State Bar of Wisconsin

The Intellectual Property Law Section of the State Bar of Wisconsin is pleased to announce its annual memorial writing competition for law students.

RULES OF COMPETITION

The author of the best student article, as judged by the IP Section Board of Directors, will receive an award of $1,000 in cash. The author of the second place article will receive an award of $500. The top two articles may also be considered for publication by the IP Section or by the Marquette IP Law Journal.

The competition is open to all J.D. candidates at the University of Wisconsin and Marquette University.

Academic credit may also be available; the Section suggests that students check with the appropriate Professor or Instructor.

The subject matter of the articles may relate to any branch of intellectual property, including patents, copyrights, trademarks, or trade secrets. The judges will evaluate each submission on several criteria, including originality, significance of topic, depth and quality of analysis, and clarity of writing style.

Submissions should be typewritten and double-spaced (except for footnotes, which may be single-spaced). The font size shall be 12 point or greater; all margins shall be at least one inch. All entries must include a separate page containing the author's name, address, home phone, and law school. No such personal information shall appear on the submission itself. In preparing submissions, authors should consult and follow the style presented in A Uniform System of Citation (18th ed.). The maximum permitted length of an article is 7,500 words.

Submissions will be accepted with the understanding that the article is an original work prepared by the student and is not a copy or adaptation of work product prepared in connection with employment (such as a memorandum prepared in connection with work at a law firm). By submitting an article to the competition, students shall grant the to the IP Section of the State Bar of Wisconsin the non-exclusive right to copy, publish, and distribute the work.

The submission deadline is April 30, 2009. The IP Section Board of Directors will notify winners.
Please direct inquiries and submissions to:

Atty. David R. Cross
Quarles & Brady LLP
411 E Wisconsin Ave # 2040
Milwaukee, WI 53202-4426
Phone: (414) 277-5669
Fax: (414) 271-3552

PAST MEMORIAL HONOREES

2005: FRANK S. ANDRUS

Frank S. Andrus was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on April 30, 1928.  Frank attended Riverside High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and then proceeded to the University of Wisconsin in Madison and obtained a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 1950.  Frank also attended the University of Wisconsin Law School and obtained his LLB in 1953.  After obtaining his law degree, Frank joined his father, Elwin A. Andrus in the practice of intellectual property law at the predecessor firm of Andrus Sceales Starke & Sawall, LLP.  Frank dedicated his practice to patent prosecution and licensing and remained at the Andrus firm for his entire career of 36 years until his retirement in 1989.  Frank then moved to Arizona where he lived until he passed away on January 4, 2002.

Frank was an active member in the American Bar Association, the Milwaukee Patent Law Association (now WIPLA), the Milwaukee and Wisconsin State Bar and the American Intellectual Property Law Association. 

His great love was for things theatrical and reflected in his always debonair dress, his presentation of numerous skits for Milwaukee Patent Law Association meetings, and long time involvement with the Whitefish Bay Players.

2003: ALLAN W. LEISER

Allan began his legal career at Marquette University Law School, graduating in 1957. In his senior year, Allan was Editor-in-Chief of the Marquette Law Review. After graduating from law school and serving two years in the U.S. Army, Allan joined the firm of Quarles, Herriott & Clemons, which later became Quarles & Brady. Allan had a degree in chemistry and became a patent and trademark practitioner.

Although Allan maintained an active patent practice and was known for the clarity of his patent applications, he is best remembered by his Quarles & Brady colleagues as the leader of the firm's trademark practice. Those who worked with him at Quarles & Brady remember Allan as a brilliant lawyer who always had the time and patience to counsel and mentor younger lawyers. And while Allan is remembered for his encyclopedic knowledge of trademark law and his superb drafting skills, he is also remembered for his warm and dry sense of humor.

While Allan was dedicated to the practice of law, he was devoted to his family -- his wife Judy and his daughters Kerry and Katie. One of Allan's favorite pastimes outside the office was to spend time at his cottage on a small lake in northern Oconto County. His cottage property bordered the Nicolet National Forest, and to his friends on the lake he was known as "Ranger Al."

2002: ANDREW J. NILLES

The 2002 Memorial Honoree was Andrew J. Nilles. Andy was a senior partner at the Milwaukee intellectual property law firm Nilles & Nilles, S.C. He practiced intellectual property law, with an emphasis on patent litigation, since 1985. Andy clerked for the Honorable Giles S. Rich, Circuit Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington D.C. from 1985 to 1987.

Following his appellate clerkship, he practiced for three years with a major patent firm in Los Angeles before returning to his hometown of Racine and his practice in Milwaukee. Andy was an avid sportsman who loved playing tennis, scuba diving, skiing, and flying his plane.

Intellectual Property Law Section