Durham Law School | LLM International Property Law

LLM International Property Law at Durham University

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The LLM in Intellectual Property Law will let you explore in depth this fascinating legal area that is growing ever more essential to the effective functioning of a global economy.

The LLM in Intellectual Property Law offers you the opportunity to develop an in-depth knowledge of this contemporary subject, in keeping with its rapidly growing importance in enabling the legal and proper function of a global economy.

In essence, Intellectual Property Law serves to regulate the creation and application of mental or creative labour, providing protection for information and ideas by means of a range of legal mechanisms that include Copyright, Patents and Trademarks. The Right to Intellectual Property is essential to success in a vast number of business and creative sectors, encompassing such disparate areas as science, art, advertising, music, product design, trade reputations, medicines and knowledge.

The course takes a national and international view of this fascinating legal world, enabling you to develop a solid grounding in Copyright, Patents and Trademarks from a UK and European perspective through the completion of a compulsory foundation course.

You will then begin a more advanced stage of learning that will focus on current and emerging topics in Intellectual Property Law, such as Artificial Intelligence, Access to Medicines and Patents in the Life Sciences.  You will also produce a dissertation on an Intellectual Property Law topic of your choice.

Durham Law School has a global reputation for its academic standards and the quality of its teaching which takes place in a supportive learning environment, offering a range of extracurricular activities.

You will be encouraged to attend the various events organised through the school’s research centres, including the Centre for Ethics & Law in the Life Sciences, the Institute of Commercial & Corporate Law and the Durham European Law Institute.

We are fully aware of the degree of competition that exists in securing a role in the legal profession and the Law School provides a range of resources to help alumni stand out as ideal candidates during the recruitment process. This includes detailed information about the steps involved in becoming a Solicitor or Barrister, visits from law firms and guidance on preparing for interviews and assessment days.

Durham Law School graduates are highly sought after by leading national and international law firms. To promote career opportunities, these law firms regularly visit Durham University or offer online events exclusively for Durham students.

Durham Law School offers students online access to a comprehensive Employability Handbook that includes detailed timelines on the steps involved from starting as a first-year Law undergraduate to becoming a Solicitor or Barrister, and guidance on preparing for interviews and assessment days.

Students have access to the Durham University Careers & Enterprise Centre which supports students in developing their career planning and employability skills.  It is a free service and is available to students throughout the duration of their academic studies.

The Durham University Law Society, supported by Durham Law School, organises the Peer Mentorship Scheme. This Scheme provides students who take up that option with a student mentor in another year who can offer support and advice in relation to all of the opportunities available at Durham Law School, including societies and module choices.  This opportunity is available to first year Law undergraduates who will have the opportunity to be connected with a peer mentor who is a year two or year three law undergraduate.

In addition, the Durham University Law Society runs a mentoring scheme which connects second and third year law school students with Durham alumni who can offer support and advice in connection with career and other development.

Durham Law School's academic staff produce world-leading research creating significant legal impact. The School's scholars advise parliamentarians and policy-makers around the world, called to give evidence in Parliament, and have their research cited and quoted by the courts and international bodies.

Durham Law School is proud of its dynamic, diverse and high-achieving community of postgraduate researchers. We currently have over 70 excellent research students - from around the UK, mainland Europe and all corners of the globe - carrying out work under the supervision of our academic staff, many of whom are global leaders in their field.

Research students are integrated fully into the life of the Law School. All research students become a member of at least one research centre or group. These groups include the Human Rights Centre, Durham European Law Institute, Law & Global Justice and Gender & Law at Durham. A full list of our centres and groups are available online. Research students participate fully in the research events of these centres and groups, and opportunities exist for them to play an active role in their organisation by becoming Deputy Conveners.

To facilitate our students’ engagement with external activities and conferences while studying at Durham University, the School provides a competitive postgraduate funding scheme, which in the past year provided £16k to support research students in attending research events in the UK, France, the US, Switzerland, Ireland, Estonia, Finland, Italy, Turkiye and Nigeria.

In addition to the formal supervision process, our research students have opportunities for intellectual stimulation and development through the Law School’s and University Graduate School’s Training Programmes. These offer insights into research methods, qualitative and quantitative databases and time management. The courses also help students manage their research projects, plan their future careers and provide an excellent opportunity to meet students from across the many subject disciplines studied at Durham University.

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We believe that inspiring our people to do outstanding things at Durham enables Durham people to do outstanding things in the world.

A globally outstanding centre of teaching and research excellence, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, a unique and historic setting - Durham is a university like no other!