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J.D./LL.M. in Intellectual Property Joint Degree
Graduate IP Program
Joint Program Admission Requirements
Joint Program Requirements
FAQs
The joint degree program helps Cooley students earn both a J.D. and an LL.M. in Intellectual Property. The program will let qualified Cooley students gain provisional admission to the Graduate IP program. These students can then take up to eight hours of LL.M. credit and use those hours toward the J.D. degree. The net result is to save joint degree students eight hours of time and tuition while they are earning both degrees.
Graduate IP Program
The Graduate IP program is located at Cooley's Rochester/Oakland University Campus. Professor Gerald Tschura is the Director, and Professor David Berry is the Assistant Director. The graduate IP classes are offered on the weekends at Cooley's campus at Rochester/Oakland University.
To earn the LL.M. degree, students must successfully complete the required courses and a sufficient number of elective courses to earn 24 credits. An overall cumulative grade point average of at least a 3.0 or "B" on the total hours taken and completed must be achieved.
Students can take up to five years to complete the academic requirements needed for the LL.M. degree.
Required courses in the Graduate Intellectual Property program are Copyright Law and Practice (3 cr.), Licensing of Intellectual Property (3 cr.), Patent Law (3 cr.), and Trademark and Unfair Competition (3 cr.).
Joint Program Admission Requirements
In order to be considered for provisional admission to the joint program a Cooley J.D. student must have completed 60 credits, including at least a "B" in Intellectual Property Law.
Provisional admission to the program will be based on, among other things, class standing in the top one-half of the student's class, undergraduate major and academic performance, a writing sample, a written personal statement, and a letter of recommendation.
Students can take up to five years to complete the academic requirements needed for the LL.M. degree.
Joint Program Requirements
Permitted LL.M. Courses
A provisionally admitted J.D. student may earn up to eight LL.M. IP credits
-Two of the four required courses (Copyright Law and Practice, Licensing of Intellectual Property, Patent Law, and Trademark and Unfair Competition - each a three-credit required course); and,
-one two-credit elective course with the permission of the Director of the Graduate Intellectual Property Program
Scheduling of LL.M. Courses
A provisionally admitted J.D. student would be expected to complete two of the required LL.M. courses before taking any LL.M. elective course, unless this requirement was waived by the Director of the Graduate Intellectual Property Program.
Intellectual Property Law J.D. Course Requirement
The J.D. course Intellectual Property Law does not count as credit toward the LL.M. degree.
Total Credits Required for Degrees
Eight credit hours of time and tuition are saved through the joint degree program.
Cooley would accept the eight LL.M. credits as electives toward the J.D. degree (90 credits required for J.D. degree).
The eight LL.M. credits would also be counted toward the Cooley LL.M. degree (24 total credits - 8 credits = 16 remaining credits).
Grading Scales
The LL.M. and J.D. grading scales differ. Therefore, the grades earned in LL.M. classes will be based on the LL.M. grade scale and will be reflected on the LL.M. transcript. On the J.D. transcript, these LL.M. grades will be reflected as pass/fail grades for a provisionally admitted J.D. student.
Full Admission to LL.M. Program
A provisionally admitted J.D. student may be fully admitted to the LL.M. program once the J.D. degree is awarded.
The graduated J.D. student must satisfy the class standing admission requirement of the LL.M. program and be capable of achieving a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 required for graduation from the LL.M. program in order to be fully admitted.
Students can take up to five years to complete the academic requirements for the LL.M. degree.
Tuition
J.D. students pay the J.D. tuition rate for LL.M. courses. Once the student is awarded the J.D. degree and is fully admitted into the graduate program, the LL.M. tuition rate will apply.
Honors Scholarship
The LL.M. program does not have an Honors Scholarship, however, J.D. students can get Honors Scholarship for LL.M. classes taken while they are still a J.D. student. Any J.D. Honors Scholarship will not carry over to the LL.M. program once the student is awarded the J.D. degree and is fully admitted into the LL.M. program.
FAQs
What are the admission requirements to the joint program?
You must be a Cooley J.D. student who:
-has completed 60 credits;
-has earned at least a "B" in Intellectual Property Law; and,-is in the top one-half of your class.
What do you have to do to apply to the joint program?
Complete an application for provisional admission to the J.D./LL.M. in IP program and submit it to the Associate Dean for International, Graduate, and Extended Programs. The application may be obtained from the Office of International, Graduate, and Extended Programs on the 10th floor of the Cooley Center.
All LL.M. admission requirements apply to a student applying for the joint program, except for the J.D. degree. The student must complete the application which includes submitting a writing sample, a written personal statement and a letter of recommendation.
What is provisional admission?
Provisional admission means that the student is not fully admitted to the LL.M. program until the J. D. degree is awarded. Also, before being fully admitted to the LL.M. program, the student must satisfy all LL.M. admission requirements. In other words, the graduated J.D. student must satisfy the class standing admission requirement of the LL.M. program and be capable of achieving a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 required for graduation from the LL.M. program in order to be fully admitted.
How much is tuition?
J.D. students pay the J.D. tuition rate for LL.M. courses. Once the student is awarded the J.D. degree and is fully admitted into the graduate program, the LL.M. tuition rate will apply.
Does the Honors Scholarship apply to LL.M. study?
No. The LL.M. program does not have an Honors Scholarship, however, J.D. students can get Honors Scholarship for LL.M. classes taken while they are still a J.D. student. Any J.D. Honors Scholarship will not carry over to the LL.M. program once the student is awarded the J.D. degree and is fully admitted into the LL.M. program.
Why is it a benefit to be in the joint program?
The joint program allows a J.D. student to earn LL.M. credits which will count toward the J.D. degree.
To illustrate: 90 credits are required for the J.D. degree and 24 credits are required for the LL.M. degree, if the degrees were earned separately. The joint degree program allows the student to count up to eight LL.M. credits toward the J.D. degree.
Once the student is fully admitted into the LL.M. program, 16 LL.M. credits must be earned to be awarded the degree (24 - 8 = 16). The net is eight credit hours of saved time and tuition.
Where and when are the LL.M. classes offered?
The Graduate IP program is located at Cooley's Rochester/Oakland University campus. Professor Gerald Tschura is the Director, and Professor David Berry is the Assistant Director. The graduate IP classes are offered on the weekends at Cooley's Rochester/Oakland University campus.
Once provisionally admitted, which Graduate Taxation courses can be taken?
A provisionally admitted J. D. student may earn up to eight LL.M. tax credits consisting of:
-Two of the four required courses (Copyright Law and Practice, Licensing of Intellectual Property, Patent Law, and Trademark and Unfair Competition - each a three-credit required course); and,
-one two-credit elective course with the permission of the Director of the Graduate Intellectual Property program.
What is involved in scheduling these courses?
First, you must consult with your LL.M. academic advisor during the scheduling and registration process to make sure that all program and ABA rules are being followed.
The LL.M. courses should be taken in a specific order. A provisionally admitted J.D. student would be expected to complete two of the four required LL.M. courses before taking any LL.M. elective course, unless this requirement was waived by the Director of the Graduate Intellectual Property program.
Do the credits from the J.D. Intellectual Property Law course requirement count toward the LL.M. degree?
The J.D. Intellectual Property Law course does not count as credit toward the LL.M. degree.
What is the grading scale?
The LL.M. and J.D. grading scales differ. Therefore, the grades earned in LL.M. classes will be based on the LL.M. grade scale and will be reflected on the LL.M. transcript. On the J.D. transcript, these LL.M. grades will be reflected as pass/fail grades for a provisionally admitted J.D. student.
| J.D. Grading Scale | LL.M. Grading Scale | ||
| A | 4.0 | A | 4.00 |
| A- | 3.5 | A- | 3.67 |
| B | 3.0 | B+ | 3.33 |
| B- | 2.5 | B | 3.00 |
| C | 2.0 | B- | 2.67 |
| C- | 1.5 | C+ | 2.33 |
| D | 1.0 | C | 2.00 |
| F | 0.0 | C- or below | 0.00 |
How do you get fully admitted into the LL.M. program?
A provisionally admitted J.D. student may be fully admitted to the LL.M. program once the J.D. degree is awarded. The graduated J.D. student must satisfy the class standing admission requirement of the LL.M. program and be capable of achieving a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 required for graduation from the LL.M. program in order to be fully admitted.
How long can you take to earn the LL.M. degree?
Graduate students can take up to five years to complete the academic requirements for the LL.M. degree.
Can the LL.M. degree be earned on a part-time or full-time basis?
Yes. Once fully admitted to the graduate program, a student is considered full-time when he or she is enrolled in six credit hours, half-time with three credit hours, and part-time with two credit hours. Students fully admitted and enrolled in the graduate program cannot register for more than 14 credits during a term. The LL.M. can be completed within one calendar year, but the full-time student could be faced with time conflicts between courses offered. Not all courses in the curriculum will be offered every term.
What about financial aid?
You are strongly encouraged to contact the Financial Aid office to find out whether it is available or how it may be affected. The Financial Aid office may be contacted by e-mail at finaid@cooley.edu or by telephone at (517) 371-5140, ext. 2210.
How do I receive additional information about the LL.M. Program?
Please review the requirements for the LL.M. degree. Information can be obtained
-on the Web at www.cooley.edu/llm
-by e-mail at LLM@cooley.edu
-by telephone at (517) 371-5140, ext. 2849
- or in person at the Office of International, Graduate, and Extended Programs on the 10th floor of the Cooley Center.
Lansing Campus
Office of International, Graduate, and Extended Programs
300 South Capitol Avenue
Lansing, MI 48933
(517) 371-5140, ext. 2849
LLM@cooley.edu
Rochester/Oakland University Campus
Graduate IP Program
Director: Professor Gerald Tschura
312 O'Dowd Hall
Rochester, MI 48309
(248) 370-3622
tschurag@cooley.edu
Assistant Director: Professor David Berry
314 O'Dowd Hall
Rochester, MI 48309
(248) 370-3623
berryd@cooley.edu
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This Page was last updated on:
03/23/2004