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W&L Law Announces Fellowships for Students Interested in Intellectual Property Law

Washington and Lee University School of Law has announced the creation of a special fellowship program for prospective students interested in intellectual property (IP) and technology law.

The fellowship includes a $10,000 scholarship awarded annually. This is in addition to the normal merit scholarships a potential student may receive.

“Intellectual property law is a major growth area in the field,” says Shawn McShay, asst. dean for admissions. “This program will allow us to leverage our faculty expertise in IP and technology to create a robust career development path for students interested in this practice area.”

The fellowship program targets students with a science background. Specifically, the school is interested in recruiting students who majored in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and certain computers science fields. However, all students with a science background are encouraged to apply for the fellowship.

Students awarded these fellowships will have preference on registering for IP and related classes and will work closely with the school’s IP faculty on a custom curriculum. Students will also receive some financial support for patent bar preparation and other professional development activities, in addition to the fellowship award.

W&L IP faculty include professors Sally Wiant (copyright, trademark), Chris Seaman (copyright, patents, trademark) and Josh Fairfield (information privacy, e-commerce, virtual world economics).

“The IP Fellowship is intended to provide an enhanced student experience by combining tailored faculty support and unique professional development resources,” said Prof. Seaman. “After completing this fellowship, these students will be well prepared for legal jobs and service in an information/technology based economy.”

Students interested in the program are invited to email a 1-2 page statement of interest to the W&L Law Office of Admissions at lawadm@wlu.edu.