The HTLC represents an emphasis on, and commitment to, the study of law in a range of fields affecting the technology sector, including intellectual property law, technology law, and certain areas of corporate law.

High Tech Law Certificate holders currently work in prominent law firms and in technology companies, practicing all aspects of high tech law. Their practices include patent prosecution, intellectual property litigation, corporate transactions, technology licensing, and trademark counseling and prosecution. Recipients of the High Tech Law Certificate may be found at such companies as Agilent Technologies, Inc.; Cisco Systems, Inc.; eBay; Hewlett Packard; IBM; Netscape; PeopleSoft; and SynopSys. Recipients may also be found practicing at such firms as: Blakely, Sokoloff, Taylor & Zafman; Carr & Ferrell LLP; Cooley Godward LLP; Fenwick & West LLP; Morrison & Foerster LLP; Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP; Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati; and Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP.

To receive an HTLC, students must complete a specified number of units in core and approved elective high tech law courses, meet established grade point average requirements, and submit an original piece of writing on a technology law topic. As of May 2003, approximately 250 Santa Clara University School of Law graduates have been awarded the High Tech Law Certificate.

Santa Clara University School of Law J.D. students may obtain a High Tech Law Certificate with an emphasis either in intellectual property law or corporate transactions. The resulting HTLC will reflect that the student has either a High Tech Law Certificate: Intellectual Property or a High Tech Law Certificate: Corporate Transactions. The sole difference between the two requirements are the core course requirements.

II. Certificate Announcements

Subscription to the High Tech Law blog mailing list is recommended for all SCU J.D. students interested in obtaining an HTLC. It is the official source of announcements regarding certificate requirements, high tech courses, events, and important deadlines.

To add yourself to this email list go to the following url:

http://law.scu.edu/blog/hightech/

At this site, click on Receive Email Updates under "About This Blog" on the right hand side. If you prefer to receive updates at an email address other than your SCU email, please update your profile with your preferred email address.

III. Requirements for High Tech Law Certificate

The High Tech Law Certificate indicates a specialty in high tech law studies, and is available only to matriculated Santa Clara University J.D. students. Courses taken at other universities or institutions do not count toward the HTLC, except as stated below. Students who successfully complete each of the stated requirements will qualify for an HTLC.

A. Core Course Requirements

Students who began their J.D. studies at SCU in or after Fall 2003:

There are two different tracks for obtaining a High Tech Law Certificate: (a) Intellectual Property; or (b) Corporate Transactions.

(a) Intellectual Property Law. Students who wish to obtain an HTLC in Intellectual Property must successfully complete a minimum of 15 units from courses on the list of Approved High Tech Law Certificate Courses, including the following core courses:

 

(i) both of the following core courses:

• 385 Copyright 
• 233 Patents 

 

AND

 

(ii) one of the following core courses:

• 478 Trade Secret Law & Policy
• 227 Trademarks and Unfair Competition

 

(b) Corporate Transactions. Students who wish to obtain an HTLC in Corporate Transactions must successfully complete a minimum of 15 units from courses on the list of Approved High Tech Law Certificate Courses, including:

 

(i) both of the following courses:

• 385 Copyright 
• 233 Patents 

 

AND

 

(ii) the following corporate transactions course:

• 258 Securities Regulation

 

AND

 

(iii)  one (1) additional course on the list of Approved High Tech Law Certificate Courses that is listed as a "Corporate Transactions" course.

*Students who began their J.D. studies at SCU prior to Fall 2003, please contact the High Tech Law Institute at hightechlaw@scu.edu or call 408-551-1868.

B. Elective Units

Take remaining electives selected from the list of Approved High Tech Law Certificate Courses to reach 15 units total. No more than one course from the "Tax" group of Approved High Tech Law Certificate Courses will be eligible to count toward the HTLC.

C. Minimum GPA/Mandatory Grades

Achieve a minimum grade of a B- for any course counting toward the HTLC. In addition, the overall GPA in courses counting toward the HTLC must be a B or higher. All work must be taken for a grade. For example, because the Civil and High Tech Law Internship Program cannot be taken for a grade, it does not count towards the HTLC.

D. Writing Requirement

Complete a substantive research paper that analyzes a relevant issue or cutting-edge problem related to high tech law. The purpose of the paper is to demonstrate the student's ability to identify, thoroughly analyze, and write about a relevant substantive legal issue or problem. The paper topic should be sufficiently broad in scope, contain analysis and/or critique of the subject chosen and propose a practical or theoretical resolution (or some combination thereof) to the issue.

Students must submit to the High Tech Law Office prior to graduation:

1. one clean (unmarked) copy of the approved paper;
2. one electronic copy in MSWord format;
3. an original, completed, signed High Tech Library Release Form; and
4. an original, completed, signed Certificate of Originality.

To review High Tech Law Certificate papers placed on reserve from previous years, please visit the Law Library and request reserve materials at call # KF2979.A1 A25.

The writing requirement can be satisfied in one of two ways:

1. Complete an original piece of writing on a current topic approved by and under the supervision of a full-time high tech faculty member. Students may have adjunct faculty supervisors only with prior approval of the Director of the High Tech Law Institute. Students may use a comment or article written for the Santa Clara Computer & High Tech Law Journal or Santa Clara Law Review; however, the paper must independently be reviewed and signed-off by a full-time high tech faculty member. Submission or acceptance of a comment or article by an SCU journal does NOT automatically satisfy the writing requirement for the HTLC.

    

2. Receive the grade of B- or higher on an original substantive paper that has been or will be submitted in one course from the list of Approved High Tech Law Certificate Courses for which a written paper has been or will be used as a method of evaluation, and which paper satisfies the paper requirements stated below. Students who seek to satisfy the writing requirement in this manner must obtain the approval and signature of the professor who taught the course on the HTLC application form. Papers written for classes that are not on the list of Approved High Tech Law Certificate Courses may be considered for approval in special circumstances; provided, however, that the overall content of the paper is grounded in high technology law, meets all other substantive requirements, and is approved by both the professor who taught the course and the Director of the High Tech Law Institute.

Additional Guidelines for Submission of the HTLC paper

All papers submitted for the HTLC must be a minimum of 20 pages in length, and must consist of substantive legal analysis. Papers that do not qualify for the HTLC include: outlines; agreements; memoranda; and letters. A brief or motion may count toward this requirement only if: (i) it is entirely original to the student (i.e., no sections were written or significantly edited by any other person); and (ii) it was drafted specifically for a course at SCU School of Law, or a national or regional moot court or trial competition; and (iii) it otherwise satisfies the requirements for the HTLC paper. Edits made under the direction or suggestion of an SCU professor during the review process of the paper are acceptable and do not conflict with this originality requirement. If you have any questions regarding whether a paper will qualify for the HTLC, contact the Director of the High Tech Law Institute.

Following is the required format for the paper:

• Title page listing the following information:
  • Title of the paper
  • Full legal name of author
  • Date of submission
  • Course Name (if applicable)
  • Name of professor who approves the paper
• Table of Contents
• Footnotes preferred
• Font size of 10-12 pt. font
• Standard 1-inch margins
• Single-sided print on white paper only

Submitted papers that do not comply with this format, even if signed off by a faculty member, will be returned to the student, and the issuance of an HTLC will be delayed until the formatting requirements are fully satisfied.

E. Transfer Units

All academic work must be taken at Santa Clara University School of Law unless prior approval is granted by the Director of the High Tech Law Institute. Approved credit from other institutions may be applied toward the HTLC only if the grade of B- or higher was earned, and those credits applied from other institutions will be transferred only as credit for purposes of calculating the HTLC GPA. Requests for approval must be submitted in writing to the Director of the High Tech Law Institute prior to the deadline for submission of the application.

IV. Applying for a Certificate

Applications will not be accepted until the student’s last semester, when the requirements for the certificates are essentially completed. Typically, applications are due two months prior to the end of the fall or spring semester, as applicable. Students graduating in July must comply with the deadlines applicable to spring graduates, unless alternate arrangements have been made with the Director of the High Tech Law Institute.

Students must submit an Application for Award of High Tech Law Certificate. Please note that the application depends upon the time at which you begin your studies at Santa Clara University School of Law. If you began your studies at Santa Clara before Fall 2003, please use the following form:

Application for Award of High Tech Law Certificate Pre-Fall 03.

If you began your studies at Santa Clara in or after Fall 2003, please use the following form:

Application for Award of High Tech Law Certificate In or After Fall 2003. 

Application forms also are available in the Office of the High Tech Law Institute. It is expected that the applications will be incomplete when submitted, pending receipt and confirmation of final grades. The paper requirement must be satisfied, and all approvals and other requirements satisfied and turned in to the Office of the High Tech Law Institute prior to graduation.

The application deadline for J.D. students graduating December 2009 is November 16, 2009.

The application deadline for J.D. students graduating May 2010 is February 22, 2010.

Applications for the HTLC submitted to the Office of the High Tech Law Institute after the stated deadlines will only be accepted upon written petition to and approval of the Director of the High Tech Law Institute. Please only leave these applications with the Office of the High Tech Law Institute. Students who submit their applications after the applicable deadline will not be listed as qualifying for a Certificate on graduation materials. Students are solely responsible for meeting these deadlines.

Students may only obtain one Certificate. Thus, students must elect whether to obtain a High Tech Law Certificate in Intellectual Property, Corporate Transactions, or an International High Tech Law Certificate, International Law Certificate, or the Public Interest and Social Justice Law Certificate.

It is the responsibility of the student to see that all requirements are satisfied and all approval signatures are obtained to receive the HTLC. Additionally, there is no "candidacy" for this Certificate. Therefore, it is not acceptable to indicate candidacy for a Certificate on a resume. However, students may indicate that they are pursuing a Certificate or intending to complete the requirements for a Certificate.

V. Contact Information

High Tech Law Institute

Bannan Hall, Room 301H
500 El Camino Real
Santa Clara, CA  95053-0427
phone:  (408) 551-1868
fax: (408) 554-2333
hightechlaw@scu.edu

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