IP barriers to making COVID vaccines. The legal rights of graffiti artists. Copyright and patent issues with Chat GPT and other AI. Intellectual Property (IP) is everywhere.

Intellectual Property law allows attorneys to assist authors, inventors and other creators in a wide range of areas that include copyright, trademark, trade secret, and patent law. IP cases end up before the Supreme Court every year, as well as lower courts that attempt to apply old law to new technologies and issues.

Career and Networking Opportunities and Preparation

Loyola students benefit from a variety of career opportunities at Loyola, including the following:

• Loyola hosts the Annual Patent Law Interview Program, the largest job fair for law students. You can be considered for jobs by 150 firms from across the country and participate in this free program for Loyola students
• Speed networking events that permit students to meet 10-20 IP attorneys in the course of an hour in conjunction with the Intellectual Property Lawyers Association of Chicago
• Annual IP reception for you to connect with Loyola alums and other students
• Individualized counseling, including review of resumes, as well as mock interviews
• Opportunity to network with IP attorneys while evaluating the “most inventive” science project at the Chicago Public Schools Science Fair
• IP summer job prep session, including research and resource tips

Curriculum

Loyola’s IP program of classes focuses on active learning from Day 1 include:

• IP legal writing course for 1L students
• 1L elective on the impact of IP laws on global access to affordable medicine taught by Prof. Ho, Director of Loyola’s IP program
• Externships that permit students to draft patent applications at Shirley Ryan Ability Lab, work on trademark and copyright issues pertaining to artists at the Lawyers for the Creative Arts, as well as work at the intersection of IP and business at the Museum of Science and Industry, as well as the Chicago Historical Society. Notably, these are open to students beginning the summer after their first year of law school in addition to federal judicial externships that can involve IP disputes.
• IP Colloquium, enabling students to directly interact with scholars about their draft articles, as well as engage with students and faculty from Chicago-Kent in a unique course co-taught by faculty from both schools and includes students from both schools
• Opportunities to write briefs and argue before judges, such as the Saul Lefkowitz Moot court competition, that focuses on trademark law
• Advanced Research in IP, a hands-on class taught by Professor Nan Norton, former partner at the IP boutique firm of Brinks Hofer who also has a degree in library sciences
• Annual course and co-curricular planning sessions, as well as the opportunity for individual counseling