Program in Law and Technology
Overview
Advances in computers, communications systems, electronics, and biotechnology occur at a breathtaking pace, and the Internet is having a revolutionary impact on commerce and entertainment. The faculty of the law school recognized early on the importance of many of these developments. In 1989, the University of Dayton School of Law committed itself to producing graduates who are well-versed in law and technology issues by creating the Program in Law and Technology (PILT).
The Program in Law and Technology is designed to provide students with a solid foundation in several areas: patent law, copyright and trademark law, business dimensions of intellectual property law (particularly the licensing of intellectual property), computer/cyberspace law, entertainment law and the impact of technology on the practice of law.
The School of Law offers more than a dozen courses in these areas. Students have a great opportunity to graduate with a well-rounded, cutting-edge education. They are well prepared to handle the legal issues involved in these ever-expanding areas of law.
In addition to courses, there are many opportunities for students to participate in extracurricular and co-curricular activities related to law and technology.
As PILT has developed over the last two decades, it has become internationally known, attracting a variety of distinguished visitors and speakers. The program also regularly sponsors advanced programs for practitioners and scholarly symposia. The scholarly symposia and the advanced programs for practitioners are open to law students, members of the legal community and law faculty and staff, to create a collegial atmosphere for dialogue, learning and networking.
PILT Students
The quality of the students in the program is noteworthy. Our students are hard working and highly motivated. They come from a variety of backgrounds, and many have worked professionally for a number of years before coming to law school.
There is no specific undergraduate background required for the program. Students in the program have undergraduate backgrounds in every conceivable major. These majors have included liberal arts (economics, English, history, journalism, mathematics, music, philosophy), social science (government, political science), science (biochemistry, chemistry, microbiology), engineering (aerospace, biomedical, ceramic, chemical, civil, electrical, mechanical), business (accounting, finance, marketing, MIS), and others (computer science, prelaw). One aspect of patent law (patent prosecution) requires a background in science and engineering, yet other areas of patent practice do not require this background.
With the Internet playing such a significant role in and out of the courtroom, more and more employers need attorneys with an understanding of and an interest in the legal issues raised by this technology. The courses offered by the Program in Law and Technology prepare students for work in this area.
Law & Technology Courses:
LAW 6904 Law and the Internet of Things
LAW 6543 Social Media Law
Bio:
Professor Thaddeus Hoffmeister is Assistant Dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and teaches courses related to criminal law, technology, and the jury. He also directs the UDSL Criminal Law Clinic where his students represent indigent clients charged with criminal offenses. Hoffmeister previously served as the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Hoffmeister has published a number of books, law review articles, and essays exploring juries, the criminal justice system, and the Internet. His most recent book is entitled the Internet of Things and the Law.
Law & Technology Courses:
LAW 6405 Antitrust Law
LAW 6832/5832 Intellectual Property Law
Bio:
Pablo Iannello is an attorney, who graduated from Buenos Aires University. His many roles include, Director of the Program of Law and Technology at UADE, Visiting Scholar at UNIDROIT Institute, Adjunct Professor at the University of Dayton School of Law, and Professor at the UdeSA-WIPO LL.M. His areas of research are Law and Economics, Intellectual Property, Competition Policy, and Law and Technology.
Law & Technology Courses:
LAW 6400 Intellectual Property Law
LAW 6415 Copyright Law
LAW 6525 Digital Music Sampling & Copyright Infringement
LAW 6926 Capstone: Trademark Prosecution and Practice
LAW 6971 Trademarks Unfair Competition
Bio:
Tracy Reilly teaches real property and intellectual property courses at the School of Law. Before joining the faculty in 2006, she was a partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP in Chicago, where she worked in the areas of intellectual property, entertainment, advertising, and corporate law. She has also worked as in-house counsel for an independent record label where she specialized in international licensing transactions, at a boutique entertainment law firm in Chicago, and as a law clerk for both the Honorable Wayne R. Andersen in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the Honorable Anne M. Burke in the Appellate Court of Illinois. Her clients have included Kraft, Sara Lee, Kellogg, Honeywell, Madison Dearborn Partners, United Airlines, the Chicago Sun-Times, Rand McNally, and the estates of gospel star Mahalia Jackson and Charles Stepney, producer for Earth, Wind & Fire.
Law & Technology Courses:
LAW 6904 Law and the Internet of Things
Bio:
Professor Adam Todd’s love of teaching, his devotion to his family and his affection for his small farmhouse in Central Ohio led him to the University of Dayton. Not long after graduating from law school, he started his law teaching at Hamline University School of Law and University of Minnesota Law School. He then moved to Springfield, Ohio, when his wife joined the faculty in the English Department at Wittenberg University.
Law & Technology Courses:
LAW 6534 Video Game Law
LAW 6941 Commercialization of Intellectual Property
Bio:
Mathew Willenbrink worked as a biochemist for several years before attending law school in 2003 at the University of Cincinnati College of Law, where he was the recipient of the Timothy Walker Scholarship and the Burdsall Scholarship. After graduation, he worked in the Intellectual Property Office at the University of Cincinnati, where he was also a member of General Counsel’s Office. He is a member of the Ohio bar and the Patent bar. In 2007, he returned to the University of Dayton to serve as the director of technology partnerships. He is responsible for the university’s intellectual property and intellectual property licensing. He is currently the president of the State of Ohio’s Technology Transfer Officer Council.
Law & Technology Courses:
LAW 6535 Trade Secret Law
LAW 6832 Intellectual Property Law
LAW 6905 Patent Litigation Capstone
Bio:
Julie Zink, a 1999 graduate of the University of Dayton School of Law, joined the faculty in 2006 to teach Legal Profession courses, with a particular interest in intellectual property. She has been the Assistant Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the Coordinator of the Legal Profession Program. Before that she was an adjunct professor at the School and an attorney at Faruki Ireland & Cox PLL in Dayton, specializing in intellectual property litigation. From January 2008 to January 2016, she worked part-time as counsel for Teradata Corporation, on patent matters.
Pablo Iannello
Director of the Program in Law and Technology
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