PTAB Law School Moot Court Competition Set for Spring 2027

by Dennis Crouch

I’m hoping Mizzou will be able to field a team in the newly announced PTAB moot court competition in Spring 2027, offered in collaboration with Indiana University Maurer School of Law. Each team will submit one written brief and argue at least once before a panel of Administrative Patent Judges, and the finalists will be invited to argue in person at USPTO headquarters in Alexandria. There is no entry fee, but only a limited number of teams will be admitted. Interested schools should contact PTABMOOT@iu.edu. The PTAB previously ran a moot court in 2024-25 and this one looks to be a continuation of that with a bit more structure.

Law students (and anyone making <$75 per year) – get a free Patently-O subscription here.

The headline pitches the competition to “the PTAB advocates of tomorrow,” but it arrives with AIA trial work at a low point. Petitioners filed about 450 IPR petitions in FY2026, down from about 1,400 the year before — because would-be petitioners predict their case would be swiftly denied by Director Squires.  I do expect the numbers to rise again, but not until a new administration is in place, and we may continue to see yo-yoing over the next few years.