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LL.M. in Intellectual Property and Technology

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LL.M. in Intellectual Property and Technology

American University Washington College of Law (AUWCL) has long been a leader in the related fields of intellectual property and technology law. Our LL.M. in Intellectual Property and Technology harnesses those strengths with a unique program for international and domestic law graduates looking to enter or grow in these overlapping areas of practice. The program takes advantage of our Washington D.C. location, our flagship research and policy centers and our Program on Information Justice & Intellectual Property (PIJIP) and Technology, Law & Security Program (TLS), to bring students in constant contact with the judges, legislators, executive branch officials, trade negotiators, multilateral agencies, scholars, and industry and public interest lawyers whose work shapes this exciting and rapidly changing area of the law. Outstanding applicants are invited to apply for our Information Justice Fellowship, which includes a partial tuition scholarship.

Faculty

LL.M. students study with over a dozen full-time faculty specializing in intellectual property or technology law research and who teach all of our foundational courses (Communication Law & Information Policy, Copyright, Cyberlaw, National Security Law, Patent, and Trademark). The research of faculty engages with the pressing technology issues of our time, including the role of intellectual property and technology in finance, autonomous weapons systems, litigation and the courts, international trade, rights to access and use research materials, cultural heritage law, criminal law, social media platforms, software preservation, Internet domain names, and pro bono legal services. PIJIP Faculty and TLS Faculty

Learn More about Our Faculty

LL.M. Degree Requirements

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The LLM degree requires the completion of twenty-four credit hours in either a Research or Practical Skills Track. Students in the Research Track (the default) are required to write a thesis of at least 7000 words (not including footnotes) or two shorter-term papers. Students in the Practical Skills Track complete a placement at an approved Externship Employer through our acclaimed Supervised Externship Program. At least twelve credits must be taken from over 40+ approved intellectual property and technology courses, including at least one Foundational Course (Copyright, Cyberlaw, National Security Law, Patent, and Trademark). 

Technology Policy Research Centers

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LL.M. in Intellectual Property and Technology students work in partnership with the staff and faculty of our associated policy research centers. The pioneering Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property (PIJIP), and the  Program on Technology, Law and Security (TLS), offer some of the broadest and deepest opportunities to engage in the field of any law school in the world. Each program hosts dozens of events featuring national and global leaders, supports projects that promote public interest policy reform, and teams scholars, students, and stakeholders in collaborative research. 

Career Preparation 

At the Capital

Graduates from AUWCL occupy the top echelons of government and private practice. We rank among our graduates judges on the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals and lower federal courts, administrative law judges at the US Patent and Trademark Office, partners at nearly every of the top 500 intellectual property and technology law firms, general counsel at leading companies, the heads of government agencies, and professors of law in the U.S. and around the world.  We host numerous events and workshops engaging students with alumni, including a Fall Alumni-Student Reception at Microsoft’s D.C. headquarters and Spring Alumni Career Coaching and Speed Networking.  You can find our graduates here. 

InfoJustice Fellowship

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The Information Justice Fellowship provides outstanding applicants a 50% tuition scholarship and a research internship with one of our IP and Technology policy research centers. The Fellowship is tailored toward students who seek to use their studies to promote research or a career promoting the public interest. To apply, students should indicate their interest in the Fellowship in their personal statement, explain how they intend to use their studies or career to promote the public interest, and indicate which of our affiliated research centers (Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property and Program on Technology, Law & Security) they would prefer to work with.

Summer Session

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Summer sessions in Intellectual Property and Technology in Washington D.C. and Geneva, Switzerland, permit LL.M. students to earn credits toward their degree through concentrated short courses taught by industry leaders. Courses in Washington D.C. focus on hot topics in current practice including patent litigation, licensing, fashion and design law, videogame and immersive entertainment, and technology and privacy from a global perspective. Our Geneva Summer programs include a one-of-its-kind residential course on Intellectual Property and Trade, with course work inside the World Trade Organization and World Intellectual Property Organization.