How to choose a law school for IP
Answer in brief
Weigh curriculum, clinics, employment outcomes, cost and location; a specialty ranking is one input, not the answer.
A comparison method
- List schools you can realistically attend.
- Pull each school's ABA 509 report for cost and employment.
- Check IP course listings and clinics.
- Note specialty rankings as one signal.
- Weigh total cost against expected outcomes.
Clinics
Many schools run IP clinics; some take part in the USPTO's Law School Clinic Certification Program, which lets supervised students practice before the USPTO.
Sources for this entry
- ABA — Required disclosures (ABA-approved law schools) American Bar Association
Standard 509 data for every ABA-approved law school: admissions, costs, bar passage and employment. - U.S. News — Best Intellectual Property Law Programs U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News's specialty ranking of law school IP programs, based on peer assessment.
Practical guidance is original editorial content. Company-published figures are the company's own claims and are labeled as such.
Continue this reading path
IP law school rankings explainedTaking the patent bar in law school
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Cite or share this entry
Best IP Law Schools. “How to choose a law school for IP.” Wysebridge Reference. Content reviewed 9 November 2026.
https://bestiplawschools.com/how-to-choose-an-ip-law-school/