Curriculum

DePaul Law's IP/IT program offers more than 40 intellectual property courses, including practicums, skills and clinical experiences, four IP Certificates, a clinic, and two Joint Degrees.

The College of Law’s Technology & Data Protection Initiative reflects the growing importance of technology and cyberlaw and the increasing demand for tech-savvy lawyers. A new partnership with DePaul's Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media (CDM) expanded data privacy, data security and technology courses by allowing DePaul law students, even those without a technical background, to enroll in select CDM technology courses for JD credit. Current courses include: Cybersecurity Law, Data Privacy, and IP Valuation in Tech Industries.

Joint Degree Programs

In addition to the Juris Doctor (J.D.), students accepted into one of our joint degree programs receive master's degrees in areas that prepare them for specialized legal careers.

JD/MS with DePaul's Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media (CDM) for students with a technical background.
JD/LLM in Intellectual Property Law & Information Technology
JD/MBA with DePaul University's Kellstadt Graduate School of Business.

IP/IT Certificates

The IP/IT program also boasts four unique certificate options for students in the JD program.

Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Intellectual Property Law & Information Technology

Law graduates can enhance their legal education and broaden the scope of their practice potential through a wide range of technical and non-technical courses offered through the IP/IT program.

LLM degree information

IP/IT Courses

The program offers more than 40 intellectual property courses, including practicums, skills and clinical experience covering a broad range of patent, copyright, trademark and information technology issues.

Courses
- Advanced Patent Law
- Art & the Law
- Biotechnology Patent Strategies for the New Millennium
- Copyright Law
- Customs Law
- Cybersecurity Law
- Data Breach Notification Laws
- Data Privacy Law: US & EU
- Disaster Recovery Theory & Strategies (CDM cross-listed course)
- Entertainment Law
- Health Privacy, Cybersecurity, and IT Law
- Information Security Management (CDM cross-listed course)
- Intellectual Property for Corporate Transactional Lawyers
- Intellectual Property Law Survey
- International Intellectual Property
- Internet Law
- Intro to Programming (CDM cross-listed courses)
- IT Auditing (CDM cross-listed courses)
- Law & the Mass Media
- Law of Film and TV Production and Distribution
- Legal Drafting: Art Market Transactions
- Legal Drafting: IP Licensing & Negotiation
- Legal Drafting: Patents
- Legal Drafting: Trademarks and Copyright
- Legal Drafting: Trademarks and Patents
- Legal Responsibilities in IT (CDM cross-listed courses)
- Music Law
- Music Transactions: Representing Talent
- Patent Law
- Patent and Trademark Searching (1 credit hour)
- Practical Legal Research: Cultural Heritage Law
- Practical Legal Research: IP
- Practical Legal Research: Legal Practice Technology
- Representing the Professional Athlete
- Sports Law
- Non-Profit Organizations
- Special Topics in Law: Entrepreneurship, Innovation & the Law at 1871 and 2112
- Special Topics in Law: IP Valuation in Health, Tech and Other Industries
- Telecommunications Law & Policy
- Trademark & Unfair Competition Law
- Trade Secret Law
Seminars
- Advanced Intellectual Property Seminar
- Advanced Patent Law Seminar
- Cultural Heritage Seminar
- Health Innovation & Intellectual Property Seminar
- Intellectual Property & Climate Change Seminar
Skills Courses and Journals
- Field Placement Program (IP) (Extern Program, Non-Classroom)
- Guided Research (IP)
- Legal Clinic: Technology & Intellectual Property (TIP Clinic) I & II
- Litigation Strategy: IP
- Moot Court Competition (IP)
- Patent Law Moot Court
- Journal of Art, Technology Law & Intellectual Property Law
- Journal of Sports Law & Contemporary Problems
Related Courses
- Administrative Law
- Antitrust
- Appellate Technique
- Business Organizations
- Federal Courts
- First Amendment: Freedom of Speech and Religion
- International Business Transactions
- International Law
- U.S. Customs Law and International Trade
IP Legal Writing Section (IPLW)
DePaul Law distinctive and highly competitive IP Legal Writing section places an emphasis on IP/IT topics as part of the first-year Legal Analysis, Research & Communication (LARC) curriculum. Qualified first-year students are invited to join the program, which is taught by an attorney or professor with professional IP experience. Obtaining research and writing skills through analysis of IP/IT issues provides a relevant introduction to upper-level IP/IT coursework and helps students stand out to prospective employers.

In the fall semester, students learn about sources of state and federal law, how to identify and communicate rules of law, how to describe precedent cases, and how to apply those precedent cases to client facts in order to predict which side might prevail in a dispute. In the spring, students have an increased emphasis on researching statutes and cases pertaining to IP issues as they refine their fall semester memo writing skills. Then, at the tail end of the spring semester, students will prepare a trial brief arguing their client's position on various IP issues.

These research and writing skills in the first year of law school serve as a relevant introduction for later upper level IP coursework and any summertime legal work.
Technology/Intellectual Property Law Clinic (TIP® Field Clinic)
The DePaul Technology/Intellectual Property Clinic (TIP® Field Clinic) was one of the first law school clinical programs to provide transactional services exclusively in the areas of patent, trademark and copyright law to clients who could not afford to pay private counsel for these services. The TIP Field Clinic is a natural extension of the College of Law's nationally ranked IP/IT program, and its mission is "Protecting the Creative Works of Creative Minds®."

Students with technical and non-technical backgrounds are eligible to participate, and clients are referred to the clinic by attorneys and by former clinic clients. TIP Field Clinic clients are inventors, musicians, artists, authors and entrepreneurs who need assistance in protecting their creations and businesses. The issues presented by these talented people are interesting and challenging, and TIP Field Clinic students experience the satisfaction of helping individuals with real legal problems, not merely problems posed to them in classroom simulations.

TIP Field Clinic students provide the following client services:
- Advising clients regarding the risks involved in selecting and using a trademark
- Conducting preliminary patent searches
- Providing copyright and trademark infringement advice
- Defending clients against challenges of trademark use
- Providing advice regarding domain name issues
- Drafting licensing and confidentiality agreements
- Counseling clients concerning the best way to protect their creations

Curriculum

Joint Degree Programs

IP/IT Certificates

Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Intellectual Property Law & Information Technology

IP/IT Courses

Courses

Seminars

Skills Courses and Journals

Related Courses

IP Legal Writing Section (IPLW)

Technology/Intellectual Property Law Clinic (TIP® Field Clinic)

College of Law

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