April 15, 2025

ASU Law places in top five at USPTO 2025 National Patent Application Drafting Competition

A team of law students at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University placed first in the Western Regional Round of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s 2025 National Parent Application Drafting Competition, ultimately finishing as a top-five national finalist. 

 

The team included third-year JD students, Kylie Snow and Alessandra Gualtieri, and second-year JD students, Ian Shaw and Tanner Murray. Together, they spent countless hours preparing for the high-level competition, which draws law school teams from all over the country.

 

Designed to introduce students to U.S. patent law, the competition challenges participants to apply legal principles to hypothetical inventions and develop real-world skills in patent drafting. 

 

The Western Regional was held on March 1, with the national finals being April 4. Snow described the preparation leading up to the competition as “rigorous and rewarding.”

 

“We conducted mock presentations with Q&A from our coaches to refine our delivery and prepare for our regionals presentation,” she said. “The process was intense but incredibly rewarding, as it allowed us to develop a deeper understanding of patent law while honing critical skills in specification and claim drafting, analysis of prior art and defense of our claim set.”

 

The competition combines elements of a mock trial and moot court with each team member playing an active role.

 

“We collaboratively presented support for our position and arguments demonstrating why our patent was valid and nonobvious,” Gualtieri said. “While we had to prepare for challenging questions from a panel of three judges — similar to traditional moot court — we operated as a cohesive team throughout the process, much like the dynamic in mock trial competitions. This unique blend of individual advocacy within a team framework created a particularly engaging and realistic experience that effectively mirrors real-world patent prosecution scenarios.”

 

Associate Teaching Professor Jon Kappes served as the team’s faculty advisor and coach, offering guidance based on his dual experience as a patent attorney and intellectual property law educator. 

 

“It was a privilege to coach this team,” Kappes said. “I participated in practice rounds and gave feedback on their presentation content and approach. The courses, clinics and private firm work experience brought to bear by the students were key to their success.”

 

This marks the first time an ASU Law team has won first place in the Western Regional competition.

 

“One of our coaches, Bailey Hopkins, placed second at regionals last year,” Shaw said. “This feels like a continuation of ASU Law’s momentum in IP. We are proud to highlight our school’s growing strength in the field. We did feel pressure going into the finals, but placing first in the western region shows that ASU is a strong contender in the intellectual property space for law schools.”

 

Placing in the top five nationally further cements ASU Law’s reputation as a leader in intellectual property law. With robust clinics, moot court opportunities and industry-aligned internships, ASU Law continues to prepare students for real-world practice in patent and IP law.

Written by Crystal Jimenez