Fall 2007 and Later: Patent Law Track Curriculum
Matriculation Fall 2007 and Later —89 credits required to graduate
The Patent Law Track is designed for students who intend to practice in the specialized field of patent law. Approximately twenty percent of the 89 credit hours required for graduation must be in patent law courses. The remaining eighty percent of the credit hours are in courses outside patent law; however, many Patent Track students will pursue related courses in copyright and trademark law.
Chart of Patent Law Track Course Requirements in PDF form
Patent Law Track Course Requirements
Required General Law Courses
| Course Name | Required Time | Semester Traditionally Offered |
| Intro to LRWA | 1st Yr. | Fall |
| Contracts I | 1st Yr. | Fall |
| Torts | 1st Yr. | Fall |
| Economic Foundations | 1st Yr. | Fall |
| Property | FT: 1st Yr./PT: 2nd Yr. | Fall |
| Trial-Level Writing | 1st Yr. | Spring |
| Contracts II | 1st Yr. | Spring |
| Civil Procedure | 1st Yr. | Spring |
| The Founders' Constitution | 1st Yr. | Spring |
| Criminal Law |
FT: 1st Yr./PT: 2nd Yr. |
Spring |
| Appellate Writing | 2nd Yr. | Fall |
| Constitutional Law I | 2nd Yr. | Fall |
| Legal Drafting | 2nd Yr. | Spring |
| Professional Responsibility | Before Graduation | Fall/Spring |
Required Patent Law Classes
| Course Name | Suggested Time | Semester Traditionally Offered |
| Patent Law I | 2nd Yr. | Fall |
| Patent Law II | 2nd Yr. | Spring |
| Legal & Economic Theory of IP | 2nd Yr. | Spring |
| Patent Know-How & Licensing | 3rd Yr. | Fall |
| Trade Secrets | 3rd Yr. | Spring |
| Patent Litigation & Dispute Resolution Seminar |
3rd Yr. | Spring |
| Patent Prosecution or Patent Writing Theory and Practice |
3rd Yr. | Spring Fall |
Other Track Requirements
| Course Name |
Suggested Time |
Semester Traditionally Offered |
| Administrative Law | FT: 2nd Yr./PT: 3rd Yr. | Spring |
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Sample Schedules for the Patent Law Track
The following schedules are illustrative of the general order in which students should take Patent Law Track courses in order to complete the requirements of the program. Some courses might not be offered during the semesters indicated below, so be sure to check with the Records Office for a current schedule of classes.
Scheduling considerations for all students:
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After the first year, students in the full-time division must maintain a credit load of 10-17 hours per semester, and students in the part-time division must maintain a credit load of 8-12 hours per semester. (See Academic Regulation 3-6.5.)
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In order to earn a JD, a student must be in residence for a minimum of six semesters. A student is in residence for a semester when he/she earns at least 10 hours of academic credit in a fall or spring semester. (See Academic Regulation 3-5.)
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All students must complete 89 credit hours to graduate, 80 of which must be "in-class" credit hours and no more than 12 credit hours may be graded "CR". (See Academic Regulation 3-3.1.)
Sample Schedules for Patent Law Track in PDF form
| FULL-TIME DIVISION | PART-TIME DIVISION |
| First Year - Fall | First Year - Fall |
| Intro to LWRA | Intro to LWRA |
| Contracts I | Contracts I |
| Torts | Torts |
| Economic Foundations | Economic Foundations |
| Property | |
| First Year - Spring | First Year - Fall |
| Trial Level Writing | Trial Level Writing |
| Contracts II | Contracts II |
| Civil Procedure | Civil Procedure |
| The Founders' Constitution | The Founders' Constitution |
| Criminal Law | |
| Second Year - Fall | Second Year - Fall |
| Appellate Writing | Appellate Writing |
| Constitutional Law I | Constitutional Law I |
| Patent Law I | Patent Law I |
| Electives | Property |
| Second Year - Spring | Second Year - Spring |
| Legal Drafting | Legal Drafting |
| Patent Law II | Patent Law II |
| Legal and Economic Theory of IP | Legal and Economic Theory of IP |
| Administrative Law | Criminal Law |
| Electives | Electives |
| Third Year - Fall | Third Year - Fall |
| Patent Know-How & Licensing | Patent-Know How & Licensing |
| Patent Writing Theory & Practice* | Patent Writing Theory & Practice* |
| Professional Responsibility | Electives |
| Electives | |
| Third Year - Spring | Third Year - Spring |
| Trade Secrets | Trade Secrets |
| Patent Litigation & Dispute Resolution Seminar |
Patent Litigation & Dispute Resolution Seminar |
| Patent Prosecution* | Patent Prosecution* |
| Electives | Administrative Law |
| Fourth Year - Fall | |
| Professional Responsibility | |
| Electives | |
| Fourth Year - Spring | |
| Electives | |
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