Where Will Your Legal Education Take You?

Graphic by Alondra Pulido

Intellectual property law covers copyrights, trademarks, and patents. While conceptually similar, laws governing these areas affect different things. Patent laws are designed to protect inventions and other tangible property, copyrights protect original forms of authorship, including writings and art, and trademarks generally protect brand names and logos. Intellectual property lawyers may specialize in a variety of fields relating to IP law; common in Seattle are specializations in biomedicine and technology.

To become a patent practitioner and represent clients before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), one must pass the USPTO exam, also known as the patent bar. The exam consists of 100 multiple-choice questions, 63 of which need to be answered correctly in order to pass. One must also have attained a Bachelor’s degree in a recognized STEM field (science, technology, engineering, and math), or have enough training in such a field to meet the requirements of expertise.

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

Seattle is a hotspot of innovation and entrepreneurship, and so the city requires a constant supply of intellectual property lawyers. The University of Washington School of Law is thus well-situated to train its students within the field of IP law. To gain further expertise, law students interested in IP law may choose to pursue UW’s Intellectual Property Concentration Track or choose the LL.M. in IP law, which trains students in trademarks and litigation and provides them with the foundational skills required to succeed as an intellectual property lawyer. Additionally, interested law students may choose to take part in the Entrepreneurial Law Clinic (ELC) at the University of Washington School of Law, which partners law and business students with attorneys and business advisors. Another option for law students is the Technology Law and Public Policy Clinic, where clinicians work with a project team to address an issue involving high tech and public policy.

• Intellectual Property LL.M. [University of Washington School of Law]

• United States Patent and Trademark Office [Office of Enrollment and Discipline]

• What is IP Law? [American Intellectual Property Law Association]

• Entrepreneurial Law Clinic [University of Washington School of Law]

• Intellectual Property Concentration Track [University of Washington School of Law]

• Intellectual Property LL.M. [University of Washington School of Law]

• Intellectual Property Research [Gallagher Law Library] 

• Technology Law and Public Policy Clinic [University of Washington School of Law]

• University of Washington School of Law Faculty:

  • William Covington - UW Director of the Technology Law & Public Policy Clinic

  • Robert W. Gomulkiewicz - UW Director of the Intellectual Property Law & Policy Graduate Program

    Researches and teaches in trademark law, copyright law, and software law.

  • Zahr K. Said - UW Associate Dean of Research & Faculty Development

    Researches and teaches in copyright law, art law, music law, and trademark law.

  • Toshiko Takenaka - UW Professor of Technology Law

    Researches and teaches in patent and trademark law.