The CIPL Certificate Program

Any Whittier Law School student may seek a Certificate in Intellectual Property Law. The Certificate Program gives students a solid grounding in the basic IP areas and allows students to study advanced electives in their areas of interest. To receive a Certificate, students must take all three core intellectual property courses (copyright, patent, and trademark law), earn six credits in intellectual property electives, and attend five or more intellectual property colloquia. Electives include courses such as Trademark Prosecution and Patent Drafting and Prosecution in which students learn the “nuts and bolts” of intellectual property practice, advanced courses in domestic and international IP topics in which students delve into the policies underlying intellectual property laws, and externships in which students get hands-on experience in intellectual property practice.

The CIPL awards a Certificate in Intellectual Property Law to students who complete the following 3-part course of study:

1) Required Core Courses

  • Copyright Law
  • Patent Law
  • Trademarks and Unfair Competition

2) Six Additional Credit Hours From the List of Advanced Intellectual Property Electives. Recently Offered Electives Include:

  • Advanced Copyright Law
  • Advanced Patent Law
  • Art and the Law Seminar
  • Biotechnology and Intellectual Property
  • Comparative Rights of Publicity
  • Computers and the Law
  • Cultural Property Law
  • Entertainment Law
  • Intellectual Property Litigation
  • International Intellectual Property
  • International Patent Law
  • International Sports Law (with Director approval)
  • International Trademark Law
  • Internet Law
  • Music Law
  • Patent Drafting
  • Patent Prosecution
  • Rights of Publicity
  • Sports Law (with Director approval)
  • Trade Secret Law
  • Trademark Prosecution
  • Video Game Law
  • Competitive Intellectual Property Appellate Advocacy
  • Externships or Independent Studies Focusing on IP Law

3) Attendance at Five (5) or More Intellectual Property Colloquia