Sacrifice, willingness to learn led Purdue Global Law School graduate to the Indiana bar

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Ryan Bormann’s days as a patent attorney are full, whether he’s drafting a patent application for a vehicle lift, defending a surgical instrument design or discussing a helicopter rotor with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Getting to this spot required an intense push — one that Bormann, a 2018 Purdue Global Law School graduate practicing patent prosecution at FBT Gibbons, a nationwide law firm with an office in Indianapolis, acknowledges was a team effort. He spent months studying and working weekends, relying heavily on the support of his family.

“I constantly reiterated to my wife that my passing the Indiana bar exam was through my effort but her burden,” said Bormann, noting she acted as a solo parent through a large portion of the winter.

Already licensed in California, Bormann took the Indiana bar in February to serve the community where he resides. Bormann said he is grateful for the support he has received at FBT Gibbons, which promoted him from associate to senior associate.

“Patent law is a very interesting niche of law,” he said. “This requires me to stay sharp and up to date with the latest technologies.”

Bormann is one of six Purdue Global Law School graduates who passed the Indiana February 2026 bar exam, finishing in the 90th percentile of bar exam participants. He passed the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) — an exam that tests understanding of legal ethics and professional conduct — in August and was sworn in in Indiana on October 6, 2026 at the firm’s office. The law school’s graduates achieved a 75% overall success rate on the Indiana bar exam — 83.3% for first-time takers like Bormann.

Bormann didn’t initially set out to become an attorney. His journey began while working overseas in a management position with a medical products company in New Zealand, where he regularly signed contracts and oversaw teams. Encountering unfamiliar legal terms, he considered studying law. That’s when Bormann discovered Purdue Global Law School (then known as Concord Law School), which he said offered a compelling and cost-effective path to learning the law.

The online platform gave Bormann the flexibility to study while working and traveling. While in law school, Bormann received multiple awards for academic achievement and also served as Student Bar Association president in 2016. He took several intellectual property courses and passed the United States Patent and Trademark Office Patent Bar before graduating with his JD.  Years later, that foundational knowledge gained through Purdue Global Law School proved enduring. When Bormann decided to sit for the Indiana bar exam, he took a preliminary review exam and passed.

“Purdue Global had instilled in me a knowledge of the law that was sufficient to capture a passing grade on a preliminary review exam more than seven years after graduating and five years after having last reviewed the materials,” Bormann said. “This only further boosted my confidence as I prepared for the actual exam.”