June 1, 2011 – Banner & Witcoff, Ltd., a national intellectual property law firm dedicated to the procurement, enforcement and litigation of intellectual property rights throughout the world, announces Michelle Pacholec and Veronica Sandoval as the 2011 recipients of the Donald W. Banner Diversity Scholarship for law students.
The scholarship program will provide Ms. Pacholec and Ms. Sandoval with $5,000 each payable for their upcoming Fall semester of law school. Ms. Pacholec earned a B.S. in chemistry from Williams College, a Ph.D. in biological chemistry and molecular pharmacology from Harvard Medical School, and is currently enrolled at University of Connecticut School of Law. Ms. Sandoval earned a B.S. in molecular and cell biology from University of California, Berkeley, a Ph.D. in pharmacology and toxicology from the University of Utah, and is currently enrolled at Seattle University School of Law.
The scholarship is open to all law students who are members of a minority group (including any group traditionally under-represented in the field of intellectual property law) and who meet the following criteria:
- Current enrollment in an ABA-accredited law school in the United States;
- Commitment to the pursuit of a career in intellectual property law;
- Strong communication and writing skills; and,
- Demonstrated leadership qualities and community involvement.
“We received an overwhelming amount of highly qualified applicants this year, however Ms. Pacholec and Ms. Sandoval stood out as not only exceptional students dedicated to the field of intellectual property law, but also as active community leaders. We look forward to continuing to award this scholarship to outstanding law school students in the future.” – Banner & Witcoff President Charles L. Miller.
Applications for the 2012 scholarship will be made available through the Banner & Witcoff website: www.bannerwitcoff.com.
About Donald W. Banner
Donald W. Banner (1924-2006), a former U.S. Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks, was a leader in the field of patent law. He was Chair of the American Bar Association Section of Intellectual Property Law, President of the American Intellectual Property Law Association, a founding member of the Association of Corporate Patent Counsel, President of the International Patent and Trademark Association, Co-founder and President of the Intellectual Property Owners Association, and Director of the John Marshall Law School Center for Intellectual Property Law. He was also a United States delegate to numerous international diplomatic conferences. Because of his many accomplishments and the respect he garnered in the field of intellectual property, Mr. Banner was appointed to be U.S. Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks by both Presidents Nixon and Carter, the only person to be appointed by presidents of both political parties. He served in that office only during the Carter Administration.
Please direct all media inquiries to Colleen Strasser at cstrasser@bannerwitcoff.com or 312.463.5465.
Posted: June 1, 2011
