Law & Technology
Technology lawyers apply a tech lens to legal concepts like regulation, liability, privacy, property, security, and civil rights. Attorneys in this field frequently represent clients in transactions relating to computers, software, the Internet, e-commerce, open source licensing, and intellectual property, among others. Technology lawyers are frequently called upon to address developments in telecommunications, artificial intelligence, big data, drones, blockchain, and mobile apps.
Courses
Courses designated as "primary" are foundational, while those listed as "secondary" contain relevant and related content. "Co-curricular" courses are credit-bearing extra-curricular activities, while "experiential" courses are practice-based offerings. Please keep in mind that the focus of any course will vary depending on the instructor.
Primary Courses
150: Property 4 credits PRIMARY
Introduction to basic concepts and principles of Anglo-American law as they relate to personal and real property.
206: Taxation: Federal Income 3 or 4 credits PRIMARY
Federal income tax is life. This class lives in a statute, the Internal Revenue Code. It focuses on reading, interpreting, and applying the rules of the Code. It is primarily a statutory interpretation class. Students will calculate the federal income tax liabilities of taxpayers by determining each taxpayer's gross income, determining and subtracting above the line deductions, noting adjusted gross income, subtracting either itemized deductions or the standard deduction, applying tax rates, and then calculating and subtracting any available tax credits. We will do calculations using only the +, -, multiply, and divide functions on a $5ish calculator.
415: Intellectual Property Innovation and Commercialization 2 credits PRIMARY
This course reinforces and expands on the student's understanding of many of the fundamental principles of intellectual property law and focuses specifically on its development and commercialization. Considerations include licensing strategy and alternatives, confidentiality, joint venture and other types of collaborative agreements, technology transfer, and related contracting and documentation. A pre-requisite or co-requisite of either Intellectual Property (Survey), Patent Law, Copyrights, or Trademarks is strongly suggested, but not required.
516: Secured Transactions 3 credits PRIMARY
A study of Articles 9 and 6 of the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), which apply to transactions in which a debtor borrows money from a creditor and grants to the creditor a security interest in the personal property of the debtor to secure the debtor's promise to repay the loan.
533: Artificial Intelligence Law and Litigation 2 credits PRIMARY
Explores the development and use of artificial intelligence as it applies to legal institutions, analyzing legal cases involving artificial intelligence, and evaluating legal frameworks for regulating artificial intelligence.
534: Intellectual Property 3 credits PRIMARY
A survey course designed to provide the prospective general practitioner with knowledge of the basic principles of intellectual property and unfair competition law.
597: Trade Secrets and Unfair Competition 2 credits PRIMARY
This course examines the law and legal theories related to identifying and protecting competitive business interests and confidential business information — one of the fastest-growing areas of intellectual property law outside of traditional patent, copyright, and trademark concerns. In general, the course covers trade secret identification, protection, and misappropriation; covenants not to compete and other forms of restrictive covenants, including noncompetition, non-solicitation, confidentiality and assignment of invention agreements; applicable state and federal statutes, case law, and common law duties; litigation strategies and the many practical issues regarding the protection of confidential information, customers and other legitimate business interests given today’s highly mobile and computerized workplace. Litigation and client counseling strategies are also explored, with a practical focus on applying legal theories to typical situations confronted in this rapidly developing area of law.
Secondary Courses
460: Privacy Law 2 or 3 credits SECONDARY
This course will examine the current legal, political, social, and technological aspects of US privacy law. Topics will include traditional privacy theory and torts; contracts; commercial and financial privacy; medical privacy; cyberlaw privacy (i.e., metadata, cookies, cybersecurity, revenge pornography); governmental privacy (i.e., surveillance, freedom of information, leakers like Edward Snowden); workplace privacy (i.e., algorithmic decision-making, trade secrecy); and international developments (i.e., the European Data Protection Directive, "right to be forgotten").
469: Technology in the Modern Law Practice 2 credits SECONDARY
This course provides students with the opportunity to be critical and effective implementers of cutting-edge technologies that are disrupting the legal services market. This experiential seminar provides students with the critical thinking and technological skills necessary to position them as leaders in modern legal practice.
477: eDiscovery 1 credit SECONDARY
Electronically stored information (ESI) is growing exponentially. With the rapid growth of data, attorneys engaged in a variety of practices are faced with the challenges of handling Electronic Discovery, whether it be their client's email, mobile devices, computers, etc. Attorneys now have an obligation to understand not only the substantive legal issues of their matters but the fundamentals surrounding eDiscovery that they will undoubtedly encounter in the legal profession. This course will provide students with a foundational knowledge of the eDiscovery landscape including the technical, legal, and ethical aspects they will encounter as attorneys. Students will gain a practical understanding of all aspects of the eDiscovery Reference Model (EDRM) and learn to use an industry-leading document review platform through hands-on learning, skills that will be of immediate value if tasked with managing discovery in a litigation or investigation as a new attorney.
481: Cybersecurity Law 2 credits SECONDARY
This course will provide students with foundational knowledge concerning the nature, functions, laws, and issues relating to the rapidly evolving landscape of cybersecurity. By the end of the course, students will be able to evaluate current trends in cybersecurity and cyber warfare; analyze American privacy and security laws applicable to private businesses and government; assess cybersecurity risks, and develop a risk mitigation strategy based on an assessment of current cyber risks.
482: Coded Governance: Blockchains 2 or 3 credits SECONDARY
This course examines distributed ledger/blockchain technologies and computational law, and the related evolving regulatory environment. Topics covered include cryptocurrency use and regulation, legal forensic analysis of tokens, Ethereum-based smart contract governance frameworks, patent strategy, and the professional responsibility considerations when working in a space that is popular, but not well understood. Students will learn about distributed ledger technologies and even get an introduction to programming a decentralized game. No previous programming experience is needed for this course, but a willingness to read and reread, and discuss technical documentation and literature is essential.
575: Internet Law 3 credits SECONDARY
This course examines the legal issues associated with technology, with a particular focus on the Internet. Among other topics, the course covers primers on the technical underpinnings of the Internet, the regulation of Internet access and domain names; contract formation, execution, and enforceability; jurisdiction and choice of law; speech; intellectual property focus; artificial intelligence, blockchain technology, and the Internet of Things. A background in computer science and/or intellectual property law is not required.
Experiential Courses
345: Semester in Practice 10 or 11 credits EXPERIENTIAL
This is the field placement component of a full term externship program and is paired with the Externship Lecture course. Total credits between Semester in Practice and Externship Lecture will total 13. The number of credit hours awarded to an individual student will determine the hours of work required at the field placement and meet or exceed the ABA standards. In accordance with ABA guidelines, students work at a placement under a supervising attorney. C-LAW 300.
351: Copyrights: Practicum 1 credit EXPERIENTIAL
353: Intellectual Property Practicum 1 or 2 credits EXPERIENTIAL
356: Intellectual Property Law Clinic I 4 credits EXPERIENTIAL
This course provides students with hands-on opportunities to assist clients with transactional intellectual property matters. Student services include advising clients on basic intellectual property principles, drafting contracts (or contract provisions) that affect intellectual property rights, prosecuting copyright and/or trademark applications, and preparing policy documents and guidelines. In addition to direct client representation, students will attend a two-hour seminar, and meet with the clinic faculty supervisor to discuss fieldwork each week. Intellectual Property is a prerequisite.
676: Summer Externship 4 credits EXPERIENTIAL
This course is currently available only in the summer. The director of the externship designates one or more cities in North and South Carolina, usually including Charlotte, NC, and offers the students externships in a designated practice area. The practice areas vary from summer to summer. Students meet weekly with the director to integrate and apply the doctrinal insights received elsewhere in the law school curriculum and in the subject matter of the field placements.
Co-Curricular Activities
522: Journal of Business and Intellectual Property Law 0 or 2 credits ACTIVITY
The Law School publishes the Journal of Business and Intellectual Property Law. This publication features articles, notes, and comments from intellectual property practitioners, students, and faculty. The JBIPL encourages students to submit articles focusing on topics such as trademarks, copyrights, patent, trade secrets, unfair competition, cyberlaw, Internet business law, or any other subject of intellectual property. These items can be papers already completed for coursework or articles specifically written for the journal.
685: Transactional Problem Book 1 credit ACTIVITY
The Transactional Competition Board is a student-run organization that oversees transactional competitions and the preparation and publication of an annual Problem Book. Students selected by the Transactional Competition Board to prepare and edit the Problem Book receive one academic credit on certification of their work by a faculty member.
Faculty
The following faculty are knowledgeable about the topic and may be a useful resource for you.
Professor of Practice
Professor of Practice
Associate Dean for Research
Associate Clinical Professor
Professor of Law
