Santa Clara University School of Law is pleased to announce that Azadeh Morrison J.D. ’16 is the winner of the annual Jan Jancin Award for the top intellectual-property law student in the nation.
The award is given by the American Intellectual Property Law Education Foundation (AIPLEF) of the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA) to the top law student in the nation who has most excelled in the study of intellectual property law. Morrison is the third Santa Clara Law graduate to receive the award since AIPLEF began awarding it in 1998. Sarah Mirza J.D. ’15 won the Jan Jancin in 2015, and Linda Wuestehube Kahl J.D. ’10 won the Jan Jancin Award in 2010. In addition, Nancy Cheng J.D. ’11 won the Past President’s Award from AIPLEF in 2011 (considered to be the runner-up to the Jan Jancin).
Morrison holds a master of science in chemical engineering from San Jose State University, and a bachelor of science in chemical engineering from Sharif University of Technology in Iran. Morrison earned her J.D. in 2016 from Santa Clara Law, where she served as a fellow in the Academic Success Program and also served as the Associate Editor of the High Tech Law Journal. While a law student, she was on the Dean’s List and received several other awards, including the CALI Excellence for the Future Award, the Witkin Award for Academic Excellence, the High Tech Excellence Award, and the Inez Mabie Award for the Outstanding Graduate in 2016. She also worked as an intern in the Entrepreneurs’ Law Clinic and as a judicial extern for the Hon. Lucy H. Koh, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. As of November 1, Morrison will be joining the patent litigation group at Cooley in Palo Alto.
Morrison says she is grateful for her experience at Santa Clara Law. “Santa Clara Law is not just a law school—it’s a community of people dedicated to your success. If you are willing to work hard and use the resources available to you, the sky is the limit.”
“The unique practical courses offered under the high tech program are invaluable in preparing students for a real-life career in IP,” adds Morrison. “For example, students work with real clients on IP-related transactional matters in the Entrepreneurs’ Law Clinic and in IP Litigation class students go through every step of litigating a patent,” she says. “In short, Santa Clara Law students learn by doing, a fact that many employers are aware of and appreciate. In addition, our IP faculty are not only well-recognized scholars in their fields, they take time to get to know students, mentor them, and provide guidance in law school and even after graduation.”
In addition, Morrison says she appreciates the extensive Santa Clara Law alumni network. “I learned early on that our alumni carry the SCU values to their practice and are approachable and open to mentoring and coaching the students,” she says. Plus, she adds, “Santa Clara Law’s excellent reputation in Silicon Valley’s legal community has been developed over many years by the hard work, skill, and intelligence of its alumni. This is a priceless advantage for the students.”
Santa Clara Law Dean Lisa Kloppenberg congratulated Morrison on the award. “We are so proud of Azadeh for this outstanding achievement, and we congratulate her on her continued success and wish her all the best in her career. Santa Clara Law is proud that so many of our graduates have been honored with this award, and I deeply appreciate the faculty, staff, alumni, and donors who have worked diligently to keep our IP program a robust training ground and one of the best in the nation.”
