Practicing Law Institute and Foundation for Advancement of Diversity in IP Law Make Essential Patent Office Exam Course Available Free to Scholars
NEW YORK, October 14, 2020 – Practicing Law Institute (PLI) and the Foundation for Advancement of Diversity in IP Law (FADIPL) are pleased to announce that they are making PLI’s exclusive Patent Office Exam Course available for free to 10 of the Foundation’s Sidney B. Williams, Jr. Scholars every year, starting in 2020.
These Scholars, law students from underrepresented racial or ethnic groups who have demonstrated an interest in exploring a career in patent law, were selected by FADIPL following a rigorous process that evaluates applicants’ academic performance, personal circumstances and other criteria. Scholars receive a number of financial, mentoring, and career-readiness benefits from the Foundation, including grant awards for costs associated with admissions, applications and interviews, assigned mentors for 1L Scholars, funding to attend conferences and more.
“The Foundation is grateful to PLI for its most generous contribution to our Scholar program,” says FADIPL President Terry Rea. “We are looking forward to a productive partnership with PLI and appreciate the learning opportunity our Scholars will have through access to its highly regarded course.”
Taken by more than a thousand law students and professionals each year, PLI’s Patent Office Exam Course is recognized as the leading resource for those preparing for a career in IP law. The comprehensive, authoritative, interactive course focuses on the subjects and strategies needed to pass the Patent Office Registration Exam. In addition to the complimentary course, the Foundation covers all registration-related fees for the United States Patent and Trademark Office Patent Bar Examination for Scholars.
“PLI recognizes the need to encourage greater diversity in IP law, and the Foundation’s talented group of Sidney B. Williams, Jr. Scholars represents the future of the profession. We are proud to partner with the Foundation to share our course, recognized as the gold standard for those preparing for the grueling and rigorous Exam, with these impressive up-and-coming IP lawyers,” says Mark Dighton, PLI’s Director of Law School Relations and Administrative Director of the Patent Office Exam Course.
“While PLI offers a discount on this and select other courses to students, our organization does not typically ever make the Patent Office Exam Course available for free,” he adds. “We are doing so in this case because of our strong support for the Foundation’s mission to advance diversity and recognize excellence.”
The first 10 free courses will be granted to the Scholars in December, with an additional 10 courses granted in 2021 and yearly thereafter. PLI will also offer FADIPL a generous discount for any Scholars above the 10 free courses.
About Practising Law Institute (PLI):
Practising Law Institute is a nonprofit learning organization dedicated to keeping attorneys and other professionals at the forefront of knowledge and expertise. PLI is chartered by the Regents of the University of the State of New York, and was founded in 1933 by Harold P. Seligson. PLI provides the highest quality, accredited, continuing legal and professional education programs in a variety of formats which are delivered by more than 4,000 volunteer faculty including prominent lawyers, judges, investment bankers, accountants, corporate counsel, and U.S. and international government regulators. PLI publishes a comprehensive library of Treatises, Course Handbooks, Answer Books and Journals also available through the PLI PLUS online platform. The essence of PLI’s mission is its commitment to the pro bono community.
Please visit www.pli.edu
About the Foundation for Advancement of Diversity in IP Law:
For nearly two decades the Foundation—formerly the American Intellectual Property Law Education Foundation—has worked for the advancement of diversity in the IP profession. In 2020, the Foundation adopted its new name—Foundation for Advancement of Diversity in IP Law— to accompany an expansion of the Foundation’s longstanding programming aimed at attracting more members of underrepresented racial and ethnic groups into the IP law profession—and advancing their opportunities for achievement in the profession once completing law school. Since its inception, the Foundation had provided over $2.5 million in scholarship assistance to over 130 individuals.