. The competition is sponsored by the law school’s Institute for Communications Law Studies.

Computer Law Association Information Technology Law Writing Competition First prize of $250 for papers of 15-50 pages on “information technology law.” Sponsored by the Computer Law Association in conjunction with the Marquette Intellectual Property Law Review. To be eligible, papers must be submitted by April 30, 2005.

Federal Circuit Bar Association George Hutchinson Writing Competition First prize of $2,000 for the best student paper on “any topic that lies within the procedure, substance, or scope of the jurisdiction of the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals.” This competition is sponsored by the Federal Circuit Bar Association. Submissions are due by June 1, 2004. Complete competition rules are available through the FCBA’s website.

Federal Circuit Bar Association Giles Sutherland Rich Memorial Scholarship An award of $10,000, in memory of Giles S. Rich, Circuit Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, will be given by the Federal Circuit Bar Association to a law student showing financial need and demonstrated academic promise, either in undergraduate studies or in law school. Selection for the award will be based primarily on a written submission of no more than one page setting out the applicant’s financial need, any interests in particular areas of the law, and any qualifications for the award considered relevant by the applicant. Submissions are due by April 25, 2005. Complete competition rules are available through the FCBA’s website.

Finnegan Henderson Diversity Scholarship The law firm of Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner in Washington, D.C. is offering a $12,000 scholarship toward academic costs of a current first-year law student (or part-time second year law student) who is a member of an underrepresented minority group and who has a demonstrated commitment to practicing intellectual property law. The application deadline is April 15, 2005. The application form can be downloaded here. The Finnegan, Henderson website is at www.finnegan.com.

Foley & Lardner Intellectual Property Writing Competition Cash prizes of up to $5,000 for student papers addressing “intellectual property asset management.” Sponsored by Foley & Lardner, a law firm with a sizable IP practice. To be eligible, papers must be submitted by May 15, 2002.

FoxKiser Annual Writing Competition in Law, Science & Medicine The FoxKiser Annual Writing Competition in Law, Science & Medicine selects two papers each year on any issue related to law, science and medicine. The first-prize winner receives $4,000. The second-prize winner receives $1,000. The competition is open to all students currently enrolled, including students graduating in this academic year. All entries must be received by June 30, 2002.

Grammy Foundation Entertainment Law Initiative Writing Contest This competition awards a $5,000 first prize to the best student paper of 3000 words or less on a compelling issue facing the music industry. The awards are presented in conjunction with the annual Grammy Awards, and the winner receives transportation to Los Angeles and a ticket to the Grammys. To be eligible, entries must be submitted by January 2, 2009.  More information:  loren.fishbein@grammy.com and www.grammyfoundation.com.

IDEA: The Intellectual Property Law Review Student Writing Competition IDEA®: The Intellectual Property Law Review is proud to announce our Second Annual Student Intellectual Property Writing Competition. We are looking for original, publishable papers addressing compelling issues in intellectual property law. The awards include: $500 and publication in IDEA® for first place, $200 for second place, and a one year subscription to IDEA® for third place. All submissions must be postmarked by Friday, April 25, 2008 and sent to the address above. Submissions must include an entry form that can be found on our website at http://www.piercelaw.edu/idea. Winners will be announced May 6, 2008.

IJIEL International Student Essay Competition
The Indian Journal of International Economic Law (IJIEL) invites submissions on the topic of “TRIPS-plus Obligations and Free Trade Agreements with Developing Countries” for the first IJIEL International Student Essay Competition. Entries are due by June 15, 2010. For more information, click here.

Intellectual Property Owners Education Foundation Donald W. Banner Corporate Intern Scholarship The Education Foundation of the Intellectual Property Owners Association is offering two $10,000 scholarships to outstanding law students who have completed an internship in a corporate intellectual property law department and intend to pursue a career in the field of intellectual property law. The application deadline is October 10, 2008.  More information:  www.ipoef.org.

International Telecommunications Union “Young Minds in Telecom” Essay Competition The ITU Strategy and Policy Unit is organizing a short essay competition that offers some interesting rewards: publication of the essay, together with the possibility of supported research in Geneva during 2005. The deadline for submission is February 28, 2005.

Internet Law Journal Competition Small ($300-$100) prizes and possible Internet publication offered for papers that analyze issues relevant to on-line business. The competition is sponsored by the law firm of LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae, LLP. Competition winners for 2000-01 are posted at the law journal’s website.

Journal of Intellectual Property at the Chicago-Kent College of Law A cash prize of $250, and publication in the Journal, is available for the best student paper addressing issues raised by recent intellectual property reform legislation. For more information, see the Journal’s site.

Journal of the Patent and Trademark Office Society Student Paper Contest The Journal of the Patent and Trademark Office Society (JPTOS) sponsors a contest for the best student paper on patent or trademark law. First prize is $1,000 and includes publication of the paper. Contact the JPTOS through its website for more information.

Ladas Memorial Award The International Trademark Association (INTA) is hosting The Ladas Memorial Award Competition. Eligible papers include both original unpublished manuscripts and published articles that are submitted or otherwise come to the attention of INTA by January 15, 2010. To qualify, published articles must have been first published no longer than one year prior to the January deadline. The subject must be trademark law or a matter that directly relates to or affects trademarks, and the paper must be a product of the author’s original thought and scholarship. For more information, visit www.inta.org/go/ladas.

Los Angeles County Bar Association Intellectual Property & Entertainment Law Section Writing Competition A prize of $1000 and publication in COMM/ENT, the Hastings Journal of Communications and Entertainment Law are offered to the author of the best paper on a topic in entertainment law, including copyright, the First Amendment, antitrust, labor and employment law, and tax and securities law. The competition is open to second and third-year law students and to candidates for LL.M. degrees. Entries must be submitted to the Dean of the law school by June 15, 2001 for review. Up to two articles per law school may be submitted by the Dean to the competition.

New York State Bar Association Law Student Writing Contest First prize of $2,000 and second prize of $1,000 for the best paper relating to the protection of intellectual property. The contest is open to students enrolled in law schools in the state of New York, and to members of the NYSBA Intellectual Property Law Section. Submission deadline is November 4, 2005.

New York State Bar Association Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Section Two annual scholarships of $2,500 apiece will be awarded to law students in New York and northern New Jersey law school who demonstrate a commitment to practice in entertainment, arts, or sports law. Submissions are due by November 15, 2005.

NYIPLA William C. Conner Intellectual Property Writing Competition First prize of $1,500 and a runner-up prize of $1000 for papers in the “traditional subject areas of intellectual property, i.e., patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, unfair trade practices and antitrust.” Sponsored by the New York Intellectual Property Law Association. To be eligible, papers must be submitted by March 19, 2010. The awards will be presented at the May 2010 Annual Meeting and Dinner of the NYIPLA.  Entry information and rules are online here.

Pennsylvania Bar Association Intellectual Property Law Section Writing Competition This competition is open to all second and third year students enrolled in Pennsylvania law schools, writing papers in the areas of patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, or trade dress. There is a maximum word count of 3500 words, including footnotes. Entries must be submitted not later than April 17, 2009.  The winner will receive a cash award of $1,500. The winning article will be published in the PBA-IPLS Newsletter and on the PBA website. 

Pittsburgh Intellectual Property Law Association (PIPLA) Writing Award This competition is open to all law students attending law school within or with a permanent residence within the Western District of Pennsylvania. The winning paper will receive a cash prize of $1,000.  Entries are due by March 24, 2010.  Further details are available here.

Pittsburgh Intellectual Property Law Association (PIPLA) Leadership Award This competition is open to law students attending the University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne Law Schools. One student from each school will be recognized with a $1,000 award for leadership in the field of intellectual property law. Further details are available here.

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology Biennial Writing Competition First prize is a cash award of $1,200, and publication of the article. Second and third prizes involve lesser amounts of cash. Entries must be submitted not later than February 8, 2008.

Santa Clara University School of Law Computer & High Technology Law Journal Student Writing Competition First prize of $2,000, second prize of $1,500 and third prize of $1,000 for the best papers by U.S. law students on “Hot Topics in Intellectual Property and Technology Law.” The comment awarded first prize will also receive an offer of publication in Volume 22 of the Journal. Papers must be submitted by June 15, 2005. More information is available at the Law Journal website.

Stanford Technology Law Review Paper Contest Deadline: Oct. 17, 2005. Prizes: $1000 (1st place), $500 (2nd place), $250 (3rd place). Eligibility: Open to all J.D. Candidates and 2005 Graduates. Specs: Papers must be no more than 50 pp. double-spaced with single-spaced footnotes. Submissions: Please email submissions to Papercontest@law.stanford.edu (submission via email is required). More info.: For complete rules, visit http://stlr.stanford.edu or email Papercontest@law.stanford.edu.

State Bar of California Intellectual Property Section Competition for Outstanding Student Papers in the Area of Intellectual Property First prize of $5,000, second prize of $3,000, and honorable mention in the amount of $2,000, plus an all-expense paid trip for the student winner *and his or her professor* to California to attend the Section’s Spring meeting and award presentation ceremony. This competition is open only to law students who are permanent residents of California or are full-time students at a California law school. Papers must be submitted by February 1, 2002.

Telecommunications Policy Research Conference Prizes for Graduate or Law Students The 35th Research Conference on Communication, Information, and Internet Policy (TPRC) is seeking high-quality paper submissions by graduate or law students. The conference will take place September 28-30, 2007 at the George Mason University Law School in Arlington, VA.  The top three student papers will receive cash awards of $1000, $500 and $300 respectively. Award recipients will be invited to attend and present their papers at the conference. Furthermore, one recipient per paper will be exempt from the conference registration fee, receive free meals at the conference, two nights* lodging at the conference hotel, and up to $500 towards travel costs.  Some papers submitted to the student competition but not awarded prizes may be selected for presentation as regular TPRC papers. Two nights* lodging at the conference hotel will be available for one author of each of these papers. The competition is open to all persons who were graduate or law students on October 1, 2006. Thus, first-year faculty members, industry, and government professionals may be eligible. Submissions must be endorsed by a professor. The submission deadline is May 1, 2007.

Virginia State Bar Intellectual Property Section The Intellectual Property Section of the Virginia State Bar is offering a $4,000 first prize and publication in Virginia Lawyer magazine to the best law student article relating to intellectual property issues or practice. Submissions are due by the end of May, 2009. The competition is limited to students at any Virginia law school and residents of Virginia attending law school outside the state.  Competition rules are available here.

Yale Information Society Project The Yale Information Society Project is soliciting papers in connection with a conference on the Global Flow of Information. Submissions are due not later than February 1, 2005. Full details are available at the ISP website.