Lewis & Clark Law Classmates and Colleagues Team Up to Excel in Patent Moot Court Competition

Larry Furan ’26 and Julia Kottmeier ’25, coworkers at the intellectual property law firm Klarquist Sparkman and classmates at Lewis & Clark, competed together as a team in the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) moot court competition in fall 2025, scoring 99% in the competition.

The PTAB Moot Court Competition, hosted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) is an intellectually challenging experience that provides participants with a deep dive into the complex issues of patent law and administrative procedure. The competition is designed to sharpen critical legal skills, including oral advocacy, legal research, and the ability to think quickly under pressure. Beyond the competition itself, it offers valuable exposure to the workings of the USPTO and teaches strategies for implementing effective solutions in patent litigation and intellectual property law.

Larry Furan and Julia Kottmeier first decided to form a team for the competition after attending a patent litigation course they took together, taught by PTAB coach and Lewis & Clark Law School adjunct professor John Bovich.

“I thought the experience would be great for learning more about this particular type of patent practice and for improving our writing and oral argument skills,” remarked Larry Furan.

The team credits its success to the excellent preparation provided by the coaches and mentors who worked with Julia and Larry. The PTAB moot court competition pairs competitors with active patent judges to act as mentors. The Lewis & Clark team was assigned to two patent administrative judges, Judge Crawford and Judge Ippolito, as their mentors.

“They gave us lots of direct feedback on our writing and arguments, and explained to us what they look for when they read a brief, including what makes a strong argument and what judges are most likely to disregard,” said Larry Furan.

Furan and Kottmeier, now established patent agents at Klarquist, excelled in the competition, scoring 99% in their oral arguments. With more success to follow for this pair, Larry continues to work as a patent agent for Klarquist Sparkman. Julia Kottmeier graduated magna cum laude in 2025 and is now working as an Associate Patent Attorney at Klarquist Sparkman.