The best U.S. intellectual property law programs often not the exclusive domain of the the highest ranked law schools. These programs also may not be the most positively disposed to IP rights.
U.S. News and World Report ranks Stanford, UC Berkeley, and New York University at the top, highly-rated law schools who excel in teaching a about IP. Stanford is #1 both as a law school and and IP program.
Other schools, Santa Clara (ties to Silicon Valley companies and law firms), *George Washington (strong on enforcement) and American University are more complex. Santa Clara is ranked at the 156th best overall law school but its IP program is #5; GW is #31 overall but tied for #5 in IP Law; and American University in DC #104 and #6.
What sets these IP programs apart is not clearly conveyed in the U.S. News methodology. Presumably its the number and quality of their course offerings and teachers, and tuition value. The publication conveys in great detail its methodology for over all law school rankings. However, IP CloseUp could not find anything specific about how the IP program rankings were determined.
“They may be teaching about IP but don’t necessarily believe that rights should be strengthened or more fairly applied,” one educator told IPCU.
Texas A&M, Yeshiva University (fashion, arts and entertainment), Georgetown and Illinois Institute of Technology (Chicago-Kent College of Law) are shown as strong in IP but significantly less so in overall law school rankings.
Law professors IP CloseUp spoke to on a condition of anonymity say the that many who teach IP law are less favorably disposed to strong patent rights than many would think.
“They may be teaching about IP but don’t necessarily believe that rights should be strengthened or more fairly applied,” one educator told IPCU. A statement supported by at least two others.
Academic Biases?
This may have to do with historic academic biases against perceived monopolies and rights as property, school financial support, influential alumni, instructors’ current or previous business affiliations, or misperceptions about the function of property rights and their status.
Programs that IP CloseUp is aware of as distinctly pro-patent and/or copyright, and pro inventor/creator, are NYU, Yeshiva, George Mason, GW and IIT, Chicago-Kent.
Tap here, for the the full U.S. News IP Law Programs listing.
*According to a response on OpenAI, George Washington University Law School has a “Deep focus on patent law and IP enforcement. Strong ties to the USPTO and industry players. Faculty generally favor robust IP protections, especially in patent heavy fields like pharma and tech.”
Top Five
ChatGPT says that the top five schools with a pro-strong IP rights focus: GW, Stanford, U. of Houston, Cardozo and U. of Illinois, Urbana.
Image source: U.S. News
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