Get Involved

The Institute for Information Law & Policy Associates Program provides multiple pathways for students to become formally affiliated with the work of the IILP, to work with faculty members on IILP projects, to contribute to the IILP's ongoing projects, and to take the lead to provide new directions for the work of the IILP. The Associates Program recognizes the role of students in the IILP, and is intended to provide a framework to aid students in their development and their careers. It seeks to provide a series of skills and opportunities for students, for example in (1) learning how to undertake research projects; (2) developing leadership skills; (3) improving project management skills, and (4) gaining various types of job development skills, such as working to professional deadlines, contributing to real-world projects, and so on. Further, the Program is also about recognition of this work in a meaningful way: upon completion of the entry-requirements for any of the pathways, students will be entitled to identify themselves as an "IILP Associate" or "Associate of the IILP" on their resumes, and will receive a token and certificate of recognition of their status within the IILP. The Program is also a statement of the role of the IILP in mentoring students: upon becoming one of the IILP flock we will mentor students as much as possible, and actively engage in job placement and professional development. This memo explains the motivation behind the creation of the program, its ongoing aims and purpose, the pathways for entry, and the issues which we will have to address as we develop the program.

After discussions between the faculty and the IILP research fellows, we discovered that one of the problems with the IILP is that we're a little like "Fight Club", people want to work with us, but we make it very hard for people to get in. While we don't quite make prospective pledges stand in the rain for days at a time (denying that the Institute exists at all) we have been unable to provide many interested and capable students with the opportunity to become part of the life of the IILP. This has been largely because of the limits in resources, and because the IILP has been focused on developing a series of other programs (the mentoring programs, the Peer-to-Patent program, the creation of the Center for Patent Innovations, various conference series, etc etc). Now that these programs are working (more-or-less) effectively there is more scope to open up the IILP to other student involvement, and beginning Fall 2009 we will endeavor to extend the opportunities of the IILP to as many students as possible. The main aim of the Program is to provide an enhanced educational and career development opportunity for students by involving them in the professional and academic life of the Institute, and to provide a mentoring environment for those students interested in intellectual property, technology, democracy, social justice, and their intersections. Once a student is made an associate of the IILP, they become part of our flock and faculty members undertake pastoral care responsibilities. In exchange for the student's work within the IILP, the faculty members of the IILP will assist the affiliated student in his/her professional development and involve the student in the various research/work/study opportunities that the Institute can provide. In many ways this is little different from the mentoring relationship that already exists between IILP faculty and students, but the Associates Program seeks to make the relationship clearer, and to provide more pathways for students into the IILP.

Pathways

The Program has multiple pathways into the IILP so that students can access numerous opportunities to work within the Institute. This approach balances not only the limited resources of the IILP but also recognizes the various time, work, and life constraints of our students. As far as possible we endeavor to provide pathways for both day and evening students. Of course, the ability of students to enter any one of these pathways may be limited by their other commitments and their academic standing. The pathways are:

Student Research Fellows:

The Institute rewards outstanding students for their commitment to and interest in intellectual property, technology and information law with an opportunity to contribute to the field. Student Research Fellows play a central role in managing and shaping the Institute and its programs. They help organize events and symposia, such as the State of Play, Amateur Hour and IP Activism conferences as well as Information Law Lectures; work on social justice technology design initiatives, such as Peer-to-Patent and Open Access Law; plan student events, such as the IP Surprise Lecture Series; and work closely with members of the Institute faculty on research and publishing projects. In addition, Fellows manage the Institute website and weblogs. Institute Fellows are appointed each year and announcements go out in the Spring term. Please watch the IILP homepage and your student email account inbox for more information.

Harlan Scholars:

The John Marshall Harlan Scholars Program at New York Law School is a rigorous academic honors program designed for students who have performed at the top of their law school class. It gives students the opportunity to focus their law school studies, gaining depth and substantive expertise beyond a broad understanding of the law. The program also facilitates the development of relationships among students, professionals in the field, and professors who are interested in the same areas of law. Harlan Scholars affiliated with the Institute take a common set of core courses plus electives tailored to their professional and scholarly goals. Additionally, the Capstone experience provides an opportunity for Harlan Scholars to pursue independent and high-impact research on current issues in intellectual property, technology, and information law.

Please visit the IILP Harlan Curriculum page for more information regarding affiliation with the IILP as a Harlan Scholar.

Acadamic Associates

There are two categories of Academic Associates: those within the Harlan Scholars program and those not in the Harlan program but within the Techlaw Lab. The John Marshall Harlan Scholars Program is a rigorous academic honors program designed for students who have performed at the top of their law school class. It gives students the opportunity to focus their law school studies, gaining depth and substantive expertise beyond a broad understanding of the law. The program also facilitates the development of relationships among students, professionals in the field, and professors who are interested in the same areas of law. Harlan Scholars affiliated with the Institute take a common set of core courses plus electives tailored to their professional and scholarly goals. The Techlaw Lab experience provides an opportunity for both Harlan and non-Harlan students to pursue independent and high-impact research on current issues in intellectual property, technology, and information law. Students and faculty work together in teams on real world technology/intellectual property/policy projects that bring about positive change in the world. While the project may center on technology or IP, it may also use tech and IP to promote the goals of social justice, human rights, and democracy. In this environment we work in teams to develop the skills of collaboration and project management, as well as the substantive law/technology/policy understandings necessary to complete the project. Upon entry into our Harlan Program or the Techlaw Lab, the student becomes an associate. 

Student Coordinators

Some of the programs of the IILP lend themselves to student leadership. The IILP already has a Patent Law Coordinator role, where a student takes responsibility for various features of the IILP's patent program: scheduling speakers, advising students about patent bar eligibility, acting as liaison between interested students and the patent program within the IILP, etc etc. The Patent Law Coordinator is an existing position, but beginning Fall 2009 we will establish a Deputy Patent Law Coordinator to provide for depth and backup in the coordination role. Further, in Fall 2009 we will appoint additional student program coordinators. The initial appointments are likely to be made as an IP Program Coordinator and a Deputy IP Program Coordinator, but this is still under discussion within the IILP, and an announcement about this will be made shortly. Upon appointment to the role as program coordinator or deputy program coordinator, the student will become an associate of the IILP for the term of their appointment.

Project Associates

The IILP, along with its Center for Patent Innovations and DoTank, undertake various research and development projects to test legal theory and advance legal practices. Among the projects undertaken to date by IILP are Peer-to-Patent, the Virtual Company project, Post-Issue Peer-to-Patent, the Google Booksearch Settlement project, and the Open Patent Project. Depending on the nature and funding of these projects, students may participate as either paid staff members (work-study) or volunteer participants, dependent on their level of involvement and scale of their commitment. Students working on the projects become associates of the IILP for the term of their involvement in the project.

Student Journal Associates

Over Summer 2009, the IILP began prototyping a new kind of student journal that combines online publishing with Facebook-style social media and community engagement. We intend to build the next generation of student-run law reviews, that involves a large-scale community in the publishing, dissemination and discussion of legal issues. The initial prototype is in sportslaw, and other proposals in law & journalism and real estate are currently being developed. We anticipate launching the prototype in Fall 2009. As with most student-run law reviews, there will be an Editorial Board comprised of students interested in this topic (although the composition, structure and appointment of the Board is still to be determined). There are also students involved in the programming and development of these online social journals. Members of the Editorial Board and the programming team will become associates of the IILP upon appointment to the journal's Board. If the prototypes are successful, we anticipate announcing a competition to start another student-run online social journal, using the same format and publishing engine that we are currently developing. Students who successfully propose a social journal will become associates of the Institute once they begin working on the production of that new journal and have demonstrated that the journal is likely to survive.

Innovation Project Associates

Beginning Fall 2009, the IILP will announce a competition for students to lead a part of the work program of the IILP, and to build something that makes a difference and leaves a legacy of their time within the IILP. The idea--conceived and championed by the current IILP research fellows--is for students to be able to propose a project that they think will make a difference in the world, that operates within the areas of the IILP mandate (intellectual property, technology, democracy, e-government, etc), and for the IILP to devote resources to developing the project. The successful applicant(s) will become associates of the IILP to work on the project, a faculty advisor will be appointed, and resources of the IILP will be expended to complete it. Examples which have been suggested have included creating a database and website to track deadbeat landlords who fail to repay security deposits, running a student un-conference on IP reform (a proposal that has led to the Innovate/Activate Conference on intellectual property activism, planned for Spring 2010), and so on. The members of the team selected for the innovation project will become associates of the IILP.

Certificate Program Associates

There are currently two certificates offered within the IILP, the Certificate in Law Practice Mastery and the Certificate in Patent Law. The Certificate in Law Practice Mastery is intended to demonstrate to potential employers that the student awarded the certificate is unusually qualified with respect to understanding and use of technologies employed in law practice. It is also designed to encourage students to contribute to the Institute’s efforts to develop innovative legal technology applications and to better understand the potential impact of technology on law and legal institutions.  Please visit the Certificate page for more information.

The Certificate in Patent Law is intended to demonstrate to employers that the student has completed an advanced course of study in patent law, and is unusually well-qualified in this domain. Students who have completed the entry-requirements into either certificate will become associates of the IILP. Beginning Fall 2009, the IILP will investigate the creation of one or possibly two new Certificates. We cannot guarantee that these certificates will be approved by the faculty. If approved, the certificates will have significant entry requirements. Upon completion of the entry requirements, students undertaking any of the certificates will become an associate of the IILP.

Tech Law Lab and Do Tank Projects:

In the Tech Law Lab, students and faculty work together in teams on “real world” technology or intellectual property law projects that bring about positive change in the world. While the project may center on technology or IP, it may also use technology and IP to promote the goals of social justice, human rights, and democracy. In this class we work in teams to learn skills of collaboration and project management.

Please visit the Do Tank page for information regarding past projects.

IP Writing Competitions and Moot Team:

Starting in February 2009, the Institute for Information Law and Policy will hold workshops for upcoming IP writing competitions. The purpose of the workshop series is to lay out the information for the immediate upcoming IP writing competitions so that students know what they need to do to enter these competitions, when to get their work completed, and how to succeed. Students will meet regularly in these workshops to review, critique and edit each other's work.

Please watch the IILP homepage and your student email account inbox for more information.

Independent Study Supervision:

Students may pursue an Independent Study, under the supervision of Institute faculty, representing substantial legal research on an Intellectual Property or Information Law topic.

Please visit New York Law School’s Academic Catalog page for more information.

IILP Job Tracks:

This year the Institute for Information Law & Policy is piloting a program called the Intellectual Property Jobtrack Program.  The aim of the program is to give students interested in working in IP-related fields the opportunity to gain credentials and understanding of the workings of the IP-related industries in which they want to work.  There are a number of components to the program, including a series of recommended classes, tailored externships, and a not-for-credit industry readiness class that is aimed at preparing students for work in their chosen industry.  We are piloting the program in three industry areas: music, media/advertising, and fashion.

Center for Patent Innovations:

The Center for Patent Innovations is unique among New York Law School’s centers in that it is principally focused on research and development. Associated with both the Institute for Information Law & Policy and the Do Tank, the Center designs and develops projects harnessing Web-based collaborative tools for the sole purpose of improving patent systems, both in the United States and around the world. The Center is staffed by students and graduates of New York Law School.

Please visit the CPI page for more information.

Conclusion

There are various issues that we will have to confront with the Program, such as people who are merely resume-padding who don't wish to develop their knowledge and skills by actively engaging with the IILP. We will monitor these issues as we go forward, and make adjustments as necessary. Nonetheless, the IILP is already undertaking many of the aspects of the Associates Program; it's just that we haven't made the mentoring relationship formal, and we haven't clearly explained to students how they can get involved in the life of the IILP. This Program can be seen then as simply (1) formalizing mentoring relationships we already engage in, (2) extending mentoring relationships to new areas that makes sense in the life of the IILP, and (3) making clear to interested students that there are numerous ways into the life of the IILP. The first rule of the IILP Associates Program is that there is an IILP Associates Program...