LAW992

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STARTUP LEGAL GARAGE: PATENT MODULE

Course Title

STARTUP LEGAL GARAGE: PATENT

Course Number

992

Min

2

Course Types

Field Placement (FP), Letter Grading, Cln/Ext Clsrm (CEC), [INTERNAL MBP] (MBP)

Credit Type

CLINICS/EXTERNSHIPS

Description

The Startup Legal Garage course is a year-long, eight-unit course (2-unit class in the fall and 3 units of fieldwork per semester, with optional related coursework in the spring). The fieldwork component satisfies the experiential learning requirement. Students assist early-stage startups with patent matters, predominantly "freedom-to-operate" analyses that will help the startups focus their strategy and attract funding. Many of the companies in the program come from QB3, which is an incubator for startups developed from biotechnology inventions at UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz and UCSF. Student work preparing analyses of relevant patents is supervised by lawyers at leading law firms. This course helps students develop and apply transactional lawyering skills such as planning and management, client interviewing and counseling, navigating conflict of interest issues, and legal research. Students receive legal skills training related to those tasks and have the opportunity to present and discuss their fieldwork with the group. Students (rising 2Ls and 3Ls) must apply and be accepted into the program by the professors. The application process takes place in the spring prior to the registration period in July. This course functions like other experiential learning courses, with similar hours expectations. Like other experiential courses, it may be combined with other coursework and extracurricular activities, including, e.g., Moot Court, journals, and TA roles. Students may consult with Professor Belonick with application or scheduling questions.