St. John’s Intellectual Property Law Center expands programming and welcomes new student fellows
The Intellectual Property Law Center at St. John’s Law announced on Apr. 16 that it is expanding its programming and welcoming new student fellows as the law school marks its 100th anniversary.
This expansion aims to offer more opportunities for students, alumni, scholars, and practitioners to engage with legal issues related to knowledge, technology, creativity, and expression. The center has served as a hub for research and professional development in intellectual property law for over ten years.
Professors Jeremy Sheff and Eva E. Subotnik continue to lead the center’s growth. “We’re excited to make the IPLC an even more valuable resource for our constituencies,” Sheff said. He added that they are making efforts to connect with alumni working in intellectual property, technology, content industries, and cultural development through their website and social media presence.
New curricular offerings include a Trade Secrets course introduced this semester that addresses protecting confidential business information globally. Next year will see a seminar on generative artificial intelligence co-taught by Sheff and Professor Kate Klonick. The Intellectual Property Colloquium will also return alongside an expanded New York City Intellectual Property Law and Philosophy Workshop transitioning into a national conference.
To support these initiatives, Subotnik and Sheff relaunched the Student Fellows Program by welcoming Frank Sayegh ’27 and Anna Westfall ’27 as new fellows. “We identified Anna and Frank as strong 2L students with demonstrated interest in IP,” Subotnik said. “They will familiarize themselves with the IPLC over the coming year, make a lasting contribution to its future, and then pass on their knowledge…so the cycle can continue.” Both students have been active in IPLC-affiliated organizations such as the Intellectual Property Law Society or Entertainment, Art, and Sports Law Society.
Sheff described his vision: “As the IPLC expands its offerings…we hope the Student Fellow Program will not only connect some of our most promising current students with alumni…but that over time it will create a community of Fellows that will provide experience…and connections.”
St. John’s University supports initiatives through centers focused on multicultural local and global efforts according to its official website. The university operates campuses in Queens and Manhattan along with international sites in Rome, Paris, and Limerick according to its official website. It is affiliated with the Vincentian Community according to its official website while offering more than 100 undergraduate majors across six schools according to its official website. St John’s operates as a Catholic institution dedicated to liberal arts education according to its official website, led by Rev. Brian J. Shanley O.P., who holds the presidency according to its official website.
