Larry Schwerin Memorial Prize

Awarded annually to a second-year law student who has demonstrated outstanding commitment to working people, labor unions and justice in the workplace, the prize honors Larry Schwerin and his more than forty years as a union side labor and employment attorney. 

Larry is fondly remembered by his partners, colleagues, and friends for his outstanding advocacy as a trial and appellate attorney, as well as for his inimitable mix of humility and humor. An active member of the AFL-CIO Lawyers Coordinating Committee (now Union Lawyers Alliance) and the Washington Employment Lawyers Association, he was known for his generous mentorship of attorneys both locally and nationally. Raised on a wheat farm in Walla-Walla, Washington, he graduated from WSU and then UW School of Law where he served on law review. He began his career practicing labor law in 1968. He later formed the union-side firm Schwerin Burns Campbell & French in 1992, which he led for decades and is now Barnard Iglitzin & Lavitt. 

The Schwerin Memorial Prize is sponsored by his former partners and colleagues at Barnard Iglitzin & Lavitt who wish to honor his legacy and encourage law students to pursue a career dedicated to fighting for working people.

Second-year law students in the state of Washington interested in applying for the five thousand-dollar Schwerin Memorial Prize should submit a resume, writing sample, and detailed cover letter (1500-word limit) addressing how their work to-date reflects a commitment to supporting and advocating for economic and social justice for working people and how the Prize would further support such work.

 Applications should be emailed to David Helfer (helfer@workerlaw.com) by March 28, 2025, and should state in the subject line, “Schwerin Memorial Prize.”

Intellectual Property Law Scholarships

Three opportunities are available to Seattle University law students who have a strong, demonstrated interest in the field of intellectual property law:

Seed IP Law Group Founders Scholarship - recipients will be honored at Seed IP’s spring networking reception on April 10 (RSVP for the reception by April 3)

WSBA IP Section Scholarship - recipients will be honored at the WSBA IP Section’s IP Institute on April 24

Westin Scholar/IAPP Award - recipients will be announced in late June or early July

You can apply for all three scholarships with one application. Applications are due by Noon on March 14.

The Seed and WSBA scholarships seek to recognize students who have a demonstrable interest in the practice of intellectual property law (whether litigation or transactional work) in the areas of patent, copyright, trademark or trade secret protection, arts and entertainment, advertising law, and/or the intellectual property aspects of business.  The Westin Scholarship seeks to recognize future leaders in the field of privacy or data protection.  More information on the Westin Scholar Award can be found on the IAPP Higher Education page.

Eligibility and Selection Criteria for All Three Awards

To be eligible to apply for any of these scholarships, you must be currently enrolled as a law student at Seattle University School of Law.  The successful student will be selected based on their overall academic record, performance in course work related to intellectual property, and extracurricular activities, particularly those that relate to IP (such as the Intellectual Property Law Society).  Preference will be given to upper-level JD students.   

Application Instructions

All applications must include: (1) a cover letter explaining the applicant’s qualifications and merit (if applying to all three scholarships, please submit three cover letters), (2) the applicant’s resume, and (3) a copy of the applicant’s law school transcript that includes all grades through the Fall 2024 semester. Completed application materials should be emailed to Erin Fullner, Associate Dean for Student Development no later than noon on Friday, March 14.