Hi guys,

Just out of curiosity, do you know what schools offer the top "LLM" programs, curriculum and/or faculty in IP Law (not necesarily best all around Law schools or top in IP for JD's)? Under what criteria did you select your choices?

By the way, I've sent applications to Stanford, Harvard, Berkely, Columbia, NYU, and George Washington. How would you suggest that I prioritize my choices, considering that I am both interested in attending a top law school school and also in focusing my studies in IP Law (school brand/value of LLM program or curriculum)?

Thanks for your advise!

I would say Stanford for the combination of reputation and IP expertise. Berkeley is also very good, but prestige is lower. Harvard super prestigious but not sure if so good for IP (yes there is the Berkman Center but not so many renowed IP scholars).

Hello,

I would say:

1. Stanford (Goldstein, Lemley, Lessig)
2. Berkely (Mendell, Samuelson)
3. Columbia (Ginsburg)
4. Otherwise, I would say that NYU, Duke and George Washington also have good scholars, but reputation of Law School for LLM is not so good.

Best

Thanks to both of you for your responses. How bout Harvard?
P.S. thanks for everything bitsou. All is sent just waiting for some confirmations of completion.

according to usnews ranking 2006;

1. University of CaliforniaBerkeley
2. Stanford University (CA)
3. George Washington University (DC)
4. University of Houston
5. Cardozo-Yeshiva University (NY)
6. Franklin Pierce Law Center (NH)
7. Columbia University (NY)
8. Duke University (NC)
New York University
10. Boston University

However, most of U.S. lawschool do not have LL.M in specific law

I sincerely advise you to also consider the approach you want to direct to your studies in IP Law. If you want a traditional "strong IP is good", or if you want a more balanced perception of IP Law. In other words, if you want to study not only the "right to property", but also and mostly the "right to access". If the latter option is the wishful thinking, subvert the ranking, include Yale in it, and have a hard time deciding between Stanford (CIS), Yale (ISP) and Duke (CPD).

Hi guys! I also intend to apply to an LLM in IP. What do you think of Cardozo Law School? I've heard that its IP program is very strong, ranked among the top 5/6 in the US.

Does anybody have a personal experience with Cardozo or a suggestion?

Thank you sooo much!

manu

I as an international IP practitioner for more than ten years would like to advise you that you should think more precisely about which type of study you wish to achieve in IP laws in LL.M. programs of U.S. IP laws fairly include various different areas, such as Patent, Trademark, Copyright, Unfair Competition, etc. U.S. News ranking does not understand this variety of IP laws. Therefore their ranking of IP programs shows very mixture of evaluation on each program. Even Interational Trade or Informational Technology can be related to IP law policy making recently. If you seek very practical know-how and knowledge in U.S. IP right application & prosecution at USPTO or other patent offices, you should go to George Washington, Franklin Pierce, John Marshal(Chicago) and also Cardozo type LL.M. including technical understanding. On the other hand, if your intention to learn more generic policy making type things of IP, non-technical oriented IP issues like Trademark/Copyright or Cyberspace with "big name" fucalties, I recommend you to go to Stanford, UC-Berkeley, Georgetown, NYU and Columbia. Even in general LL.M. programs, you may still find good faculties, who were former real patent/copyright law practitioners and international trade experts understanding IP laws, and IP law courses taught by such faculties at Duke, Uniersity of Michigan, University of Illinois, University of Washington(Seattle) and Washington University(St. Louis). University of Houston and Boston University set special programs named IP laws, but, in my observation, it is designed for more U.S. J.D. graduate lawyers in practical sense like George Washington, John Marshall type programs. In addition, you may also think about Max Plank Institute's LL.M. program in Munich, Germany. It is cooperated with George Washington to invite various leading IP faculties over the world. I hope this advise would help your application. Please do not rely on just name and ranking of the school or faculties. They does not guarantee how you can be satisfied in your LL.M. study in U.S. You shoudl be careful to check the real content offerred by each school and faculty.

Unfortunately, Harvard is not strong in IP law areas in any of Patent, Trademark and Copyright. With regard to Cyberspace and IP policy making, it is not so fine right now after Professor Lessig moved to Stanford.

Thanks to both of you for your responses. How bout Harvard?
P.S. thanks for everything bitsou. All is sent just waiting for some confirmations of completion.

Thanks for the information KYA. How about William Fisher, Charles Nesson and Jonathan Zittrain at the Berkman Center? I will definetly consider your post if I get a chance to make a decision.

Professor Fisher is a "history" scholar but not a patent guy. He has no experience in practicing in patent and perhaps have any historic analysis without practical ideas of Patent law's application. Professor Nesson has somewhat technical background but has more civil right or policy type litigation experience but no practical experience of intellectual property in his resume. Professor Zittarin is also a "cyber policy" guy rather than a "intellectual property" scholar. Pleased do not confuse IP as subject in Cyberspace with the practice of IP. Berkeman Center is just an academic institute to think about social policy in Cyberspace world rather than an academic group of Intellectual Property practice. Therefore, I concluded Havard is not strong in Intellectual Property in current situation.

Thanks for the information KYA. How about William Fisher, Charles Nesson and Jonathan Zittrain at the Berkman Center? I will definetly consider your post if I get a chance to make a decision.