UC Davis School of Law - Academics and Clinicals - Certificates: Intellectual Property

Academics and Clinicals

Intellectual Property Certificate

The certificate program was initiated as part of the law school’s effort to provide students with broad and deep exposure to intellectual property law and help prepare students for practice in the area. The certificate is awarded upon completion of at least 15 units of intellectual property or technology related courses, including Foundation Courses (designated combinations of Intellectual Property Survey, Patent Law, Trademark and Unfair Competition and Copyright) and a substantial research paper on an intellectual property or technology related topic.

Minimum Intellectual Property related credits. Students must take at least 15 units of Intellectual Property or technology related courses, selecting from a list approved by the Educational Policy Committee. Currently approved courses are:

Antitrust
Bioethics
Chinese Intellectual Property
Globalization and the Law
IP Drafting for Biotech and Pharma
Intellectual Property in Historical Context
Law of E-Commerce
Right of Publicity
Theory and History of Intellectual Property [1]

Art Law
Brands and Trademarks
Copyright
Innovation and Technology Transfer
Intellectual Property
Intellectual Property Externship
Patent Law
Trademark

Foundation Courses. Students must satisfy either Option A or Option B:

Option A: Take the Intellectual Property Survey course plus at least 1 of the following 3 courses:
- Patent Law
- Trademark
- Copyright
Option B: Take 2 of the following courses:
- Patent Law
- Trademark
- Copyright

A student who takes the Intellectual Property Survey course and all three of the courses in option B will only be able to count three of the four courses towards the 15 units required for the certificate.

Independent or Group Study and Externships. Students may satisfy up to 4 units of the 15 units through independent study, group study, and/or an externship related to IP.

Any group study (Law 498) must be approved by at least one intellectual property professor, and a paper written for group study will not satisfy the writing requirement unless a supervising faculty member accepts it as an independent writing project.

Writing Requirement. Students must write a writing-requirement-quality paper, approved by an IP Professor, on an IP related law topic through a seminar, an independent study, or law review. The paper should develop and defend a thesis and demonstrate original thought and analysis. Students writing papers independent of a seminar should consult early with faculty on paper topics and must submit a proposed topic to the supervising faculty member by May 15 of their second year of law school and submit a draft of the paper by December 31 of their third year.

Minimum IP-related GPA. Students must maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or above in graded certificate classes.

[1] Elective courses are offered on a rotating basis. Not all courses will be taught in any given year. Please check the Course Descriptions webpage for current course offerings. Complete the Intellectual Property Certificate Form. PDF File Have your faculty advisor sign off and return the form to the Law School Registrar's Office.

Antitrust
(Law 262) (3 units)

Art Law
(Law 296D) (2 units)

Bioethics
(Law 286C) (3 units)

Brands and Trademarks Seminar
(Law 295T) (2 units)

Chinese Intellectual Property law
(Law 274BT) (2 units)

Globalization and the Law
(Law 248D) (3 units)

Innovation and Technology Transfer Seminar
(Law 209T) (2 units)

Intellectual Property
(Law 274) (3 units)

Intellectual Property Agreement Drafting for Biotech & Pharma
(Law 275TA) (2 units)

Intellectual Property Externship
(Law 465) (2 to 6 units)

Law of E-Commerce
(Law 266A) (3 units)

Patent Law
(Law 209A) (3 units)

Right of Publicity and Related Doctrines
(Law 296T) (2 units)

Trademark and Unfair Competition Law
(Law 295A) (3 units)

Trade Secrets
(Law 274BT) (2 units)