Fordham Law School

Intellectual
Property and
Information
Technology Law

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Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law at Fordham Law

Poised for the Legal Landscape of the Internet Age

Technology has fundamentally changed the world in which today’s law students will launch their careers, and the legal profession has changed along with it. To be ready, lawyers need to solve challenges and problems with new tools and apply established law in innovative ways. They may even find themselves practicing in areas that didn’t exist when they first arrived on campus. Tom Norton, executive director of Fordham’s Center on Law and Information Policy, says, “The rapid development of technology constantly pushes the limits of existing legal frameworks. There’s a persistent, urgent need to craft law and policy that accommodates technological advancement while ensuring a free and fair society.”
“Law students who adopt an entrepreneurial mindset will not only be better equipped to provide efficient and effective legal services for their clients. They’ll also become future leaders of the legal profession.”
Law students and teacher glancing at each other
Fordham students will be up for the challenge, with courses on Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence as well as hands-on opportunities to code “smart” contracts, a skill that is a strong lure for employers, especially in New York’s financial-services industry.

At the Entrepreneurial Law Clinic, second-, third-, and fourth-year students work under a licensed attorney faculty member, giving free advice to early-stage start-ups, many of which are focused on social justice issues like helping the formerly incarcerated find work. But tomorrow’s attorneys will need to do more than just help entrepreneurs; they’ll also need to consider themselves entrepreneurs, according to Bernice Grant, senior director of the Entrepreneurial Law Program and founding director of the Entrepreneurial Law Clinic. That might mean thinking more strategically about what they can offer prospective employers, or exploring new practice areas like emerging growth companies. Professor Grant says, “Law students who adopt an entrepreneurial mind-set will not only be better equipped to provide efficient and effective legal services for their clients. They’ll also become future leaders of the legal profession.”

Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law Quick Facts

  • The Fordham Intellectual Property, Media, and Entertainment Law Journal is the most cited law journal devoted to IP issues.
  • IP-related student groups include the Fashion Law Society, Fordham Sports Law Forum, the Information Law Society, and the Media and Entertainment Law Society.
  • Research conducted by the Center on Law and Information Policy (CLIP) was relied upon by the California Department of Justice in drafting the California Consumer Privacy Act Regulations.
  • The IP Institute’s annual Fordham Intellectual Property Law and Policy Conference draws hundreds of IP practitioners, judges, academics, and policymakers from around the world every year.
  • Under a new grant from the National Science Foundation, law students and CLIP faculty and staff work in collaboration with computer science researchers to design software systems that are accountable to law and regulation. Law students who work on the project develop qualitative and quantitative research skills and gain valuable experience interfacing with technologists.
  • The Fashion Law Institute at Fordham Law is the world’s first center dedicated to law and the business of fashion.

Select Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law Course Offerings*

  • Art and Cultural Heritage Law
  • Blockchain and Smart Contracts
  • Blockchain, Virtual Currencies, and Tokens: Business and Legal Issues
  • Copyright Law
  • Digital Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
  • Fashion Ethics, Sustainability & Development
  • Fashion Modeling Law
  • Fintech and Artificial Intelligence: Regulatory and Corporate Law Framework
  • Information Privacy Law
  • Intellectual Property and Advanced Technology: Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain
  • Intellectual Property Law
  • Patent Law
  • Patent Litigation
  • Patent Practice Skills
  • Smart Securities and Blockchain Regulations
  • Technological Change & the Law
  • Trademark Law
* Not all courses are offered every semester