Law & Technology Certificate Program
J.D. Law & Technology Certificate
Boalt Hall has developed the nation’s leading program in law and technology for students interested in concentrating their studies in this area. To receive the certificate upon graduation, students need to fulfill both curricular and extracurricular requirements. The curricular requirements emphasize depth and breadth of coverage and afford students substantial flexibility in adapting their course of study toward a range of career paths at the growing intersection of law and technology. J.D. candidates in their second year may submit an interim application to the program so they may inform prospective employers of their participation in the program.
You can download the application in Microsoft Word or PDF format.
The Law and Technology Program requires satisfactory completion of six courses and a research paper, as well as participation in law and technology student organization.The program includes:
- Completion of the core course Introduction to Intellectual Property.
- Completion of at least two courses from the following list of core courses:
- Copyright
- Information Privacy Law
- Cyberlaw
- Patent Law
- Trademark Law
- Trade Secrets
- Completion of at least three additional Law & Technology courses. For a complete list of Law & Technology offerings please visit the courses page.
- A writing component, fulfilled by completing a paper on a Law and Technology topic that meets the standards for the JD Writing Requirement. Refer to Appendix B of the Academic Rules for the complete scope and standards of this requirement. Students can submit a paper written to fulfill another course requirement at Berkeley Law, including the the J.D. Writing Requirement.
- An activity component, fulfilled by substantial participation in at least one approved activity for two semesters, or two approved activities for one semester. This requirement is designed to encourage students to develop collaborative working skills and to complement the substantive knowledge derived from course-related work. The list of approved activities will be reviewed periodically by BCLT. Participating in the following activities satisfies the activity component:
- BERC @ Boalt
- Boalt.org
- Berkeley Technology Law Journal
- Consumer Advocacy and Protection Society
- Healthcare and Biotech Law Society
- Patent Law Society
- Sports and Entertainment Law Society
- UAEM (University Allied for Essential Medicines)
Students may request to have another law and technology-related activity approved, such as a moot court competition relating to intellectual property.
Submit a hard copy of the completed application and supporting materials to 421 Boalt Hall for review. The application deadline is July 1 of the applicant’s graduation year. Students who wish to be listed in the graduation program as having received the certificate must submit the application by April 1 of their graduation year.
