Student IP writing competition from the Virginia Bar

Intellectual Property Section Intellectual Property Law Student Writing Competition

For more than 40 years, the Intellectual Property Section of the Virginia State Bar has striven to advance the quality of intellectual law practice in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Intellectual Property Law Student Writing Competition (the “Competition”) seeks to promote academic debate and the dissemination of ideas and scholarly writing in the field of intellectual property. The Competition is sponsored by the Intellectual Property Section of the Virginia State Bar. All articles submitted will receive consideration for publication by the Section to its membership. Student authors entering the competition thereby authorize such publication. The Section publication’s editors reserve the right to make editorial revisions to the author’s article prior to publication on the Section’s website. Prize $5,000 and publication on the Section’s website.

If the Section determines that a second article is of sufficient quality, it may award a second prize of $2,500 for that article, as well. Eligibility The Competition is open to all students enrolled and in good standing during the 2015-16 academic year (including December 2015 graduates) at (i) any Virginia law school, or (ii) a law school outside Virginia as a resident of Virginia (with proof of residency). Articles must have been written solely by the entrant while enrolled in law school. Topic & Format Articles must relate to an intellectual property law issue or the practice of intellectual property law. Preference may be given to topics demonstrating particular relevance to contemporary events, addressing unsettled issues of law, or presenting novel and unique perspectives. Articles should be approximately 25 to 40 typed pages (including footnotes) in length. Entries must be double-spaced, in at least 12-point font, with one-inch margins and numbered pages. Citations should conform to the Bluebook. Entries must be submitted electronically in WordPerfect or Microsoft Word format.

Entries should also include the student’s name, address, telephone number, law school, expected graduation date, and the following signed statement: “I declare that during the 2015-16 academic year, I was enrolled and in good standing (i) at a Virginia law school, or (ii) at a law school outside Virginia as a Virginia resident. I further declare that this entry was written solely by me while enrolled and in good standing in law school.” The student author’s inclusion of this statement in the transmittal email, together with his or her typed name between two forward slashes (i.e. /Jane M. Doe/) shall constitute a signature for the purpose of the signed statement requirement. Deadline All entries must be sent by email to tbranscom@cowanperry.com and must be received no later than 4:00 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time on Friday, May 20, 2016. For problems with transmission, please contact Tara A. Branscom at 540-777-3459. Judging Entries will initially be judged by members of the Section, in their sole discretion, who will select no more than five finalists.

The final judge will be the Honorable Richard Linn of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Judge Linn will select the winner, in his sole discretion, from among the finalists. Criteria for judging include: • Subject matter originality • Relevance to intellectual property practice • Quality of topic development • Analysis of the subject matter • Quality of writing • Proper reliance on cited authorities • Clarity of expression • Grammar, spelling and vocabulary

The winner will be announced no earlier than August 12, 2016 and no later than September 16, 2016. Presentation of Award The winner will be notified by telephone and electronic mail and will be invited to the Section’s 28th Annual Fall Weekend Seminar, for an award presentation ceremony. Hotel accommodations for that evening will be provided to the winner by the Section.

Other Terms & Conditions No article submitted as an entry in this competition may be published in any other forum until the competition has ended and the winner has been announced. After that time, articles submitted but not selected as the winning article may be published without limitation. The author of the winning article grants the Section a non-exclusive license to publish the article at the Section’s discretion. Other publications of the article by the author must include a footnote acknowledging the award from the Section. By submitting an article in this competition, the student author agrees to be bound by the rules, terms and conditions governing the competition and the award of any prizes therein. The Section reserves the right not to make an award in this competition if no entries of acceptable quality are received.