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.
Deadline: Friday, June 7, 2024
All entries must be emailed to P. Andrew Riley ([email protected]) and John A. Morrissett ([email protected]) no later than 5 pm ET on Friday, June 7, 2024. For problems with transmission, please contact P. Andrew Riley at (202) 641-3862.
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 applicable academic year 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 and Submission:
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 in 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 ______ academic year (as applicable), 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.
Judging:
Entries will initially be judged by members of the section, in their sole discretion, who will select no more than five finalists. A final judge will be selected to choose from 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 23, 2024 and no later than September 27, 2024.
Presentation of the Award
The winner will be notified by telephone and electronic mail and will be invited to the section’s Annual Fall Seminar, scheduled for October 18, 2024 in Richmond, 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 law review, bar journal or similar publication 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 winning 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.
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Recent Prior Winners
2022
Reza Kameli was the winner of the 2022 Virginia State Bar Intellectual Property Law Student Writing Competition for his paper titled, "Combatting Patent Abuse Using RICO: Why Courts Should Adopt a Special Discovery Regime to Deter Abuse."
Joseph Demarco is the second place winner for his paper titled, "Discovering the Undiscoverable: How the Increase in Copyright Detection Technologies Substantiates the Need to Recognize the De Minimis Doctrine in Copyright Law."
2021
Alex Liscio was the winner of the 2021 Virginia State Bar Intellectual Property Law Student Writing Competition for his paper titled, " Circumventing the PTAB."
Carson Bartlett is the second place winner for her paper titled, " Tags & Trademarks: Operationalizing Materiality as a Limitation on Infringement."
2019
Matthew L. Pangle from the University of Richmond School of Law was the winner of the 2019 Virginia State Bar Intellectual Property Law Student Writing Competition for his paper titled “The Last Laugh: A Case Study in Copyright of Comedy and the Virtual Identity Standard.”
2018
Maria Teresa Salido GUSI from the University of Richmond School of Law was the winner of the 2018 Virginia State Bar Intellectual Property Law Student Writing Competition for her paper titled "Traditional Products in Developing Countries: Maximizing Competitive Advantage Through Geographical Indications."
Phillip T. Ogea from the Unversity of Virginia School of Law was the runner-up in the 2018 Virginia State Bar Intellectual Property Law Student Writing Competition for her paper titled "Teleflex, Secondary Patents, and Products Liability."
2017
Justin Jorgensen was the winner of the 2017 Virginia State Bar Intellectual Property Law Student Writing Competition for his submission entitled "Jurisdictional Splits and Timid Copyright Licenses." Jorgensen expects to graduate in 2018 from the University of Richmond School of Law.
2016
Mary Catherine Amerine was the winner of the 2016 Virginia State Bar Intellectual Property Law Student Writing Competition for her submission entitled "Wrestling Over Republication Rights: Who Owns The Copyright Of Interviews?" Amerine expects to graduate in 2017 from William & Mary Law School.
Kalina D. Parker was the first runner up of the 2016 Virginia State Bar Intellectual Property Law Student Writing Competition for her submission entitled "Diluting Designers: An Analysis of Whether Designer-Department Store Partnerships Constitute Self-Dilution and Whether Such Behavior Should Have Legal Consequences." Parker is a 2016 graduate of William & Mary Law School.
2015
Billy Raska was the winner of the 2015 Virginia State Bar Intellectual Property Law Student Writing Competition for his submission entitled "Where to Start? Adding Objectivity to the Profit Apportionment Process in Reasonable Royalty Calculations." Raska is a 2015 graduate of the University of Richmond Law School.