UCI Law and Samueli School of Engineering Collaborate on New Scholarship Program
Sept. 7, 2023 - The University of California, Irvine School of Law (UCI Law) and the University of California, Irvine’s Henry Samueli School of Engineering have established the Engineering-Law Scholarship Program, a collaboration to offer Samueli School of Engineering graduates access to scholarship funds at UCI Law.
The scholarship program — which includes a $30,000 tuition scholarship per year, available for both residents and nonresidents — is designed to advance UCI’s strong commitment to providing meaningful pathways for students to pursue their academic interests. In particular, the collaboration seeks to provide talented engineering students interested in the study of law — including intellectual property, law and technology, and other areas — the ability to obtain an affordable legal education at one of the nation’s top public law schools.
"The collaboration between UCI Law and the Samueli School of Engineering is another example of how UCI supports student success and fosters interdisciplinary excellence,” said UCI Law Dean Austen Parrish. “The Law School is known for its expertise in intellectual property law, law and technology, and other burgeoning areas where the combination of engineering and law degrees is particularly powerful.”
“Our engineering graduates are great problem solvers and we are increasingly seeing these skills being deployed in areas outside of traditional engineering disciplines,” said Dean Magnus Egerstedt, UCI Samueli School of Engineering. “The scholarship program is a reflection of this and it is set up to provide a pathway for our engineers to pursue a career in law. I am very excited to see this collaborative venture launched.”
“As an attorney and graduate of The Henry Samueli School of Engineering, I am thrilled to see this collaboration between the two schools,” said Rabi Narula, a partner and patent attorney at Knobbe Martens who received his B.S. in mechanical engineering from UCI ('92), his M.S. from Stanford University, and his J.D. from UCLA.
“I know firsthand how combining engineering and law degrees can lead to a rewarding career," added Narula, who is a founding board member and active member of Anteaters in Law, the official alumni chapter for lawyers who attended UCI for undergraduate, graduate or law school. "This combination is particularly valuable in Orange County, where top law firms and high-tech companies are in constant need of attorneys with engineering backgrounds.”
Highlights of the Engineering-Law Scholarship Program
Guaranteed Minimum Scholarship: The program guarantees a minimum scholarship for students who have graduated from the Samueli School of Engineering and are later admitted into UCI Law’s Juris Doctor (J.D.) program. Successful applicants admitted to the Law School, who are part of the Scholarship Program, will receive a $30,000 tuition scholarship per year — available for both residents and nonresidents — to help offset the costs of attending UCI Law.
Recognition: Students enrolled in the scholarship program will be recognized as UCI Samueli School of Engineering Law Scholars throughout their tenure at UCI Law.
Eligibility: To be eligible for the guaranteed scholarship, applicants must meet or exceed the minimum UGPA and LSAT score, at least equal to the median for the UCI Law entering J.D. class of the prior year. Samueli School of Engineering graduates who surpass the required minimum LSAT and UGPA criteria may be eligible for additional scholarship assistance. Even students with credentials lower than the requirements may still receive substantial scholarship support.
Application Deadlines: Prospective scholars can submit applications as early as September of the preceding year of their intended enrollment. Early applications are encouraged due to the rolling admissions process. The deadline for Binding Early Decision Applications is November 15 each year.
Expertise in Intellectual Property and Technology: While engineers may practice in all areas of law, UCI Law has a sophisticated intellectual property law program and has substantial expertise in law and technology. The Law School was recently ranked among the top 10 law schools in the nation for its intellectual property specialty program, and regularly hosts major international conferences on intellectual property and technology.
Exceptional Clinical Opportunities: In addition to rigorous foundational and upper-division courses in intellectual property, copyright law, patent law and trademark law, the law school has exceptional clinical opportunities. In UCI Law’s Intellectual Property, Arts & Technology Clinic, students work to protect civil liberties and support innovation in the digital age by advising and representing clients on a range of matters dealing with copyright, patent, privacy and media law. Additionally, some projects undertaken by the Community Economic Development Clinic, which focus on issues facing low- and moderate-income populations, have involved copyright and trademark matters.
“The career opportunities in law for engineers are particularly strong and growing,” Parrish added. “There’s a long tradition of engineers exceling in law school, and we are looking forward to welcoming more Samueli alumni to UCI Law.”
For more information about the new scholarship program, please contact Cristina Gapasin Tortal, assistant dean of Admissions and Student Financial Services.
