Donald W. Banner Diversity Scholarship for Law Students

Banner & Witcoff is proud to offer the Donald W. Banner Diversity Scholarship for law students. This scholarship is part of Banner & Witcoff’s commitment to fostering the development of intellectual property lawyers from diverse backgrounds.

Eligibility

Law students who meet the selection criteria and have entered into a JD program at an ABA-accredited law school in the United States are eligible to apply for the Donald W. Banner Diversity Scholarship. Applicants may not be a current or past employee of Banner & Witcoff, or directly related to a current employee of Banner & Witcoff.

Selection Criteria

  • Scholarship recipients will be selected by the Donald W. Banner Diversity Scholarship review board based on the following criteria:
  • Academic merit (undergraduate, graduate and law school)
  • Commitment to the pursuit of a career in IP law
  • Member of a historically under represented group in IP law (including race, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and disability)
  • Written communication skills
  • Oral communication skills determined through an interview of the law student
  • Leadership qualities and community involvement

Financial Award

Recipients of the Donald W. Banner Diversity Scholarship will receive $5,000 payable for the Fall semester oftheir second or third year of law school.

Application Process

Applications will be accepted September 5, 2011 through January 5, 2012. Awards will be announced in April 2012.

Applicants will submit the following documents for consideration:

  • Completed Donald W. Banner Diversity Scholarship application form
  • Resume
  • Academic transcripts (law school, undergraduate/graduate school)
  • Writing sample (5-10 pages) (a legal writing sample is requested, if available)
  • Contact information for three references
  • One page statement describing how diversity has impacted the candidate

For more information and to download the application form, visit http://www.bannerwitcoff.com/about/diversity/.