Innovative Learning in an Established Environment

The LL.M continuing education program in Intellectual Property, offered by the Law Faculty of the University of Düsseldorf since 2001, offers a proven form of practical education for legal professionals in the area of intellectual property law. The goal of the program is to deliver specialized intensive courses to prepare legal professionals for work in the area of intellectual property – be it in the private bar, in business, or in agencies or courts.

Düsseldorf - A Center for Intellectual Property Law

The Düsseldorf region is a internationally recognized center for law, consulting, and business, with about 100,000 firms and 5,000 affiliates and subsidiaries of foreign enterprises. With local courts specializing in patent and competition law, and as a leading marketing center, Düsseldorf is one of Germany's centers of intellectual property law.

Intellectual Property as a Legal Discipline

Intellectual property questions – particularly patent, trademark, and design law – have been a prominent feature of business-law professional environments for many years. However, most law graduates do not have the specialized knowledge required for practice in this area. Further, this deficit usually cannot be made up during the mandatory internship period required of German law students.

Contents and Goal of Intellectual Property LL.M. Program

The two-semester study program delivers training on the basis of a curriculum geared to the needs of practicing legal professionals. The lecturers are drawn from specialists and experienced teachers with relevant experience (university professors, judges, patent attorneys and other attorneys).

Participants will develop the ability to build new legal precedents and solve conflicts in this area. The courses are taught from an integrated perspective, in which cases and doctrine are analyzed from the perspective of not only of regulators and judicial bodies, but also practicing attorneys and businesses.

Degree

After successful conclusion of the program and passage of a Master's Examination, the Law Faculty of the Heinrich-Heine University will confer the degree “Master of Laws” – LL.M. Students will then also receive a diploma supplement and a transcript of records, in both English and German.

Theoretical component of legal specialization in intellectual property
Participants can also obtain the “special theoretical knowledge” required for conferral of a legal specialization in the area of intellectual property law according to § 14b of the FAO (Legal Specialization Ordinance).

Part-time Students

Lectures take place mainly in the form of lecture-blocks starting on Friday afternoon (3:00 PM) and Saturday (10:00 AM); occasionally also on Thursday evening (6 PM). The course is designed to accommodate and welcome students who are currently pursuing active careers. Employed students will need excellent concentration and time-management skills. The course of study can also be completed over four semesters.

Alumni

As of Summer 2008, the program will have graduated 170 students in its seven years of existence. All graduates are welcome to become members of the Supporters' Circle of the Law Faculty, an alumni network.

References

Without exception, graduates have recommended the program. Participants who did not have previous experience in intellectual property law were able to gain entry into this area of legal practice. The majority of alumni went on to work more intensively with questions of intellectual property law.

Center for Intellectual Property (CIP)

The Center for Intellectual Property (CIP) conducts research and education in the area of intangible property law and business law. Prof. Dr. Jan Busche, Prof. Dr. Peter Meier-Beck (Federal Supreme Court of Justice) and Prof. Dr. Ulrich Noack are Directors of the Center.

With the Mickeln Castle workshop discussions (hosted at Mickeln Castle, the University’s conference center and guesthouse) and the Business Law Forum, the CIP provides two lecture and discussion series in which research topics are discussed in close proximity to law practice. The Düsseldorf Patent Law Days event focuses on applied questions of patent law. The CIP also contributes to the discussion in the interdisciplinary düsseldorf working group on patent law (apud).

At the website www.gewrs.de, visitors can find the Düsseldorf Virtual Archive for Trademark and Patent Law (VAMP), with its "Düsseldorf Decisions" on patent law.

Requirements for Admission

Candidates are expected to be licensed to practice law in Germany or another country, and to have practical experience and above-average seminar grades. Candidates who have written doctoral dissertations in a related area are particularly invited to apply.

A maximum of 25 students will be admitted. The Program and Admissions Committee is responsible for making the admissions decision.

Additional information on admissions policies can be found in the program’s Requirements for Admission.

Languages

The lectures will be held in German. Students can also visit English-language Düsseldorf Law School presentations for a reduced fee.

Tuition

Tuition fees are € 3,000 per semester (€ 6,000 total) and are due before the beginning of the respective semesters. Partial scholarships will be awarded based on academic criteria.

General information on financial support and tax deductibility is available through the DLS Careers Service.

Application

Applications for the program beginning each year on October 1 can be submitted beginning on

February 1

of the same year.

Applicants who are accepted will be conditionally offered a place in the program subject to an acceptance deadline. The offer can be accepted by returning the acceptance form and making a pre-payment of €500 toward tuition fees within two weeks of acceptance.

Applications are welcome through July 15 of each year. The number of applicants far exceeds the 25 spots which the CIP has offered for each incoming class since the program started in 2001. We highly recommend early applications.

Up-to-date through July 03, 2008; subject to alterations.