DePaul’s LLM in Intellectual Property Law & Information Technology offers a comprehensive graduate curriculum in intellectual property and technology law.
With a broad range of course offerings, the curriculum provides specialized training in copyright, patent, trademark and information technology law, as well as cybersecurity and data privacy. The program also offers initiatives and programming offered through the Center for Intellectual Property Law & Information Technology (CIPLIT®), which supports scholarship, programming and engagement in this rapidly evolving field.
| Program Requirements | Semester Hours |
|---|---|
| Core Requirements | 9 |
| Elective Requirements | 15 |
| Total hours required | 24 |
Learning Outcomes
- Domestic students will be able to demonstrate advanced knowledge of the legal rules and policies in the student's area of specialization.
- Domestic students will be able to conduct advanced legal research and analysis in the student's area of specialization.
- International students will be able to identify structures of the U.S. legal system and government institutions.
- International students will be able to demonstrating understanding of how a common law system operates in a constitutional democracy.
- International students will be able to demonstrate advanced knowledge of the legal rules and policies in the student's area of specialization.
- International students will be able to identify and apply relevant legal authority.
- International students will be able to communication clearly in speech and writing.
Degree Requirements
Designed for experienced attorneys and recent law graduates from the United States and abroad, the LLM in Intellectual Property Law & Information Technology may be completed on either a full-time or part-time basis, but the program must be finished within five years.
The LLM program begins with an orientation that introduces students to DePaul Law's faculty, staff, library, computer and research facilities.
Students who received a first degree in law outside the United States are required to take a foundational course introducing them to the Socratic teaching method, the differences between civil and common law systems and the foundations of the U.S. legal system, as well as an introductory course in legal research and writing.
To earn the LLM in Intellectual Property Law & Information Technology, a student must complete 24 semester hours of credit with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0. A summer term is counted as a semester for this purpose.
A student who completes 24 credit hours with a GPA below 2.0 will not be permitted to continue taking classes to improve the GPA, and the student is automatically dismissed if the cumulative GPA falls below 2.0 for any three consecutive semesters.
With the exception of students admitted to and enrolled in the joint JD/LLM program, credits earned as part of a JD program do not count toward the LLM degree. No credit is given for law courses taken before a student is admitted to and enrolled in the LLM program.
Courses must be selected from the approved LLM in Intellectual Property Law & Information Technology courses listed below. Students wishing to substitute a course must consult with the College of Law’s academic advisor.
Course Requirements
Courses must be selected from the LLM in Intellectual Property & Information Technology Law courses listed below.
Required Courses
| Course | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| LAW 250 | SENIOR RESEARCH SEMINAR (approved topic) | 3 |
| Select at least one of the following: | 3 | |
| PATENT LAW | ||
| COPYRIGHT LAW | ||
| TRADEMARK & UNFAIR COMPETITION LAW | ||
| Select at least one of the following: | 2-3 | |
| INTERNET LAW | ||
| DATA PRIVACY LAW: US & EU | ||
| CYBERSECURITY LAW: LITIGATION AND NEGOTIATION | ||
Additional Required Courses for International Lawyers
| Course | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| LAW 322 | INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN LAW AND LEGAL SYSTEMS | 3 |
| LAW 556 | INTRODUCTION TO LEGAL WRITING AND RESEARCH | 3 |
Elective Courses
| Course | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PATENT & TRADEMARK SEARCHING | ||
| SENIOR RESEARCH SEMINAR (Advanced Intellectual Property; Advanced Patents; Cultural Heritage; or other approved topic) | ||
| TRADEMARK & UNFAIR COMPETITION LAW | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS IN LAW (IP Valuation in Tech, Health, and Other Industries; other approved topic) | ||
| MUSIC LAW | ||
or LAW 293 | MUSIC TRANSACTIONS: REPRESENTING TALENT | |
| INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY FOR CORPORATE TRANSACTIONAL LAWYERS | ||
| INTERNET LAW | ||
| COPYRIGHT LAW | ||
| ENTERTAINMENT LAW | ||
| ANTITRUST | ||
or LAW 508 | ADMINISTRATIVE LAW | |
| INDEPENDENT STUDY (approved topic) | ||
| SPORTS LAW | ||
| PATENT LAW | ||
| INTERNATIONAL INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY | ||
| LEGAL DRAFTING (Art Market Transactions; IP Licensing & Negotiations; Trademark & Copyright; Trademark & Patent; Patents; or other approved topic) | ||
| LITIGATION STRATEGY: INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY | ||
| EXTERNSHIP PROGRAM (approved placement in IP/IT) | ||
| EXTERNSHIP SEMINAR (in conjunction with approved LAW 524 placement above) | ||
| ART AND THE LAW | ||
| FOOD AND DRUG LAW | ||
| DATA PRIVACY LAW: US & EU | ||
| CYBERSECURITY LAW: LITIGATION AND NEGOTIATION | ||
| Students may count one of the following courses offered through CDM: | ||
| INFORMATION SECURITY MANAGEMENT | ||
| DISASTER RECOVERY THEORY STRATEGIES | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO PROGRAMMING | ||
| LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY | ||
| IT AUDITING | ||