Law students who aspire to practice in the technology law space can now earn a new credential to boost their marketability to potential employers who need skilled attorneys.
Seattle University School of Law’s Technology, Innovation Law, and Ethics (TILE) Program has developed a new TILE Certificate program to equip the next generation of legal professionals with the skills needed to lead in rapidly evolving legal practices rooted in technology and innovation.
Graduates of the law school’s JD program who successfully complete all coursework and co-curricular requirements, and demonstrate a deep understanding of technology, innovation law, and the regulatory challenges posed by their intersection, will earn the certificate in the form of official recognition on their transcripts and diplomas.
“Students with the TILE Certificate are able to send an important signal to prospective employers that they are ready, willing, and able to tackle knotty legal challenges that occur where legal practice meets technology,” said Professor Margaret Chon, co-director of the TILE Program and the Donald and Lynda Horowitz Chair for the Pursuit of Justice.
The TILE Program, co-directed by Chon and Professor Steven Bender, associate dean for Planning and Strategic Initiatives, allows students pursuing JD, Master of Legal Studies (MLS), Master of Laws (LLM), and Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) degrees to learn about the legal disciplines and ethical principles needed for a career in one of the many technology-related areas of law.
The program includes: more than 30 tech-focused courses and legal clinics; dozens of internships and externships at some of the leading tech companies in the world, including Amazon, Microsoft, and Expedia; multiple student organizations that pertain to technology; a student journal; and numerous professional opportunities in the sector.
Taught by nine distinguished career faculty members and a host of adjunct professors, all with significant expertise in technology and innovation law, the program’s foundation rests on three primary areas of focus that are integral to practicing law in the technology space:
- Ethics and entrepreneurship, such as technology ethics and the effective representation of entrepreneurs
- Intellectual property, including copyright, patent, and trademark law
- Transformative technologies, including artificial intelligence, blockchain, cybersecurity, the Internet, and privacy