Spring 2026 Winner of the Legal Legacy Scholarship

Sarah Johnson

Congratulations to Sarah Johnson, the Spring 2026 recipient of the Roberts PC Legal Legacy Scholarship! Sarah has spent nearly a decade translating complex technical subject matter into successful patent applications, and now she's taking the next step by pursuing her law degree. We look forward to seeing her bring that same dedication to a career as a full-service patent attorney.

Read Their Essay Here:

My decision to attend law school was not traditional, but rather an organic transition. I did not grow up wanting to be an attorney, nor were any of my family members attorneys or involved in the legal field in any way. In fact, I really struggled understanding what I wanted to do—though I wanted to become a tattoo artist, or a hair stylist, I was ultimately encouraged to pursue an undergraduate degree. I became a chemical engineer first, then a researcher, then a published scientist, then a licensed Professional Engineer. I did not seek the legal field, but I found myself gravitating toward intellectual property through my additional studies and career milestones. I sat for, and passed, the “Patent Bar” and became registered patent agent 82,106. Since becoming registered to practice patent prosecution, I have worked as a patent prosecutor for two years, and the pursuit of a J.D. became a natural next step in my career.

I presently prepare and prosecute patent applications at Dinsmore & Schol, draft responses to domestic and foreign Offices, and assist attorneys in managing complex multinational patent families. I understand how to read a claim, how to argue patentability, and how to translate dense technical subject matter into language that satisfies inventors and examiners. Not only have I done this work, but I have received feedback that I have done this work well. While my job duties will remain relatively the same upon completing a J.D., I see daily career advancement opportunities that are not available to me without this credential.

Therefore, my goal in pursuing a Juris Doctorate is a natural decision following my organic career ambitions. I intend to become a full-service patent prosecution attorney, capable of representing clients at each stage of the intellectual property lifestyle. While my prosecution work will largely remain the same with the achievement of a J.D., I recognize a J.D. will also allow me to address ownership disputes, licensing strategy, invalidity challenges, inter partes review. These advanced opportunities appeal to me as I grow as a prosecutor, interested in litigation and expanding my skillset as a patent professional.

The Roberts PC Legal Legacy Scholarship would allow me to pursue my goals without the financial compromise of reducing my focus on legal studies. As a first-generation law student without family members who have navigated this path, financial support carries weight beyond tuition, but makes my full commitment possible. I am not here to figure out my career, but I am here to fortify it with this J.D. In brief, I am here to finish what I started, and become a full service attorney supported by a decade of technical preparation. As the engineer, the patent agent, and the attorney, I look forward to applying my skills to aid inventors.