Top 22 LLM Programs in Intellectual Property Law 2019/2020

This master's degree is designed for modern lawyers and managers and explores the legal and commercial aspects of intellectual property (Reg. No. 252960). The programme is designed in partnership with major law firms and industry leaders. The University of Law is an international leader in legal education with a 140-year-old history.

These courses are registered with the Hong Kong Non-local Courses Registry (NCR). It is a matter of discretion for individual employers to recognise any qualification to which these courses may lead.

The MIPLC provides a truly international and interdisciplinary experience, thanks to its four partners, international faculty, and students from all over the world.

With just 38 students (maximum) per year, our program is much smaller than others. This guarantees intensive interaction between students, professors, and staff, as well as personalized support. Our courses are designed especially for our program and our students.

Our program is:

Southwestern Law School invites inquiries from foreign law firms and individual international practitioners in the fields of technology, entertainment, and intellectual property, for specialized training proposals leading to the award of the LL.M.

In an age-accelerated information and communication, the practice of law is becoming increasingly global. Southwestern Law School, located in the most culturally diverse city in the U.S., and a hub of entertainment and technology industries, offers individualized expertise and domain-specific knowledge in these and other areas. Beyond core courses in intellectual property and contract law, Southwestern offers the largest number of electives in entertainment and technology law, allowing for customized specializations for global practitioners. What will be the impact of re-negotiated international trade deals between the US and its neighbors? Who are the winners and losers in the U.S. net neutrality debate? How will the EU's Data Privacy Law impact innovation and competition? What is China's evolving position on trade secrets? How does Hollywood interact with international film industries in China, India, Nigeria, (and most recently Saudi Arabia)? In a world where the questions change as quickly as the answers, Southwestern trains its students to master fundamental legal concepts as well as industry-specific business practices, providing them the relevant context and skills to navigate emerging needs of their employers and clients.... [-]

Loyola's LLM program is designed for foreign law graduates and experienced foreign and U.S. attorneys. Our program allows students to build a flexible curriculum in American law and prepares them to become leaders in a globalized market. Loyola’s campus, designed by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry, is ideally positioned in downtown Los Angeles, California – a legal, tech, media, fashion and financial capital. At Loyola we care about our students and we want them to achieve their academic and professional goals.

Intellectual Property is one of the most dynamic and fastest growing areas of legal practice and represents roughly 20 percent of the American economy. Technology and social media are enabling the rapid distribution of content to millions of mobile phones, laptops, and tablets across the globe, with new legal questions surfacing every day. Every lawyer, from the solo practitioner to in-house counsel to transactional and litigation lawyers in large firms will increasingly be faced with IP issues. LLM graduates with an IP Specialization will be prepared for the “knowledge” economy of the 21st century.... [-]

American University Washington College of Law (AUWCL) offers a unique Master of Laws degree (LL.M.) in Intellectual Property through one of the world’s leading centers for the study of intellectual property and information law. Applications are now being accepted for Information Justice Fellowships – a merit scholarship, internship and mentoring program for outstanding candidates.

Outstanding applicants may qualify for the Information Justice Fellowship, which includes tuition support for up to half of the required credits, as well as mentoring and the opportunity to organize an event relevant to one's area of specialization.

LL.M. Program Features

Credit Requirements... [-]

As a top 10 IP law program in the United States for more than 25 years (as ranked by U.S. News & World Report), the University of New Hampshire School of Law has one of the most respected and comprehensive patent law and practice programs in the country.

With more than 40 years of experience as an IP leader, UNH Law and the Franklin Pierce Center for Intellectual Property boast a talented faculty, a global network of influential IP practitioners, and a rich array of IP resources and programs. Take advantage of one of the most comprehensive IP curricula in the country and immerse yourself in a broad range of cutting-edge IP issues.

Our LLM in IP is available in residential, limited residential, and online formats (online and limited residential focus on patent law.)... [-]

The LL.M. program offers several different study options. Candidates may specialize in government administration and regulation, health law, intellectual property law, or international law, or may design a course of study other than those specialized programs.

Candidates can take the fully-online Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Law LLM from anywhere in the world.

LL.M. candidates are required to earn 24 credits in approved courses. Students are strongly encouraged to earn academic credits, up to a limit of six, by engaging in faculty-supervised research and writing projects. A minimum GPA of 2.0, current and cumulative, is required.

Students are expected to complete their degrees within three years and to be continuously enrolled (full- or part-time) during fall and spring semesters until all degree requirements are met.... [-]

The George Washington University Law School has been a leader in intellectual property education and scholarship for more than a hundred years. When GW Law established a Master's of Patent Law program in 1895, its alumni had already written the patents for Bell's the telephone, Mergenthaler's the linotype machine, and Eastman's roll film camera, among hundreds of other inventions, and dozens of more alumni had worked in the Patent Office. Over the intervening century, GW Law has bolstered its expertise in patent law with complementary strengths in copyright, trademark, communications, computer and internet regulation, electronic commerce, and genetics and medicine.

A minimum of 14 credits from the following courses is required,* including 2 credits graded on the basis of the research paper. The research paper must be at least 8,000 words in length, and U.S. law school graduates must achieve a minimum grade of B+. For students who choose to write a thesis, Thesis (6690-91) and a minimum of 10 credits from the following courses are required.... [-]

The LL.M. in Intellectual Property is designed for participants to acquire the skills needed to play a leading role in intellectual property rights (IPR) practice and teaching through exposure to an international and comparative approach. The curriculum aims to provide an in-depth examination of the classical topics of IP law, as well as specialized analysis of the latest developments in the fields of patents, industrial design, integrated circuits, trademarks, domain names, copyright and related rights, biotechnological patents and plant varieties as well as the internet, software, databases and e-commerce.

The LL.M. in Intellectual Property is taught in English and is structured in three different phases stretching over 9 months, from June 2014 to February 2015.... [-]

The Kent LLM (and associated Diploma programme) allows you to broaden and deepen your knowledge and understanding of the law by specialising in one or more different areas.

This pathway in Intellectual Property Law equips postgraduate students with the necessary in-depth knowledge to practise intellectual property law or work in creative industries. It also provides an excellent foundation for students who may wish to pursue a research degree in the field.

The pathway provides students with a detailed insight into the dynamic and growing area of intellectual property law by taking a distinctively contextual approach: delineating its histories, materialisations and practices, as well as analysing their conceptual foundations and dilemmas.... [-]

The growing technological development that we have observed for some years has multiplied the factors of creation, production, protection and exploitation of Intellectual Property works and products.

Various business sectors (such as musical, audiovisual, multimedia, Internet, publishing, biotechnology ...) live with special intensity the need to innovate in products and processes which will generate enormous competitive advantage and, thanks to this great economic benefits . Therefore, these companies require legal professionals and law properly prepared to manage and protect with guarantees, in a global environment, the capital that involves the creation of these copyright and intellectual property.... [-]

“The future of the nation depends in no small part on the efficiency of industry, and the efficiency of the industry depends in no small part on the protection of intellectual property.” Judge Richard Posner in Rockwell Graphic Systems, Inc. v. DEV Industries, 925 F.2d 174 (7th Cir. 1991)

The field of intellectual property (IP) reaches wide, and is probably the most dynamic field of law, as it constantly changes. What does it relate to? The nature of IP is best understood through a comparison with other, tangible, forms of property. One example is immovable property, such as a piece of land.

Other examples are things, such as a vehicle, a watch, or a soccer ball. In these instances, one has rights to the object itself. In other words, your rights would be infringed if the object is destroyed. The position with IP is different. An example might be a patent for a pair of night vision binoculars. The intellectual property rights of the patentee would not be infringed if the binoculars are destroyed. The reason for this is that it is the invention that is protected and not the binoculars. IP is, accordingly, that body of law that regulates the creation and utilization of immaterial property, and the enforcement of resultant rights. The objects of the various IP rights typically include patents, copyright, registered designs, and trademarks.... [-]

This programme is designed to equip you with an advanced knowledge and understanding of intellectual property law within an international, European and domestic (UK) setting.

The core subjects of the programme cover both substantive intellectual property law and the place and role of intellectual property, not just in its legal context but also in its social, ethical, cultural and commercial contexts. The programme spans patents, copyright, trademarks, designs, database rights, breach of confidence, passing off and sui generis rights, as well as investigating a range of issues which underpin contemporary intellectual property law and policy.

BU Law is proud to offer a select group of lawyers the opportunity to pursue an advanced degree in one of the most dynamic fields of legal practice today: intellectual property law. This initiative builds upon the academic excellence that has earned our school its leading reputation in the field. BU Law has been ranked one of the top intellectual property law schools, ranking 9th among American law schools for intellectual property law studies, according to U.S. News & World Report (2018 edition).

The excitement of studying IP law at our school is palpable. Our world-renowned intellectual property faculty; the breadth of curricular choices in such emerging topics as the internet and biotechnology; and a graduate student body representing over 30 nations—with backgrounds in high-technology, engineering, biotechnology, publishing, the arts, and entertainment—create a truly invigorating learning environment for advanced study.... [-]

The Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Intellectual Property Law is designed to provide graduates of foreign law schools with a deep understanding of the doctrine and policy of United States intellectual property law, including patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets.

Intellectual property has become a focus in the global marketplace and information economy, presenting some of the most important and complex issues facing legal systems, as well as the business, entertainment and technology communities.

The one-year program requires full-time attendance and 24 hours of course credits.