Intellectual Property Law Program

Amid a proliferation of novel technologies and new media, demand for expertise in intellectual property law has boomed. As new technologies enter the marketplace, they have a huge impact on individuals, businesses and lawyers, who are increasingly called upon to secure, regulate, and litigate those rights which stem from such innovation. It is vital that the aspiring lawyers are cognizant of these rapidly-changing developments and are given the skills and training to be able to adapt to this evolving landscape. The Intellectual Property Concentration provides that training.

The practical purpose of the Intellectual Property Concentration is to create a community of students, law faculty, adjunct faculty, and members of the legal and business world who want to think seriously about what lawyers do when confronted with new and existing issues pertaining to intellectual property.

Students complete a series of courses that have been designed to provide both a depth of substantive knowledge and a breadth of experience with practical skills and IP law practice settings. In addition to traditional core courses such as Copyright, Trademarks and Unfair Competition and Patents, the concentration offers a series of upper-level elective courses that reflect the modern challenges of the intellectual property world. These classes include Patent Prosecution, IP Licensing, Food and Drug Law and various other intellectual property courses. In each class, students are exposed to practice and theory through a classroom method that incorporates simulation, drafting exercises and other non-traditional teaching techniques.

The theoretical and doctrinal aspects of the concentration curriculum are taught primarily by members of our full-time faculty, including Professor Karl Okamoto who, as the director of the Business and Entrepreneurship Law Program, focuses on the business-related courses. In addition to the full-time faculty, the program capitalizes on the richness of talent and experience found among the Philadelphia legal community who serve as the program's adjunct faculty.