Curriculum and Requirements
Program in Intellectual Property Law
The Chicago-Kent IP program offers more than 30 courses in intellectual property each year, taught by 10 full-time professors and numerous adjunct professors and lecturers who are among the leading practitioners in the IP field.
The Intellectual Property Law Certificate program consists of 20 credit hours of course work, which includes three mandatory core courses for a total of nine credit hours and optional courses (either full or partial IP credit) totaling eight credit hours.
In their final year, IP certificate candidates participate in the Capstone Experience, which involves real-world practice in the IP field with actual or simulated cases, applying what they learned in previous coursework. The Capstone Experience can be fulfilled in three ways:
- Working at the Intellectual Property Patent Clinic (fall or spring semesters, 3 credit hours)
- Arranging an IP externship (fall or spring semesters, 4 credit hours) or
- Taking Strategies in Intellectual Property Law (spring semester only, 3 credit hours)
To enter the program, students submit a letter of intent to the director. Once registered as members of the program, IP students are given priority during registration for all IP courses and receive email notification of upcoming IP-related events.
During the final semester before graduation, students must submit an application for the certificate, verifying that coursework has been completed.
Courses
A. Mandatory Courses
| 1. Copyright Law | 3 credit hrs |
| 2. Patent Law | 3 credit hrs |
| 3. Trademarks and Unfair Competition | 3 credit hrs |
B. Optional Courses for Full IP Credit
| 1. Advanced Issues in Patent Law | 2 credit hrs |
| 2. Antitrust and Intellectual Property | 2 credit hrs |
| 3. Comparative Copyright Law | 2 credit hrs |
| 4. Copyright Law in the 21st Century | 2 credit hrs |
| 5. Intellectual Property and Technology Licensing | 2 credit hrs |
| 6. Intellectual Property Crimes | 2 credit hrs |
| 7. Intellectual Property Financial Markets & Legal Principles | 2 credit hrs |
| 8. Intellectual Property Independent Research | 1 credit hr |
| 9. Intellectual Property Litigation | 3 credit hrs |
| 10. Intellectual Property Moot Court | 1 credit hrs |
| 11. Intellectual Property Seminar | 2 credit hrs |
| 12. Intellectual Property Trial Advocacy | 3 credit hrs |
| 13. International Intellectual Property | 3 credit hrs |
| 14. International Patent Law | 2 credit hrs |
| 15. International Trademarks | 2 credit hrs |
| 16. Legal Writing IV--Intellectual Property | 3 credit hrs |
| 17. Management of Intellectual Property Portfolios | 2 credit hrs |
| 18. Patent Litigation | 3 credit hrs |
| 19. Patent Office Practice | 3 credit hrs |
| 20. Practice Before the Federal Circuit | 2 credit hrs |
| 21. Trade and Intellectual Property Rights | 2 credit hrs |
| 22. Trade Secrets | 3 credit hrs |
| 23. Video Game Law | 2 credit hrs |
C. Optional Courses for Partial IP Credit
| 1. Administrative Law | 1 credit hr |
| 2. Advanced Torts | 1 credit hr |
| 3. Agency | 1 credit hr |
| 4. Antitrust | 1 credit hr |
| 5. Computer and Network Privacy and Security | 1 credit hr |
| 6. Conflicts | 1 credit hr |
| 7. E-Commerce | 1 credit hr |
| 8. Emerging Technologies | 1 credit hr |
| 9. Entertainment Law | 1 credit hr |
| 10. Evidence | 1 credit hr |
| 11. Federal Courts | 1 credit hr |
| 12. Food and Drug Law | 1 credit hr |
| 13. Genetic Issues | 1 credit hr |
| 14. Internet Law | 1 credit hr |
| 15. Legal Aspects of Startups | 1 credit hr |
| 16. Music Law | 1 credit hr |
| 17. Privacy | 1 credit hr |
| 18. Remedies | 1 credit hr |
| 19. Representing Venture Capital Backed Companies | 1 credit hr |
| 20. Sports Law | 1 credit hr |
| 21. Telecommunications | 1 credit hr |
| 22. Topics in Cultural Heritage Law | 1 credit hr |
D. Capstone Experience
(may be satisfied by participating in any one of the following)
| 1. Intellectual Property Clinic | 3 credit hrs |
| 2. Intellectual Property Externship | 4 credit hrs |
| 3. Strategies in Intellectual Property Law | 3 credit hrs |
| 4. Any other course designated by the program director |