Q.Andy Guo

Attending the University of Houston

Before entering the University of Houston Law Center for legal education, I obtained a Ph.D. in translational biology and molecular medicine from Baylor College of Medicine and had a career in biomedical technology commercialization. During my previous job, I had the pleasure of working with brilliant attorneys frequently and was impressed by their expertise and pivotal guidance. This prompted me to want to become an attorney.

I chose to attend UH Law Center over other law school offers because its nationally top-ranked Intellectual Property (IP) and Health Law programs. The outstanding faculty expertise and comprehensive course offerings in both programs were highly attractive to me.

Before entering law school, I spoke with faculty members at the UHLC's Institute for Intellectual Property & Information Law (IPIL). I was greatly intrigued by their practicing experiences and academic achievements and wanted to receive their mentorship.

The Benefits of Receiving a Scholarship

I was awarded the UH Law Center Dean’s Scholarship, Stephen S. Rudolph Scholarship, Michael E. Nugent Leaders & Achievers Scholarship, W. Ronald Robins Merit Scholarship and Dean A. A. White Student Scholarship. The scholarships were tremendous honors and represented UH Law Center’s recognition of my potential. They gave me the confidence to excel and earn high grades throughout law school and constantly motivated me to give everything my best effort. Further, the concrete financial support from the scholarships made my law school journey very straightforward and enjoyable.

I felt financially secure all three years, and the scholarships allowed me to focus my available time and mental capacity on school and career development. Therefore, studying, pursuing knowledge and practice skills and doing well academically became my singular focus. It was truly an enjoyable experience, and I cherished it every day as a privilege during law school. Last, but not least, the scholarships provided me with the freedom to choose and participate in extracurricular activities based on academic and long-term career interests, without needing to consider immediate financial gains.

Campus Life

At the UH Law Center there is a wonderful tutoring system in place. Second year (2L) law students act as tutors in most first-year (1L) classes, assisting new 1L students with their studies and adjusting to law school. When I was a 1L, my upper-class student tutors provided me with much-needed guidance and support.

To pay the favor forward, I chose to serve as a tutor for two semesters in a row for the 1L students, first for Torts and then for Constitutional Law. Both required a significant time commitment per semester, and it was the support of the scholarship that made the time available to me. Serving as a tutor turned out to be a highly rewarding experience as I had the opportunities to assist 1L students in adapting and keeping up with the fast-paced law school curriculum during the challenging pandemic period.

UH Experience

I highly enjoyed crafting a law review article with the guidance of renowned IP law faculty members at UH Law Center. Professors Paul M. Janicke and Andrew C. Michaels were very generous with their time and provided enlightening feedback to help me improve the article through numerous iterations. It was truly a privilege for me to benefit from their wisdom, insights and mentorship, and I obtained invaluable knowledge and skills during the process.

Career Goals

My immediate post-graduation goal is to pass the bar exam and gain admission to practice law. Upon being admitted to practice, I will strive to become a trusted adviser for both internal and external clients and provide high-quality services. The education I received at the UH Law Center has equipped me with the knowledge and skillsets necessary to prepare for my future practice as I prepare for my legal career.

I am motivated by my curiosity for knowledge, the desire to solve complex problems and the aspiration to deliver the best solution/work product that I can.

My advanced law school courses focused on IP, with an emphasis on health law and corporate law topics. I hope to fully leverage this interdisciplinary foundational knowledge, so that, in five years or so, I can become a subject matter expert in certain areas of IP practice and possibly focus on the interface with health care and corporate matters.

Academic Achievement

I am honored to have published my article, “The Unique Challenges of Prudential Standing in Academic Technology Commercialization,” in the Houston Law Review, which also received the award for Best Paper in the Area of Intellectual Property. Also, I wrote a second academic paper in my third year and was honored with the 2022 IPIL Co-Directors Award for outstanding writing in the fields of intellectual property and information law.

During my law school journey, I gained mentorship from UH Law Center’s phenomenal faculty members and formed friendships with my wonderful classmates. Our class had a unique law school experience due to the pandemic, and the resilience and perseverance we developed will benefit us for years to come.

Philanthropy

I am immensely grateful for the generosity of the UH Law Center and its donors. The scholarships provided me with tremendous support and many valuable opportunities throughout law school, and I really want to see more students benefit from scholarship support and enjoy the law school journey. I look forward to contributing my efforts toward the goal of increasing scholarship availability.