Certificate in Intellectual Property Law

Students may earn a Certificate in Intellectual Property Law by successfully completing a concentrated course of study in the discipline, as outlined below.

Course of Study

Students must successfully complete 18 course credits drawn from the courses below, with a 3.0 grade point average in those 18 credits of course work, and a minimum grade of C in each course.

Required Course

Students must complete the following required course:

  • Intellectual Property Law

Optional Core Intellectual Property Courses

Students must complete at least eight credits from the following list of courses:

  • Advanced Intellectual Property Law
  • Artificial Intelligence and Law
  • Copyright Law
  • Cyberlaw
  • International Intellectual Property Law
  • Patent Law
  • Patent Prosecution
  • Trademark Law (note: Students who took Transactional IP: Trademarks and Marketing prior to the fall of 2020 may count the credits from that course toward the Certificate requirements in lieu of the credits from Trademark Law.)

Optional Adjacent Courses

Students may earn up to six credits toward the Certificate through completion of any of the following courses:

  • Administrative Law
  • Antitrust Law
  • Arbitration
  • Business Associations
  • Commercial Law
  • Conflict of Laws
  • Evolution of a Business Transaction
  • Federal Courts
  • Higher Education Law
  • International Business Transactions
  • International Law of Indigenous Peoples
  • Law and Economics
  • Law Practice Technologies
  • Legislation
  • Public International Law
  • Remedies
  • Sports and the Law
  • Torts: Product Liability and Privacy

Skills Courses

Students may earn up to five credits toward the certificate through completion of any of the following courses:

  • Advanced Legal Research
  • Appellate Practice
  • Externship (IP-related, approved in advance by the Certificate advisor)
  • Interviewing and Counseling
  • Legal Analysis, Research, and Writing for the Government Client
  • Moot Court Competition (IP-related, approved in advance by the Certificate program advisor)
  • Negotiation
  • Small Business and Nonprofit Transactional Clinic
  • Specialized Legal Research—Statutory and Regulatory Law
  • Transactional Drafting
  • Writing for Law Practice

Writing Requirement

Students must complete an upper level writing project on an intellectual property law topic approved in advance by the Certificate advisor. Students may satisfy the writing requirement by completing a scholarly paper in an upper-level writing course listed in the core requirements, through a two-credit Directed Research (LW763) project, or through an alternative writing project such as a Washburn Law Journal note. The student's Certificate advisor may approve other types of projects at the advisor's discretion. A student must receive a grade of "B" or higher in the relevant course to satisfy the writing requirement.

General Requirements

Any student interested in pursuing an Intellectual Property Certificate must, prior to completing 40 credits of study, meet with the faculty member administering the certificate (Professor Patricia Judd) to declare interest in earning the certificate and plan a course of study. [NOTE: This requirement will be adjusted to accommodate students who have completed 40 credits but desire to pursue this new Certificate opportunity with a graduation date prior to May 2022.] Any student pursuing the Certificate is expected to meet with the advising faculty member at least once per semester to review progress toward the Certificate. The advising faculty member may request more frequent meetings if necessary.

Any student pursuing the certificate must complete 90 credits of total law school credit and achieve a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in the 18 credits of courses selected by the student to meet the Certificate requirements.

Note: Students who declared their intent to pursue a Certificate prior to June 1, 2021, and who obtained a minimum grade point average of 3.5 for courses used to satisfy their Certificate requirements, will be awarded the Certificate in Intellectual Property Law (with distinction).

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the Certificate program, students will be able to:

  • Differentiate among the principal areas of intellectual property law.
  • Demonstrate mastery of the various disciplines included in intellectual property law, including displaying an understanding of (a) the fundamental requirements for obtaining rights in each covered area of intellectual property law; (b) the scope of rights once retained; (c) the standards involved in establishing infringement or misappropriation; (d) appropriate defenses to allegations of infringement or misappropriation, and (e) the suitability of various remedies.
  • Contextualize discussions of substantive intellectual property standards in applicable theoretical constructs as well as Constitutional and societal goals.
  • Advise clients in applying intellectual property protections to a presented situation and assist with strategic decisions in making or defending allegations of infringement.
  • Articulate the competing and overlapping interests of various stakeholders in intellectual property debates and navigate those interests in forging solutions to policy conflicts.
  • Demonstrate effective written advocacy and analysis skills through in-depth research on a targeted topic within the discipline.
  • Employ strategies for organizing and managing professional time, working cooperatively with others, and meeting professional deadlines in a manner expected of a new lawyer.

Approved by the faculty: October 19, 2020; revised: November 18, 2022.

Short URL for this page:
https://washburnlaw.edu/iplawcertificate

Faculty Member
Photograph: Patricia Judd.

Patricia Judd
Professor of Law

Courses offered within the law school curriculum are subject to change at any time.

Certificates of Concentration

Students at Washburn University School of Law may distinguish themselves in the job market by earning a Certificate of Concentration. The areas of concentration can be completed within the traditional 90 credit hours required for graduation. While students do not declare majors because law school provides a broad foundational education, earning a certificate at Washburn Law allows students to formalize an area of specialization within the traditional law school curriculum.

Certificates may be earned in the following areas: