Expanding the Intellectual Property Institute

With a nationally and internationally recognized faculty, Mitchell Hamline’s Intellectual Property Institute features an extensive, broad-based curriculum focused on patent, trademark, and copyright law.  For students, the Institute bridges the gap between legal theory and practice, providing them valuable opportunities to develop practical skills in a variety of IP-related areas.

IP Institute highlights

• The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Law School Clinic Certification PILOT Program: Mitchell Hamline is one of only six law schools in the nation to be chosen to participate in this program, which allows students to practice patent and trademark law before the USPTO under the supervision of faculty.
• Writing amicus briefs: Students write amicus briefs for cases of international importance. Amicus briefs are filed in court by parties not directly affiliated with cases under consideration. They provide context and perspective and help judges make decisions.
• Moot court competitions: Each year, Mitchell Hamline students hone their skills in prestigious mock-trial competitions, including the Giles Sutherland Rich Intellectual Property Law Moot Court Competition, the Saul Lefkowitz Moot Court Competition, and the Cardozo/BMI Entertainment and Communications Law Moot Court Competition.
• Shaping laws: Mitchell Hamline students are involved in shaping public policy. In 2012, students wrote a bill that would significantly lower legal costs for small businesses involved in trademark disputes with large corporations. The bill was introduced in the Minnesota House and Senate.
• Faculty members: Three full-time faculty and adjuncts from the top intellectual property firms and companies in the Twin Cities bring their knowledge and expertise to the classroom
• The Intellectual Property Law Clinic: Students develop practical intellectual property law skills in a variety of specialized areas working with small businesses, nonprofits, and individuals on legal issues related to trademark, copyright, and patent law.
• Cybaris®: An Intellectual Property Law Review, the student-edited Cybaris® publishes non-student articles and student comments on all areas of intellectual property law, including patents, copyrights, trademarks, licensing and related transactional matters.
• Inventor Assistance Program: Students provide free legal representation to low-income inventors seeking to patent their inventions with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO), in coordination with the LegalCORPS Inventor Assistance Program.

Our vision

• Expand the Intellectual Property Institute to become a national leader in teaching and scholarship in intellectual property law
• Increase the number of endowed scholarships available to students specializing in intellectual property
• Provide enhanced funding for faculty members

To achieve this vision, Mitchell Hamline requires an investment of resources—time, talent, and financial. Now is the time.

More information on the Intellectual Property Institute