Illustration by Whitney Sherman
five second- and third-year students at a time spend a semester at the center as a 7-credit course. The center is run as a small “law firm” with Webster at the helm, allowing students to participate in the full spectrum of IP law. “It’s a great opportunity for students to talk with clients, handle walk-in traffic, to really hear what people are talking about in the hallways,” says Webster. Students sit in on meetings with clients, are assigned research projects, and obtain practical on-the-job experience. “They get experience that they can’t get elsewhere,” Webster says. Third-year student Kara Wyrsch says the IP course is her favorite class to date. “Much more than any lecture class could have done, the IP course gave me an idea of what it would be like to practice as an IP lawyer,” says Wyrsch. She interviewed clients, conducted a patent search, and filed a trademark application. The first step in the process of working on projects is to meet with the client and determine what the company really needs. When dealing with patents, trademarks, and trade secrets, one slip can invalidate claims and result in years of costly litigation. The center’s strategy is to prevent problems before they happen. “Scientists think in terms of publishable results, things they can put their arms around,” says Webster. “We show them the benefit of taking time away from research results to put their house in order from a legal perspective.” The didactic milieu also sits well with scientists and academics, often neophytes in the world of law and business. “It was a different approach, more educational than dealing with a private IP law firm,” says Amstutz. Since opening its
doors in 2002, the center has attracted enough business to keep students busy, primarily through word-ofmouth. To date, the center has consulted with 40 to 50 companies and has more than 15 active clients. “We’re not even close to reaching the potential we have to be of service,” Webster says. Although most of the center’s clients are in Montgomery County, clients come from throughout
the state and the region. DED is sufficiently pleased with the performance of the center that, if funding can be obtained, an attorney may soon be added to handle business law, incorporation, contracts, and other routine corporate needs. “We have many pieces of evidence that the center is a necessary and valuable resource,” says Peters.
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