The Intellectual Property Clinic is a one-semester course (2 Credits). Students will attend class weekly and each class session involves a mixture of lecture, interviewing and counseling exercises, and writing exercises. The lectures cover core legal topics and questions frequently encountered in an IP and entrepreneurship related legal practice in order to prepare students for interactions with clients. At least three classes consist of drop-in workshops where student attorneys interview limited-representation clients, and engage in problem solving and counseling during the course of each workshop. Each workshop will be followed by in-class roundtable discussions of intellectual property issues encountered and the counseling given. Evaluation of student performance turns on classroom engagement, participation, performance in oral and written exercises, and attendance at workshops.
The clinic will not take on cases or establish on-going client relationships. Instead, students will meet with clients at workshops where the clients will sign an Acknowledgement of Limited Representation. Most of the work will occur at the workshop. Depending on the complexity of the matters presented, clients may opt to return to a later workshop, or they may be referred elsewhere for representation. Enrollment is limited to six (6) students.
Additional Commitments: Attend three limited representation drop-in workshops.
What to expect when working on cases and with clients: Students will take on an average 3-5 client cases. Students will meet with clients in person and over the phone. Students will also build the clinic’s client base by reaching out to local organizations to promote the clinic. Clients of this clinic may be non-profit organizations, small businesses, students, solo inventors, authors.
NOTE: This course requires certification pursuant to the student practice rule and is open to JD students only.