LLM in Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law

This unique program combines the classic study of intellectual property rights with the rapidly emerging field of information technology law. Students study fundamental and advanced intellectual property rights issues in copyright, patent, and trademark law and also learn about issues that lie at the heart of today’s digital information society, such as cybercrime, e-commerce, information privacy law, and Internet law. Core courses include Copyright Law, Intellectual Property Law, Internet Regulation, Mass Media Law, Patent Law, and Trademark Law. Students also choose from more advanced and specialized courses in the fields of information technology and intellectual property law.

CREDIT HOURS

Each student is required to complete a minimum of 24 credits of approved courses; the maximum number of credits permitted is 27.

PROGRAM-SPECIFIC REQUIRED COURSES

The 24-credit minimum must include 12 credits of Specialization Distribution Courses approved for the Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law program.

The 12-credit Specialization Distribution Course requirement must include at least 6 credits from the following Core Distribution Courses:

• Copyright Law
• Information Law Survey
• Intellectual Property Law
• Patent Law
• Trademark Law

Remaining credits needed to fulfill the 12-credit Specialization Distribution Course requirement must be chosen from among the wide selection of Specialization Distribution Courses approved for the Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law program.

ADDITIONAL REQUIRED COURSES

For students who do not hold a degree from a U.S. law school, the following courses are also required:

• Introduction to the U.S. Legal System
• Legal Writing and Research for LLM Students
• Introduction to the U.S. Legal Profession
• At least 6 credits of Content Outline courses

Students are required to take Introduction to the U.S. Legal System and Legal Writing and Research for LLM Students during their first semester of study in the LLM program.

A Note Regarding Course Selection for Part-Time Students

The LLM program strives to ensure that there is a wide range of courses available in the evening in each of our LLM areas of specialization and to ensure that students will be able to meet their program requirements within their desired time frame for completion. However, it would be impossible to ensure that any specific course will be offered at a time that is convenient for all students. We encourage you to look at the schedules from past semesters, available on the registrar's website, to get a sense of what courses may be offered in the future (noting, of course, that the schedule varies from one semester to the next).

A leader in American legal education, Fordham Law School has provided a complete education in the law for more than a century. While the legal profession has changed during that time, the core mission of a Fordham Law education has not. We value academic excellence, the pursuit of justice, and the ethical practice of the lawyer’s craft. We impart the warmth of community within the School and wherever Fordham Law alumni are found around the globe. Fordham lawyers are dedicated to the highest standards of the legal profession and using the law “in the service of others.”

The School’s student journals are some of the most cited in the legal profession: the Fordham Law Review is the 7th most-cited review in judicial opinions, and all six of Fordham's journals are among the top ten most-cited journals of their respective fields.

The Fordham Law alumni community is a global network. Graduates can be found in all 50 states and 74 countries around the world. Our graduates hit the streets running, joining an ever-growing alliance of doers and thinkers, organizers and inspirers, justice-makers and jury-swayers, movers and shakers. We’re at the front of courtrooms and classrooms. Deep inside the ranks of law firms of every size and specialty. We’re transacting big business. Defending the underdog. Addressing cutting-edge theoretical issues. Solving real-life legal problems. Creating leaders. Making the world a better place. In short, we’re doing everything possible to connect Fordham Law graduates to the people, places, ideas, and career opportunities that matter most.