Students in the Intellectual Property and Entrepreneurship Clinic (“IPEC”) will explore intellectual property needs with clients and will assist them in building various aspects of an IP portfolio. Students must enroll in one of two specialty tracks: the Trademark & Copyright Specialization (5 students) or the Patent Specialization (5 students). Students enrolled in the Trademark and Copyright Specialization will conduct trademark clearance searches, prepare written clearance opinions, and file trademark applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”). In addition, students may consult with clients on copyright issues and file copyright registrations with the U.S. Copyright Office. On occasion, they may also be asked to counsel clients on protection of confidential and trade secret information, and to draft nondisclosure agreements and IP licenses. The clinic participates in the USPTO’s Law School Clinic Certification Program for Trademarks, giving students limited recognition to practice before the office for purposes of filing and prosecuting trademark applications while they are in the clinic and working under the supervision of a trademark attorney. All students are eligible to participate in the Trademark Specialization provided that they have completed their first year of law school, are in good standing, and meet the course pre-requisites. Unlike the Patent Specialization, there is no requirement that a student have a technical background in order to participate in the Trademark and Copyright Specialization.

The clinic includes a classroom component, consisting of weekly two-hour meetings at the Law School. During these meetings, students receive instruction on practical topics such as how to conduct a trademark clearance search, how to prepare a patent application, and how to draft a nondisclosure agreement. Students may occasionally be asked to brief classmates on their projects and discuss strategy and work plans, as well as ethical challenges they are facing in their client representations. Students must also be available for additional meetings with existing and prospective clients that may be scheduled throughout the week. Note that these meetings will occur during regular business hours, not during the evening or on weekends.

This clinic will be offered in fall 2024 and spring 2025 as a one-semester clinic for five credits. All students enrolled in fall clinic will be required to attend in-person clinic orientation on Friday, August 23, 2024, and those enrolled in spring clinic will be required to attend in-person clinic orientation on Friday, January 10, 2025, in addition to any clinic-specific orientation that the professor may schedule.

P: Intellectual Property Law Survey (May be waived with written permission from the instructor, where the student has taken multiple relevant IP courses but has not taken the IP Survey).