University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law

Introduction

The University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law offers specialized LLM, master’s, and graduate certificate programs in Intellectual Property, Commerce & Technology, and International Criminal Law & Justice with residential and online formats available.

Founded by inventors and entrepreneurs, UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law is a pioneering powerhouse, training the next generation of great lawyers with an emphasis on practice-based learning. Through its Franklin Pierce Center for Intellectual Property, the law school is home to one of the nation’s most highly regarded IP programs, a hallmark of the school since it was founded in 1973. In building relationships with leaders in industry and government around the world, the IP Center has established itself as a global hub with rich and varied resources—including the only academic IP library in the United States and one of the most extensive selections of intellectual property courses in the country.

Ahead of the curve in integrating intellectual property studies into legal education, UNH Franklin Pierces offers students practice-based learning and preparation for real-world situations that will ensure students succeed in legal careers anywhere in the world. Students are exposed to a wide range of cutting-edge IP issues and benefit from unique opportunities to practice skills, work side-by-side with faculty, and network with global leaders.

LLM students can participate in hands-on learning through clinics such as the Intellectual Property and Transaction Clinic. In addition, students may also participate in immersive classes where they learn from industry experts and network with leaders in the field. Special course topics have included: Intellectual Property Issues Faced by Today’s Industry, Sport Law and Business at UFC, and Intellectual Property, Entrepreneurship, and Indigenous Community Development. Through these hands-on learning experiences, students graduate with the skills and knowledge necessary to impact innovation in the ever-evolving world of IP.

The active and close-knit community at UNH Franklin Pierce ensures students build relationships that last throughout their career. Upon graduation, students join the ranks of our 7,000+ alumni in more than 80 countries working at Fortune 500 companies, AmLaw 100 firms, and global tech giants around the world. Hear directly from LLM students and recent graduates and learn more about the UNH Franklin Pierce LLM experience.

Areas of Specialization

UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law offers three different LLM programs:

• Intellectual Property

  Students gain access to one of the most comprehensive IP curricula in the country and immerse themselves in a broad range of cutting-edge IP issues. The program allows students to choose from classes in patent law, copyright, trademarks and more. 

  The IP concentration offers LLM, master’s and graduate certificates with both in-person and online modalities.

• Commerce and Technology

  Supported by UNH Franklin Pierce Law School's strong IP foundation, the Commerce and Technology program is built at the intersection of business and law. The program explores evolving legal issues facing new business and e-commerce in the global information age economy, with a focus on data and privacy law and rapidly developing areas of the law, such as cybercrime and consumers’ private information. 

  The Commerce and Technology concentration offers LLM, master’s and graduate certificates and is offered in-person in Concord, New Hampshire.

• International Criminal Law and Justice

  Available 100% online, the ICLJ program addresses fast-paced developments in the globalization of commerce, terrorism, human rights, and criminal law, especially over the past 30 years. The program is ideal for practicing lawyers, and scholars in diplomatic, criminal justice, military, and law enforcement communities around the world. It focuses on transnational law courses focused on domestic crimes with international implications, and the implications of nations expanding the reach of their domestic criminal statutes, the creation of the International Criminal Court and Special Tribunals and United Nations conventions, with bi- and multi-lateral treaties.

  The ICLJ program offers LLM and master’s degrees and is offered 100% online through asynchronous courses.

Housing

New Hampshire is consistently ranked one of the top states to live in the USA, and one of the safest states. It is full of clean air, clean water, and the wonders of nature. Students who enjoy the outdoors and want to experience all four seasons will be happy here. The law school is walkable to downtown Concord, which is home to restaurants, shops, performing arts venues, an independent movie theatre and bookstore, a weekly farmers’ market, and an array of community events throughout the year.

The University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law partners with VeryApt, a company that specializes in providing off-campus housing solutions for students. This service is FREE for anyone to use as an effective method of finding a place to live off-campus or finding a roommate. The student life housing webpage has more information about searching for housing, as well as a housing guide that contains reviews and advice from current students.

There are limited university housing options available. All housing is within walking distance of the school and White Park. Students may request to be placed on the law school’s housing list once they have been admitted and submitted their tuition seat deposit. Priority is given to international graduate students.

Student Services and Organizations

Students have access to a host of academic services to support their success in the classroom. Each student receives an academic adviser to assist with curriculum planning and course selection. Students meet with their academic adviser for individualized advising sessions throughout their academic journey. In addition, all students receive a faculty mentor for additional support with curriculum planning and career guidance. Graduate students benefit from the services provided by the school’s Academic Success Program. These services include group workshops and individualized support to build skills for success in the US legal classroom, and guidance for Bar Exam application and preparation for those students interested in sitting for a US Bar Exam.

UNH Franklin Pierce offers all students a holistic higher education experience filled with co-curricular, community engagement, and cross-cultural inclusivity. Students are involved in an array of organizations that enhance the day-to-day life at the school. The school’s 40+ student groups include academic and professional organizations, wellness initiatives, sports and more. Academic and professional organizations include the Student Bar Association, Diversity Coalition, Outdoors Club, Sports Club, Women’s Law Student Association, Black Law Students Association, Civic Engagement Society, Asian Pacific American Law Students Association, and more. To find an organization that suits your interests, visit the listing of student organizations.

Students interested in Intellectual Property can join a range of IP-related student organizations, including Student Intellectual Property Law Association, Master of the Trade(marks), Patent Law Forum, Creative Legal Society, Licensing Executive Society, and the Sports and Entertainment Law Society. In addition, students can also engage with the school’s IP Law Review, IDEA: The Journal of the Franklin Pierce Center for Intellectual Property.

Hear from a former LLM student and read this blog post written by an LLM student about adjusting to life in the US.

Career Services

The Office of Career and Academic Advising (OCAA) at UNH Franklin Pierce provides exceptional guidance and resources to students and alumni throughout the job-search process. Students can access individual coaching with career counselors, group workshops, and special programs to acquire critical knowledge about different areas of practice. Workshop topics include writing an effective cover letter and résumé, professionalism, interviewing skills, and more.

From the start of orientation, LLM and graduate students begin working with the Career Services team to develop and practice effective networking skills. OCAA maintains an alumni directory and lists of organizations that have hired UNH Franklin Pierce students in the past and hosts ongoing opportunities for students to meet practicing attorneys, participate in alumni and student networking events, and gain access to relevant job postings.

Watch this virtual chat with a graduate who discusses her experience pursuing Optional Practical Training and preparing for the New York Bar Exam.

IP Library

A nationally unique asset to the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law is the Intellectual Property Library, opened January 1, 1995. It is the only dedicated academic IP library in the United States. Many distinguished IP visitors, scholars, fellows, academics, and practitioners have proclaimed this information center one of the top English language collections in the world. The University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law is the only law school in the nation with:

• a dedicated IP Global Resource Center classified at the research level of collection development;
• thousands of donated volumes of unique practitioner materials;
• a virtual, award-winning IP website, library, and portal, the IP Mall;
• all WIPO publications; and
• an IP librarian holding both Juris Doctor and Master of Intellectual Property Law degrees, with more than 30 years of experience, who actively publishes articles on IP information and, as a member of the faculty, teaches courses in IP legal research and patent informatics.

The IP Global Resource Center

• has collected IP materials on the research level for 50 years;
• includes approximately 13,000 print volumes dealing with IP, commerce, and technology;
• provides students access to every major English language IP research product available;
• is home to the Homer Blair Patent Model Collection and the Ralph Baer: Father of Video Game Invention Technology Permanent Exhibit;
• is the recipient of many donations by well-known practitioners and corporations;
• has been designated by the United States Patent and Trademark Office as a Patent Trademark Resource Center (PTRC) serving the UNH community and the state of New Hampshire by educating patrons on the patent and trademark searching and prosecution processes; and
• has assisted thousands of patrons from other libraries in finding IP materials not otherwise available to them.

The Virtual IP Collection

Beyond “the four walls” of the physical space is a host of licensed database services that serve scholarly and academic research. The office of the intellectual property librarian has access to every major IP information provider for purposes of teaching and scholarship.