Faculty List
Professor Emily Burns is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Law, the Assistant Director of the Entrepreneurs’ Law Clinic, the Co-Director of the Tech Edge J.D. program, and the Law Faculty Advisor for BEACH. She also serves as a Visiting Professor at University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, and has taught various IP-related courses for over 15 years.
A true trademark geek at heart, Professor Burns has practiced trademark and tech law for over 20 years, most recently as Senior Trademark Counsel for YouTube, where her practice included clearance and prosecution of trademarks domestically and internationally, offensive and defensive trademark disputes in a wide array of tribunals, instituting anti-counterfeit protections with customs authorities worldwide, overseeing numerous high profile global rebranding projects, IP diligence in tech transactions, advising on Terms of Service, and compliance with tech regulations in the U.S. and internationally. Professor Burns also has strong intermediary liability expertise, applying concepts such as parody, commentary and criticism, and First Amendment protection of artistic works in advising on content moderation and content clearance issues.
Prior to joining YouTube, Professor Burns was an associate in the Litigation and Trademark, Copyright, and Advertising practice groups at Cooley LLP, where she counseled companies from start-ups to those in the Fortune 500.
Professor Burns participates in many formal and informal mentorship programs, focused mainly on working with law students and early career attorneys who are underrepresented in the tech and legal industries. She has been a proud mentor in the Tech Edge J.D. program since its inception.
Professor Burns received her law degree, magna cum laude, from the University of San Diego School of Law, where she served as Lead Articles Editor of the San Diego Law Review, interned for Judge M. Margaret McKeown of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and led an award-winning mock trial team.
B.A. San Diego State University
Intellectual Property
Content Moderation
Civil Litigation
Admitted to the State Bar of California
Member, California Lawyers Association
Committee Member, International Trademark Association
World Trademark Review Team of the Decade (with Google, 2016)
World Trademark Review Industry Awards, North America Team of the Year (with Google, 2011)
World Trademark Review Industry Awards Internet and Telecommunications Team of the Year (with Google 2015, 2018)
World's Leading Corporate Trademark Professionals (2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017)
Member, Legal Writing Institute