Students in our intellectual property concentration investigate key issues related to patents, trademarks, copyrighting and trade secrets.
These students develop a firm grounding in a variety of fields that intellectual property law affects by exploring topics such as computer and internet law, patent litigation, sports law and cybersecurity law. They also can participate in an externship within a law firm or corporate legal department to gain practical experience regarding the types of intellectual property work that lawyers do, and to gain insight in regard to protecting the creativity of artists, musicians and inventors.
Students in the IP concentration also can utilize externships to gain exposure to Connecticut’s extensive base of biomedical, aerospace and entertainment industries, which are fertile sectors for lawyers who specialize in IP law. Through such an externship opportunity, the student can learn IP law in a hands-on manner, while contributing to social needs at the intersection of law, the arts and technology.
For specific information on the program offerings, please contact:
Professor Dale Carlson
Director, Intellectual Property Concentration
Quinnipiac University School of Law
275 Mount Carmel Avenue
Hamden, CT 06518
Phone: 203-582-3225
Fax: 203-582-3255
Email: dale.carlson@qu.edu
Intellectual Property Concentration
Prerequisite
To be eligible for the intellectual property concentration, a student must take Administrative Law (LAWS 114) as one of the core electives. Credit for that course does not count toward the 18-credit concentration requirement.
Requirements:
1. Coursework
To receive the certificate for this concentration, a student must earn 18 intellectual property specialty credits, divided as follows (not all courses are offered every year):
Required Coursework
At least 15 of the 18 credits must be earned from the following list of basic intellectual property courses:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Course | ||
| LAWS 331 | Intellectual Property | 3-4 |
| Choose from the following basic intellectual property courses: | ||
| LAWS 116 | Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices | 3 |
| LAWS 117 | Trademarks and Copyright in the Digital Age | 2 |
| LAWS 292 | Independent Research Project W | 2 |
| LAWS 293 | Independent Research Project W | 3 |
| LAWS 329 | Communications Laws | 3 |
| LAWS 332 | Patent Law | 2 |
| LAWS 333 | Advanced Patents | 2-3 |
| LAWS 335 | Patent Litigation | 2 |
| LAWS 417 | Intellectual Property Externship 1 | 2-5 |
| LAWS 437 | Computer and Internet Law | 2 |
| LAWS 506 | Entertainment Law | 2 |
| LAWS 509 | Sports Law | 2 |
| LAWS 596 | Franchise Law | 3 |
- 1
Externship with intellectual property emphasis – up to 6 credits with written approval by the concentration director. Independent research credit with an intellectual property emphasis is also available with written approval by the concentration director and the supervising professor.
Remaining Credits
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Choose from the following courses related to intellectual property: | ||
| LAWS 344 | Law, Science and Technology | 3 |
| LAWS 349 | Antitrust | 3 |
| LAWS 350 | Health Care Antitrust | 3-4 |
| LAWS 409 | Drug and Device Law | 2-3 |
| LAWS 430 | International Trade | 3 |
| LAWS 516 | International Business Trans. | 3 |
| LAWS 633 | Intellectual Property in Health Care | 2 |
| LAWS 650 | Information Privacy Law | 2-3 |
| Other coursework or journal work as approved by the concentration director | ||
| IP-related courses taken at other law schools or in summer programs (with approval of the concentration director) | up to 5 | |
2. Writing Requirement
Students must write a substantial paper—or a series of shorter writings that together comprise the equivalent of a substantial paper—on a topic or topics related to intellectual property. (If a student writes a substantial paper, a student may use that paper to satisfy the Advanced Writing Requirement, provided that the paper meets the guidelines set forth in the Academic Regulations, section I.E.) The concentration director must approve the topic or topics for the written work used to satisfy this requirement. A paper written for a journal may qualify if the concentration director approves the topic and the paper as written.
3. Honors
Students who achieve a GPA of 3.20 or better in the coursework used for the concentration will receive the certificate for the concentration with honors.
4. Opt-Out Option
A student may designate any course or paper as not counting toward the concentration, so long as it is not required for the concentration and the student meets the concentration requirements with another course or paper.
5. Waiver
The concentration director and the associate dean for academic affairs may waive any requirements for the concentration (other than the GPA requirement for honors), if they both agree to do so.