SEATTLE (July 19, 2023)—Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that the firm’s foundation has committed $300,000 to North Carolina Central University (NCCU) School of Law to establish the Perkins Coie Technology Law Scholarship. 

Perkins Coie is committed to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging within the legal industry and profession, and it has established the new Technology Law Scholarship to promote this mission.

Each year, the scholarship will help provide funding for tuition and fees for at least five second- or third-year NCCU law students who have demonstrated an interest in technology. The scholarship amount will be between $5,000 and $20,000 per student per academic year. The first scholarship recipients will be selected this summer. The scholarship program will continue during the next two academic years (2024-25 and 2025-26). 

“This scholarship at North Carolina Central University School of Law is an opportunity to help strengthen the law school to practice pipeline for historically underrepresented students who are interested in pursuing careers in the legal industry,” said Genhi Givings Bailey, Perkins Coie’s chief diversity & inclusion officer. “We are committed and remain steadfast in seeking to improve diversity across our firm and within the legal industry.”

To be eligible to apply for the Perkins Coie Technology Law Scholarship this year, students must be enrolled full-time at NCCU School of Law with an anticipated graduation date of 2024 or 2025 at the time of application; be in good academic standing with at least a cumulative 2.8 GPA; and have a demonstrated interest in technology law or intellectual property law, with a preference for students earning the university’s Law & Technology Certificate.

“I commend and thank Perkins Coie for the firm’s generosity and visionary leadership in technology law, a growing and significant practice area,” said Patricia Timmons-Goodson, dean of the NCCU School of Law. “The creation of the Perkins Coie Technology Law Scholarship at North Carolina Central University School of Law will over time strengthen and diversify the legal profession. In the near term, this scholarship will help us deliver on The Eagle Promise, our commitment to successful outcomes for our students.”

“Perkins Coie represents clients who are developing cutting-edge technologies that will shape our lives in the decades to come,” said Chris Hanewicz, co-chair of the firm’s Intellectual Property Practice Group. “To stay competitive and to be able to collaborate effectively with our clients, it’s critical to build a diverse and inclusive pipeline of students with a passion for technology.”

North Carolina Central University (NCCU), a historically black university, is located in Durham, North Carolina, and was founded in 1910. Consistently ranked as a top Historically Black College or University, NCCU’s flagship programs in the sciences, education, law, business, nursing, and the arts prepare students for professions ranging from clinical research to information science. Its law school was founded in 1939 in part to further NCCU’s commitment to diversity in and access to higher education.

Perkins Coie is a leading international law firm that is known for providing high-value, strategic solutions and extraordinary client service on matters vital to our clients’ success. With more than 1,200 lawyers in offices across the United States and Asia, we provide a full array of corporate, commercial litigation, intellectual property, and regulatory legal advice to a broad range of clients, including many of the world’s most innovative companies and industry leaders as well as public and not-for-profit organizations.

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