Teaching an Intellectual Property Seminar Through the Legal Literature

Abstract:     
The content and application of Intellectual Property (IP) is becoming increasingly dominated by new and ever more complex technology. The rapid changes and developments occurring with respect to the subject matter of IP are reflected not only in the substance of what we teach but also in our teaching methodologies. Yet, as the famous saying goes, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Despite all the glitz and glamour surrounding IP over the past two decades, the fact remains that IP law, like any other area, is best taught and learned through a careful application of the lost art of reading. Law students of this generation are representative of their peers in that they are far more comfortable with visual learning as opposed to plain old reading. In the majority of law school courses, the reading is geared toward mastery of subject matter on a macro scale. The academic experience of reading a law review article, or even an academic press book, in order to absorb its essence typically is not part of the law school experience. But it should be. The seminar format provides the ideal educational vehicle for exposing students to meticulous readings of law review articles in their entirety.

Part I of this Article discusses the merits of the legal literature approach to seminars. Part II addresses the mechanics of the legal literature approach.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 7

Accepted Paper Series