Minnesota Law Wins Midwest Regional National Patent Application Drafting Competition
The University of Minnesota Law School is the Midwest Regional winner of the 2025 National Patent Application Drafting Competition, hosted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The team emerged victorious in a highly competitive field and secured its place in the upcoming National Finals at USPTO headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia.
The team includes Master of Science in Patent Law students Ola Ayaso ’25, Ross Brink ‘25, and J.D. student Rick Klinger ’26. Adjunct Professor Paul Parins, partner at Kagan Binder, coached the team with assistance from Michael Young ’25. The team demonstrated exceptional patent drafting and advocacy skills by working through a hypothetical invention statement, conducting a prior art search, preparing a specification, drafting claims, and presenting their reasoning for patentability and claim strategy before a distinguished panel of judges.
Midwest Regional Director Derris Banks and Midwest Regional Outreach Officer Marilyn Nash congratulated the team on its outstanding performance in a challenging competition.
As Midwest Regional champions, the team will advance to the National Finals, where they will compete against winners from four other regional competitions before a panel of senior USPTO officials and esteemed judges.
A second team from the University of Minnesota Law School, consisting of Master of Science in Patent Law students Charlene Proo ’25 and Matt Hakanson ’25, also competed in the Midwest Regional event. Adjunct Professor Lotta Kiuru-Ribar, a shareholder at the Mueting Raasch Group, coached the team, with assistance from Michael Young ’25.
The National Patent Application Drafting Competition is an annual event organized by the USPTO to help future patent practitioners develop practical skills in patent prosecution and advocacy. The competition provides participants with a unique opportunity to engage with patent professionals, refine their legal reasoning, and gain hands-on experience drafting patent applications.
