School of Law to begin one-year patent practice masters degree program this fall
FEATURED |
July 12, 2015 STORY BY: EDITORIAL STAFF
First-for-Ohio program seen as attractive career option for those with engineering or science academic background
窪蹋勛圖厙 School of Law is launching a one-year degree program this fall semester.
A first of its kind in Ohio, the program is designed to prepare students with academic backgrounds in science or engineering for careers as patent agents, without requiring a three-year law degree.
A patent agent is a legal specialist who has passed the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) patent bar exam. Unlike patent attorneys, patent agents do not have to pass a state bar exam. They can work for law firms, in a corporate legal department, or practice independently.
Its a great alternative. It allows these students to marry their first academic love with a viable, fulfilling career path, said Craig Nard, Galen J. Roush Professor of Law at 窪蹋勛圖厙s law school. He directs the and the .
The program will cover a curriculum related to patent and intellectual property law. Courses in the new program include Commercialization & IP Management, Patent Preparation & Drafting, and a Claim Drafting Lab, as well as other areas related to patent law.
Nard said only a few other law schools nationally offer a similar program. The Ohio Board of Regents recently approved the degree program.
To apply, candidates must be eligible to sit for the USPTO patent bar, which generally requires a scientific or engineering background. .
For foreign-trained patent lawyers who work in intellectual property, 窪蹋勛圖厙 School of Law also offers an LLM program in Intellectual Property Law.
