2L Brandon Cofield sees a connection between serving economically-disadvantaged communities and helping innovators navigate the intellectual property system.

As he enters his second year of law school, Brandon is the recipient of the State Bar of Texas Intellectual Property Section ​Diversity Scholarship.

This is the second time in three years that the prestigious award has gone to a Texas A&M law student.

In describing what set Brandon apart from the large pool of candidates, IP Section Chair Kirby Drake noted Brandon's preparation for an intellectual property law career and his passion for service.

Brandon holds both a bachelor’s degree in nutrition sciences and a master’s degree in public health. Before law school, he worked in community development to reduce the effects of continuous unemployment in underserved communities.

This summer, Brandon’s travels took him to Silicon Valley where he interned at the Palo Alto office of White & Case, and he was a Google Legal Scholar at the Google Legal Summer Institute. He also served in the chambers of Judge Linda Carpenter in Philadelphia.

The scholarship was awarded by the Honorable David Ruschke, Chief Judge of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The ceremony was held at the Texas Regional United States Patent and Trademark Office located in Dallas, and it was hosted by Regional Director Hope Shimabuku, who is also a former Chair of the State Bar IP Section. The ceremony was attended by s​everal administrative patent judges and other members of the bench and bar, including Professor Saurabh Vishnubhakat of the Texas A&M IP law faculty, who was Brandon’s first-year advisor.

“Brandon is a very bright and hard-working student, and it is clear that he will be a committed and passionate member of the Texas legal community,” said Professor Vishnubhakat. “It is our good fortune at Texas A&M Law to guide and teach a future colleague like him.”