Get Involved
What can students expect from the Center for Intellectual Property Research and the IP Program at the IU Maurer School of Law? This page contains links to information about our rich and diverse offerings, including:
FOR STUDENTS
"Maurer has a strong focus on IP, which translates into a lot of unique learning and networking opportunities for students! Being able to participate in the Volunteers in IP as a 1L, having an IP specific journal, and having career advisors who focus on IP are just a few examples of that." - Arathi Kumar '25
Curriculum & Research Opportunities
The Center for IP Research encourages students to engage with the theoretical aspects of intellectual property law inside the classroom and out.
Curriculum
The Center’s comprehensive curriculum features nearly two dozen courses, colloquia, and seminars in all areas of intellectual property and information policy. This page contains a list of all IP courses offered at Indiana Law. Please do not hesitate to contact us with inquiries concerning specific courses.
Fall 2023 & Spring 2024 IP Course Descriptions
IP Theory
IP Theory is a peer-edited, online IP law publication is hosted by the IP program at the Maurer School of Law. It is neither law journal nor blog; it is a different sort of publication designed to occupy a niche between the two. Professor Mattioli is the primary faculty supervisor. Find the complete collection of volumes and IP Theory’s podcast, Fire of Genius, at iptheory.indiana.edu.
Editor-in-Chief: Lillian Huff
Publishing Editor: Hannah Vittorio
Managing Editors: Scott Nolan & Alex Mischke
Audio Editor: Megan Wheeler
Content Editors: Allissa Aardema & Marcus Hoekstra
Note Editors: David Lebby & Philip Ouweleen
Business Manager: Luke Steffe
Articles Editors: Jacob Boesch, Graham Christian, Stephanie Kaplan, Robert Kesling, Karen Kukla, Caroline McCord, Margaret Melchi, Shunyo Morgan, Taylor Nunley, Amy Qi, Maya Salinas, Nicole Scelta, Sydney Schnur, Ahsan Sohail, Qixuan (Vanessa) Wang
Editor-in-Chief: Zach Shepard
Publishing Editor: Parker Zimmerman
Managing Edito Editor rs: Richa Patel & Allison Strong
Audio Editor: Chris McMillan
Content Editors: Matthew Spegele & Janine Tang
Business Editor: Mo Jamal
Note Editor: Taylor Lavender
Note Editor: Peyton Gilliatt
Associate Editors: Allissa Aardema, Marcus Hoekstra, Lilly Huff, David Lebby, Alex Mischke, Scott Nolan, Philip Ouweleen, Luke Steffe, Hannah Vittorio, Megan Wheeler
Editor-in-Chief: Catherine Morgan
Publishing Editor: Payton Hoff DuBose
Managing Editors: Ziyu Ma & Matthew Ritter
Audio Editor: Emma Ng
Content Editors: Rita Xia & Audrey Knutson
Note Editor: Sarah Kelly
Business Manager: Garrett Derian-Toth
Articles Editors: Nick Eitsert, Peyton Gilliat, Mounir Jamal, Taylor Lavender, Chris McMillan, Richa Patel, Zach Shepard, Matthew Spegele, Allison Strong, Janine Tang, Parker Zimmerman
Putting Theory into Practice
The Center for IP Research offers a rich assortment of experiential education opportunities for students to practice putting theory into action.
IP Moot Court
IP students at the Maurer School of Law have a number of opportunities to participate in moot court competitions.
Each year, we prepare teams for the Giles Sutherland Rich Memorial Moot Court Competition in March (hosted by the American Intellectual Property Law Association), the Saul Lefkowitz Moot Court Competition (hosted by the International Trademark Association), the International Intellectual Property Law Moot (hosted by the University of Oxford), and the National Patent Drafting Competition (hosted by the USPTO).
To get involved, keep an eye on our announcements page and join our mailing list.
IP Clinic
Indiana University Maurer School of Law IP Clinic
In 2014, the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) certified the CIPR’s Intellectual Property Clinic as part of the USPTO’s Law School Clinic Certification Pilot Program. Indiana University is currently one of only eighteen schools in the nation selected to join both the Patent and Trademark portions of the Program. Through this program, students are eligible to receive temporary registration to practice before the USPTO under supervision of the IP Clinic Director, Norm Hedges.
The IP Clinic provides second- and third- year law students with an opportunity to translate theory into practice. Students will work directly with clients judged to be in need of pro bono services, the USPTO, and faculty of the Center for Intellectual Property Research on actual intellectual property law matters. As participants in the clinic, students will refine their skills in research, advocacy, and administrative practice in order to create and implement strategies to advance client goals and objectives. Over the course of the semester, students will gain invaluable hands-on experience in intellectual property practice, and clients will benefit from the technical advice they need in order to secure rights in their innovations.
Enrollment in the Clinic is limited, so students must submit a resume and an interest statement to the Director to obtain permission to enroll. Strongly suggested prerequisites or co-requisites include at least one of Patent Law, Trademark Law, or Survey of IP or equivalent experience.
IP Externships
The Center has offered externship opportunities for upper-level IP students during the fall, spring and summer terms with a number of different host companies/government agencies around the country. For a listing of current IP externships, please keep an eye on the announcements section of this website.
Past and current IP Externship opportunities include:
- BASF
- Berry Plastics
- BioFire Diagnostics
- CMG Worldwide
- Cook Medical
- Copyright Program, IU Libraries and the Office of Scholarly Publishing
- Dow AgroSciences LLC
- Hill-Rom
- Indiana Office for Defense Development (IODD – State)
- Indiana University Licensing & Trademarks
- Indiana University Research & Technology Corporation
- NSWC Crane
- Purdue Research Foundation
- United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
- United States International Trade Commission
Engaging with the IP Legal Community
The Center for IP Research’s mission is to promote the development of a vibrant community of intellectual property law scholars, professionals and students. The Center strives to achieve this goal by building connections to the national and international intellectual property law community, offering a forum of distinction for the exchange of ideas in intellectual property law and policy.
IP Practitioners-in-Residence
The Practitioners-in-Residence program brings distinguished IP practitioners to campus to lead class discussions, meet with faculty and student groups, and deliver public lectures on IP topics.
Recent visits have included practitioners from the following locations:
- BASF Corporation
- Barnes & Thornburg
- CMG Worldwide
- Cummins, Inc.
- Eli Lilly & Company
- Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath
- Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner
- Foley & Lardner
- Kirkland & Ellis
- Knobbe Martens
- Naval Surface Warfare Center - Crane Division
- Pigasus Pictures
- Roche Diagnostics
- Perkins Coie
- Secretly Canadian
- Taft Stettinius & Hollister
- Tilleke & Gibbins
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
- U.S. Department of Energy
- U.S. Patent & Trademark Office
- Zimmer Biomet
Please visit our events page to learn more about upcoming visitors.
Leading the Way
The Center for IP Research provides students with the tools and support they need to be leaders in the IP and Maurer community.
Intellectual Property Association
The Intellectual Property Association is one of the most active student groups on campus with a membership of more than 100 1Ls, 2Ls, 3Ls and international students.
The organization is for students interested in issues surrounding intellectual property, including patent law, trademark law, trade secret law, and communication law. In additional to being actively involved in virtually all co-curricular aspects of the Center’s work, the group also administers an internal mentoring program for 1Ls, hosts a Patent Bar Information Session, helps to host IP guest speakers, and serves as a resource for any member of the Indiana Law community interested in IP. The group also coordinates the Center’s IP pro bono project, Volunteers in IP (VIPs). VIPs allows students, including first-year students, the opportunity to immerse themselves in IP practice by assisting the Center’s patent hub, PatentConnect.
The IPA is the only student organization at Maurer to hold the title of “Best Student Organization.”
Contact the group directly: ipa@iu.edu.
- Jacob Boesch, President
- Karen Kukla, Vice President
- Wenxi Lu, Treasurer
- Kayvan Karimabady, Secretary
- Stepanie Kaplan, Alumni Liaison
- Nicole Scelta, Alumni Liaison
- Aunya Sutton, Social Chair
- Hannah Fogel, 1L Representative/VIPs Coordinator
- Jeffrey Greenbaum, 1L Representative/VIPs Coordinator
- Arathi Kumar, 1L Representative/VIPs Coordinator
- Philip Ouweleen, President
- Luke Steffe, Vice President
- Scott Nolan, Treasurer
- Lillian Huff, Alumni Liaison
- Hannah Vittorio, Alumni Liaison
- Marcus Hoekstra, Social Chair
- Jacob Boesch, 1L Representative/VIPs Coordinator
- Karen Kukla, 1L Representative/VIPs Coordinator
- Wenxi Lu, 1L Representative/VIPs Coordinator
- Richa Patel, President
- Matthew Spegele, Vice President
- Allison Strong, Treasurer
- Zach Shepard, Secretary
- Chris McMillan, Alumni Liaison
- Peyton Gilliatt, Alumni Liaison
- Parker Zimmerman, Social Chair
- Luke Steffe, 1L Representative/VIPs Coordinator
- Philip Ouweleen, 1L Representative/VIPs Coordinator
- Sarah Kelly, President
- Payton Hoff, Vice President
- Garrett Derian-Toth, Treasurer
- Matthew Ritter, Social Chair
- Michael Glennon, Alumni Liaison
- Emma Ng, Alumni Liaison
- Nick Ciulla, 1L Representative/VIPs Coordinator
- Chris McMillian, 1L Representative/VIPs Coordinator
- Richa Patel, 1L Representative/VIPs Coordinator