Internet and Intellectual Property Justice Clinic

In the Bay Area, a hub of invention and innovation, companies and individuals need lawyers to help them protect their intellectual property. Students in USF’s Internet and Intellectual Property Justice clinic have the opportunity to do just that.

Under the supervision of faculty, students take on pro bono clients, handling trademark and copyright cases from intake to resolution. Clients are individuals and startups working toward social and environmental change, as well as small companies in trademark disputes against larger companies.

Students become registered agents under the USPTO Trademark Program, allowing them to practice trademark law (under faculty supervision) before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and to prosecute trademark applications and defend trademark oppositions/cancellations. In addition, students take on internet-related tasks such as assisting clients with privacy policies, terms of service, and domain disputes.

Regardless of whether students decide on a career in intellectual property law, the practical skills learned in the clinic — from negotiating disputes to performing risk analysis — make participants highly desirable to any law firm. These skills include:

• Performing risk analysis for potential use of a trademark
• Filing trademark applications
• Responding to examiner office actions
• Negotiating trademark disputes
• Participating in trademark oppositions and cancellations
• Filing copyright registrations
• Drafting various agreements, including NDAs, IP assignments, and independent contractor agreements
• Assisting with online terms, including terms of service and privacy policies
• General intellectual property consultation