Representing Catholic Law, second-year students Josef Novacek and Katherine Colaianni competed in the USPTO 2026 National Patent Application Drafting Competition. Their outstanding performance in the Regional Round against law schools from across the East Coast earned them third place.

Throughout the competition, Josef and Katherine were tasked with working through the complexities of a hypothetical product, conducting detailed prior art searches, drafting a thorough patent application, and presenting their findings to a panel of USPTO judges. The experience provided valuable insights into patent prosecution and offered both students an opportunity to further develop their legal skills in a competitive setting.