Students in the Intellectual Property program have the opportunity to network with IP practitioners at the annual Symposium on IP Law and Policy.
The University of Akron School of Law saw its rankings improve in a number of areas in the latest edition of the U.S. News & World Report Best Law Schools. Akron moved up 14 places to #136 in the overall ranking. The Intellectual Property program moved up 15 spots to #36. This is the highest among Ohio’s law schools and fourth highest in the broader region encompassing Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, Western Pennsylvania and Upstate New York.
The Trial Advocacy program is ranked #42. That ties for second highest in Ohio and third highest in the broader region defined above.
In other specialties, the part-time program improved three spots to #47, while the Legal Writing program broke the top 100 at #78, and International Law moved up 41 spots to #122.
Earlier this year, Akron Law also earned 2024 Top School ratings from the National Jurist’s PreLaw magazine for both Trial Advocacy and IP Law.
“We are proud to be recognized again by U.S. News and PreLaw magazine for our long-standing strengths in Trial Advocacy and Intellectual Property,” School of Law Dean Emily Janoski-Haehlen said. “And we are pleased to see the recognition of our Legal Writing and International Law programs and our Part-time program.”
The School of Law’s Center for Intellectual Property Law and Technology, established in 1996, has long been recognized as one of the country’s leading IP programs. The School of Law offer four degrees, two IP-related legal clinics, a Washington D.C. IP externship program, and more than 30 courses in the field. With over 20% of the school’s student body patent bar-qualified, Akron Law is one of the most IP-intensive schools in the nation.
Akron Law’s Trial Advocacy reputation is largely due to the consistently outstanding performance of the student trial teams and the annual Summer Trial Academy. This spring, one of the Akron trial teams advanced to the regional final of the American Association for Justice Student Trial Advocacy Competition, where just a handful of points came between them and the trophy. The other Akron team rallied back from a narrow loss in the opening round to reach the semifinals. An Akron team advanced to the 2023 national championship.