The American Bar Association (ABA) has approved a graduate degree in intellectual property at the DePaul University College of Law. With only 11 law schools offering graduate studies in intellectual property nationwide, DePaul joins an elite group in garnering ABA approval for its program. U.S. News & World Report has ranked DePaul’s intellectual property program among the best in the nation.

The Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree in intellectual property will tap into DePaul’s nationally recognized Center for Intellectual Property Law & Information Technology (CIPLIT®). The cornerstones of CIPLIT’s success are its nationally renowned faculty, its broad and rich curriculum, and its strong ties to the intellectual property bar both regionally and nationally.

“By offering this advanced training in the area of intellectual property, DePaul has established itself as a central resource for attorneys who want a firm understanding of intellectual property law in our constantly evolving, highly technical society,” said Nancy Shalowitz, director of health law and graduate programs. “The LL.M. in intellectual property affords attorneys the opportunity to pursue this progressive field, regardless of whether they are currently practicing in intellectual property law.”

To receive the advanced LL.M. degree, practicing attorneys need to earn 24 credits of advanced coursework. Courses include such innovative offerings as theatre law, cultural property and art law, biotechnology patent strategies, advanced trademark practice and patent legal writing. The LL.M. is flexible so that students can custom-design an advanced curriculum that best suits their needs. The newly approved LL.M. in intellectual property is one of three advanced law degrees offered by the College of Law. It also offers Master of Laws degrees in taxation and in health care law.

The College of Law also is in the vanguard of curricular programming on another front. Two newly established joint degree programs between the College of Law and the DePaul School of Computer Science, Telecommunications and Information Systems (CTI) will enable students to earn a Juris Doctorate and one of two master’s degrees in information technology. The JD/MA accommodates any law student interested in intellectual property by offering a depth of knowledge and training to communicate in technical terms. The JD/MS program is designed primarily for students with undergraduate scientific or technical degrees, and it is intended to facilitate a significant level of fluency in information technology.

“With the approval of our LL.M. in intellectual property and our two new joint degree programs with CTI, the College of Law will capitalize on its already established reputation as a major educational force in all areas of intellectual property law,” said Roberta Rosenthal Kwall, the Raymond P. Niro Professor of Intellectual Property Law and Director of CIPLIT.

For more information about the LL.M. in intellectual property contact Nancy Shalowitz at 312-362-5663 or nshalowi@depaul.edu. For information on the joint degree programs contact Leslie Silbermann, CIPLIT’s Assistant Director, at 312-362-5124 or lsilberm@depaul.edu.