Intellectual Property Law

  •  Wide variety of course offerings
  • Experienced scholars & practitioners on the faculty
  • Highly active membership in SIPLA
  • Career Development Office counselors dedicated specifically to IP
  • Prestigious speakers series brings experts to campus

GW Law offers a diverse selection of intellectual property courses that covers all facets of the practice area, including patent law, copyright, trademark, computer and cyberspace law, international intellectual property law, and privacy. To supplement their classroom instruction, students pursue externships nearby at the Federal Circuit Court, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and the White House, as well as many top IP law firms. Students also interact with prominent practitioners from these institutions who participate in speaker series, lectures, and other events on campus. In addition, GW students produce the American Intellectual Property Law Association Quarterly Journal.

Our prestigious faculty includes a former Deputy General Counsel for the USPTO, a trial attorney in the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section at the US Department of Justice, an expert in Internet law and free speech, one of the world’s leading experts in privacy law, a retired Chief Judge of the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and the current Commissioner of the ITC.

GW’s Student IP Law Association (SIPLA), one of the largest student groups on the GW campus, hosts social events, interview preparation, and a mentorship program. The group brings 20-25 law firms to recruit IP students. In addition, GW Law’s Career Development Office offers two dedicated counselors in IP law to assist students in their job search.