Intellectual Property
BU Law offers several foundational courses covering the major components of intellectual property law, including copyright, patent, trademark, unfair competition, and trade secret. It is also the only law school in the country to offer a clinic focused on intellectual property and the related field of privacy and technology law: BU/MIT Student Innovations Law Clinic (SILC). In this clinic, law students work with entrepreneurs from BU and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on legal and regulatory compliance issues related to their businesses.
BU Law’s intellectual property program is interdisciplinary in nature; members of the law school’s faculty are part of the university’s new Computing and Data Sciences degree program, which empowers students to think about the legal, ethical, and regulatory implications of new technologies. One of the program’s courses is the Law of Algorithms, which explores the legal challenges of technologies powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning. One experiential IP course, Patent Trial Advocacy, puts students in the role of trial counsel in a federal civil action. The simulation models a hypothetical patent case, from complaint to trial. Another simulation, IP Counsel for New Music Streaming Service, puts class members in the role of advising a company on the launch of its music streaming platform. Other IP courses cover topics such as entertainment law, the creative economy, and patent trial advocacy. Students can also earn a concentration in Intellectual Property & Information, work on the Journal of Science & Technology, and participate in the Technology and Policy Research Initiative, a joint project between BU Law and BU’s Questrom School of Business.
BU Law also offers an LLM in Intellectual Property & Information Law, and, through the LLM in American Law, a concentration in the subject area, which can be obtained by taking a minimum of four classes.
BU Law’s location allows students to benefit from the vibrant—and growing—biotechnology sector in Boston through internships, summer work, and post-graduation positions.