National Patent Application Drafting Competition sign-up extended to Jan. 14

Competitors can sign up for the 2020 National Patent Application Drafting Competition until noon ET on January 14, 2020. This competition introduces law students to U.S. patent law issues and develops their patent application drafting, amending, and prosecuting skills.

Student teams will be given a hypothetical invention statement for which they will then search the prior art, prepare a specification, draft claims, and present their reasoning for patentability before a panel of judges comprised of patent examiners, practitioners, and high profile guest judges. Please see the competition official rules for more information on participant and team eligibility.

The initial phase of competition will consist of up to 15 teams in a regional round taking place in Detroit, Denver, San Jose, California; Dallas, and Washington, D.C. Each regional winner will compete in the National Final Competition at USPTO Headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, on April 20, 2020.

“This competition is changing how law schools teach patent and trademark law. By demystifying the patent application process through the creation of a competitive space for rigorous clinical practice, young attorneys become more efficient and effective patent drafters and filers,” said Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Andrei Iancu.

For more information, please see the National Patent Application Drafting Competition event page.