July 14, 2015
Chanel Briggins '16 came to St. John’s knowing that she wanted to merge her interests in the music industry and the law to pursue a career as an Intellectual Property (IP) attorney. By the end of her first year, she had earned membership on the St. John’s Journal of International and Comparative Law as well as an academic merit scholarship. Adding to Briggins’ achievements, this month, Dean Michael A. Simons awarded her the New York Intellectual Property Law Association’s (NYIPLA) Hon. Giles S. Rich Diversity Scholarship.
Each year, the NYIPLA selects one law school from a pool of applicants to receive this $10,000 scholarship. The law school then awards the scholarship to one of its students on its IP faculty’s recommendation and based on the following criteria:
Expressed interest in pursuing a career in intellectual property law
Status as a minority student who represents a group that has been traditionally underrepresented in the legal profession
Academic eligibility adhering to the law school’s standard internal merit-based scholarship requirements
Briggins is delighted to receive this recognition as she pursues a career in IP Law. “As an Arts Administration major in college, my studies focused on launching and marketing companies, artists, and merchandise,” she says. “I saw that there was a legal backdrop to these activities that included protecting rights in art, music, and other creative output and I knew that I wanted to learn more about that area of the law.”
St. John’s Law appealed to Briggins, a native New Yorker, because of its strong reputation in IP Law and given its proximity to New York City, where the music industry has a major presence. And she has come to appreciate the Law School’s range of IP offerings, which includes coursework, externships, and the new Intellectual property Law Center. “I love that St. John’s has courses in Intellectual Property, Copyright Law, Trademark Law, Patent Law, Entertainment Law, Sports Law, and Social Media and the Law, just to name a few,” she shares. “I’ve taken most of these classes and the knowledge I’ve gained has already helped me along my career path.” Last year, Briggins interned with Sony Music Group. She is now a summer associate at Wyatt & Associates, an IP firm in Manhattan, and she will work in the entertainment law practice at McCue, Sussmane & Zapfel, P.C. starting in the fall.
“Chanel is an outstanding choice for NYIPLA’s Diversity Scholarship,” says Dean Simons. “With her enthusiasm, tenacity, and drive, she exemplifies the St. John’s Law tradition of success. She also exemplifies the rich diversity of the St. John’s Law family. St. John’s is proud to be the scholarship recipient for the fourth consecutive year, and I’m grateful to the NYIPLA and to the scholarship selection committee for their recognition and generosity.”
Briggins is also grateful for the opportunity to carry forward this particular acknowledgement and honor. “I’m African American, I’m Korean, and I’m a woman,” she says. “I call myself a ‘trinority’ as a joke to my friends, but there’s definitely truth to it. I’m part of three minority groups traditionally underrepresented in the legal profession. In receiving the Hon. Giles S. Rich Diversity Scholarship, I’m not only thankful, but I’m more hopeful. I’m hopeful because I’ve been recognized. And, hopefully, this recognition will help to spark positive change in the profession.”