Intellectual Property Law Clinic
Overview
The Intellectual Property Law Clinic is a 4 credit course open to 2L and 3L students who have taken Intellectual Property Survey prior to course enrollment. This course provides students with hands-on opportunities to assist clients with transactional intellectual property matters. Student services include advising clients on basic intellectual property principles, drafting contracts (or contract provisions) that affect intellectual property rights, prosecuting copyright and/or trademark applications, and preparing policy documents and guidelines. In addition to direct client representation, students will attend a two-hour seminar, and meet with the clinic faculty supervisor to discuss fieldwork each week.
- Seminar: 2-hour class that typically meets weekly
- Fieldwork:
- Clients are usually shared (teams of 2 or 3)
- One team member serves as point of client contact
- Each team member assigned different, often related, projects
- Supervision:
- 1-hour weekly meeting with Supervising Attorney
- Teams prepare agenda items for supervision meetings
- Supervising Attorney provides feedback on work product, client correspondence, and matter strategy
- Practical skills development
- Client interview and counseling scenarios
- Negotiation exercises
- Multicultural client counseling
- Drafting exercises and quick writes
- Correspondence
- Contracts
- Administrative filings
- Technical skills training
- Third party trademark search platforms
- MyUSPTO.gov
Clinic Director
Zaneta Robinson
Intellectual Property Law Background
What is intellectual property? Intellectual property refers to creations of the mind. However, they are not merely ideas.
The primary types of US intellectual property are:
- Copyright – federal laws that protect artistic works
- Trademark – federal and state laws that protect source indicators
- Patent – federal laws that protect inventions
Who Are Intellectual Property Clinic Clients?
- Many industries represented
- Individual entrepreneurs, small businesses or startups, and nonprofit organizations
- Located throughout the country; primarily located within the state of North Carolina
- Not otherwise represented by, or can afford, legal counsel
Representative Intellectual Property Clinic Client Needs
- Identifying intellectual property interests (audits)
- Branding decisions (trademark clearance and registration)
- License agreements (trademark and copyright)
- Ownership transfers of content or artistic work created by others (copyright assignments)
- Protection of creative works (copyright registration)
- Web policy provisions (terms and privacy)
Representative Client Industries
- Arts and entertainment services
- Artists/art studios
- Apparel
- Florists
- Business services
- Food and beverage
- Plant-based snacks
- Condiments and sauces
- Catering services
- Nonprofit organizations
- Personal services
- Exercise and fitness
- Consultants and life coaches
- Skincare and cosmetics
- Special events planning and goods
- Textiles, jewelry and apparel
- Personalized gifts
- Mobile app developers and software as a service