Science wizard: UDM?Law IP?Fellow has strong STEM?background

By Sheila Pursglove
Legal News

An Intellectual Property Fellow and a 1L at Detroit Mercy Law School, Rachel Schulte graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a bachelor’s in physics and a double minor in mathematics and leadership.  

After graduation, she worked as a Patent Classification Specialist for Clarivate that had a contract with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). She put codes on patent documents based on the technical information included.. 

“I enjoyed being able to read all the inventions and the improvements they were going to make to society,” she says. “Working in this role helped me affirm my decision to want to go into patents.” 

While her older sister Rebecca Dembinski, an attorney in the Detroit area, had a lot to do with Schulte considering law, she made the decision to pursue law school when she realized she could combine her passions in a career field. 

“Rebecca was the one who originally got me thinking about law school, mentioning my scientific background may be a good fit for patent law,” she says. “After doing some research on the field, I agreed and took a few years to gain some experience working with patents. 

“I always thought I would have to choose. The drive to give back to the community was instilled in me from a young age, but I was also good at the STEM subjects. When I realized I could use my talents in STEM and better society though patent law, I knew I had found a career where I did not have to ‘pick a side’ so to speak.”

Schulte is looking forward to immersing herself in the community at Detroit Mercy Law. 

“During my time touring and orientation events, the school fosters an environment that encourages learning, growth, and immersing yourself in the law school and surrounding community,” she says. “I’m honored to be selected for the IP Law fellowship and start my law school journey. I’m looking forward to involving myself in the law school community and give back to the community that has already given me so much.”

Schulte notes she has a wonderful support system, starting with Jacob, her husband of a little over three years, who holds a master’s degree in chemistry. She inherited her love of science and math from her father, David Dembinski, an engineer in the automotive industry. Her mother Gale works for Girl Scouts, and instilled Schulte’s drive to give back to her community. 

Schulte enjoys spending time in the great outdoors, hiking around metro parks, and state parks, and  backpacking trips with her father. 

“I enjoy watching Marvel movies and TV shows as well,” she says. “Recently, I’ve been enjoying trying local restaurants and breweries that the Metro Detroit area has to offer.”

Schulte most recently served as the volunteer finance adviser for her old sorority chapter, Zeta Alpha Chapter of Alpha Gamma Delta.

“I love being involved as an alumna and not only help the chapter continue operations but encourage young women to take on leadership roles,” she says. 

In addition to holding various leadership roles in the sorority during undergrad, she was drawn to the philanthropic focus of fighting hunger. 

“I’m still passionate about this focus to this day, since both the city of Ypsilanti and Detroit are considered food deserts,” she says. 

Schulte is a lifetime member of Girl Scouts and a Gold Award recipient, and the project she completed during senior year of high school focused on raising awareness on the importance of spaying and neutering pets and creating educational resources on that topic. 


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