about the ipi

Mission

The mission of the Intellectual Property Institute at the University of Richmond School of Law is to establish and maintain a dynamic and respected center for the study of contemporary intellectual property issues, to increase the curricular and other learning opportunities available to law students interested in intellectual property law, and to encourage widespread awareness and understanding of the role that intellectual property plays in creating a creative and innovative culture.

History

The Intellectual Property Institute was founded at the University of Richmond School of Law in 2004 by Professor James Gibson and then Dean Rodney Smolla.  Since its inception, the Institute has added to its distinguished faculty two full-time IP professors and a full-time Director and has expanded the curriculum to offer 12 courses in intellectual property law.  Richmond Law is one of only a small number of US law schools offering a certificate in intellectual property law upon graduation. 

In May 2007, the Institute awarded its first IP certificates to five Richmond Law graduates.  These students completed a rigorous regimen of intellectual property coursework, including a third-year writing requirement on an intellectual property topic, while maintaining at least a 3.0 GPA to earn the certificate.

Richmond Law has also formed a unique and unprecedented partnership with Virginia Tech under which the two institutions share teaching and research resources and offer special opportunities to Virginia Tech undergraduates through Tech's science and engineering programs.