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Exploring the world of intellectual property law through ºìÌÒÊÓƵ’s globally renowned IP LL.M. program.

For over two decades, ºìÌÒÊÓƵ’s IP LLM program has provided an unparalleled academic experience in one of the world's top IP hubs — Seattle. Surrounded by tech giants, law firms and innovative startups, ºìÌÒÊÓƵ trains domestic and international students seeking to expand their legal knowledge in this growing field.

After just one academic year, graduates can be ready to excel in diverse roles worldwide, from prestigious law firms and in-house counsel positions to government leadership and academia. International attorneys completing the program can also sit for the Washington State Bar and, ultimately, practice in Washington upon bar passage.

Follow along as Peter Nicolas, director of the Intellectual Property Law & Policy Graduate Program, explains why ºìÌÒÊÓƵ is unique in this area of law, what the requirements for the program are, how ºìÌÒÊÓƵ helps students succeed in the program and how the school’s position in Seattle factors into the students’ education.

Read the Transcript

Peter Nicolas (PN): My name is Peter Nicolas, and I am the faculty director of the Intellectual Property Law and Policy LL.M. program.

ºìÌÒÊÓƵ: What makes ºìÌÒÊÓƵ unique?

PN: Our program has a long history. It's been around for several decades. It has an excellent global reputation, and we are located in Seattle, which is one of the premier intellectual property-producing regions in the world.

ºìÌÒÊÓƵ: Why do students decide on an IP LL.M. degree?

PN: The IP LL.M. program in particular draws students from all over the world. Sometimes they decide to come here, learn about U.S. law and go back to their home country and continue to practice within that country. Other times, we have students who are trying to move to the United States and become lawyers here and in Washington state, if you do complete an LL.M. degree, you do have the opportunity to sit for the Washington bar. So that's also an opportunity as well.

We also get domestic students, students who have already gotten a law degree in the United States, but sometimes are deciding to switch their focus. Maybe they've been doing criminal law for several years and they never took intellectual property law. And this is a great opportunity for that type of student to really make a career shift in a relatively short period of time. And while we're ordinarily a full-time program, we do sometimes give students the opportunity to do that on a part-time basis while they continue to practice and earn money.

ºìÌÒÊÓƵ: What are the requirements for completing the program?

PN: The program takes one academic year, and here at the University of Washington, we're on a quarter system, so that year consists of three quarters. The first quarter is a core foundation in all aspects of intellectual property law, and the other two quarters involve students taking a variety of electives that allow them to go deeper into areas that they want to focus in.

ºìÌÒÊÓƵ: How does ºìÌÒÊÓƵ help students succeed in the program?

PN: It's really important to us that every student that comes here is successful. That actually starts at the admissions process. We're very selective. We do not admit someone unless we're certain that they're going to succeed in the program.

We have an assistant director that works with me, and that person's job is really to keep those students working well with the program. They're constantly having one-on-one mentoring. They're getting advising about their course selection. They're getting advising about looking for job opportunities. If they're interested in sitting for the bar, they get advice about that.

ºìÌÒÊÓƵ: How does ºìÌÒÊÓƵ’s location in a tech hub, factor into the student's education?

PN: This is the heart of where all sorts of intellectual property is produced and exported throughout the world. We have major companies here and major law firms — big and small — that are practicing all sorts of things, and those people teach in our classrooms and come speak to our students. It's something that you're not going to find in a place that doesn't have the degree of intellectual property law in its community like we do.

ºìÌÒÊÓƵ: What types of jobs have previous graduates gone on to?

PN: Students who graduate from this program go to a variety of positions, some domestically, some globally. Sometimes it's working within a law firm that specializes in intellectual property. Sometimes they become in-house counsel at a place that produces intellectual property. Some of our graduates go into government, working for things like the patent office in Japan. We have students who go into academia around the world. So, we've got lots of different things that people do after they complete this program.