At New York Law School (NYLS), we take an innovative approach to legal education and we’re proud to train our students in practice areas that prepare them for the future. We’re delighted that the Spring 2025 issue of preLaw magazine has recognized our outstanding programs in alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and intellectual property (IP) law.
Alternative Dispute Resolution: “A”
From business law to family law, today’s lawyers have a wide range of options to resolve conflicts outside of traditional courtroom settings, which is why NYLS provides students with numerous opportunities to study and train in the three core alternative dispute resolution processes—negotiation, mediation, and arbitration.
Our ADR Skills Program provides students with the necessary skills to navigate and excel in this evolving practice area, empowering them to become effective negotiators and problem-solvers. Students can advance their study in areas of conflict avoidance, management, and resolution and develop practical skills in area-specific dispute resolution regimes such as employment, securities, and family law dispute resolution. A focused externship program also affords students opportunities to observe and participate in actual arbitration and mediation procedures and to develop professional contacts.
Intellectual Property Law: “A”
NYLS also stands out in the area of intellectual property law, offering a rigorous and forward-thinking program that prepares students to handle the demands of this practice area with innovation and creativity. Through foundational and specialized courses, including Intellectual Property, Patent Law, and Intellectual Property Licensing and Drafting, students gain a deeper understanding of the practice. They also benefit from a range of clinics, externships, and other experiential learning opportunities that engage them in real-world issues that prepare them to successfully launch their career.
Our Innovation Center for Law and Technology provides law students with a cutting-edge approach to education and skills training in intellectual property and other intersections of law and technology. Through projects, events, and research, the Innovation Center brings together practitioners, students, and scholars to create the future of legal practice, and graduates leave the program prepared to navigate complex legal challenges at the intersection of law and technology.
Clinics and Experiential Learning at NYLS
Experiential learning is an essential part of your legal training, and NYLS’s wide range of clinics and experiential learning opportunities are designed to ensure you’re confident and practice-ready in areas of ADR, intellectual property, and beyond.
Students interested in pursuing intellectual property law can participate in clinics like the PTO Trademark Clinic or the Patent Law Clinic to gain hands-on experience in the practice. Law students in the PTO Trademark Clinic recently partnered with the Nonprofit and Small Business Clinic to provide local entrepreneurs and small business owners with vital information to legally safeguarding their businesses. The Patent Law Clinic assists inventors in a variety of fields, including adaptive fashion and medical technology, to obtain U.S. patents for their inventions. preLaw highlighted one of the Patent Law Clinic’s successes in securing a patent for a client who created a new exercise device. Students interested in ADR-related careers can benefit from the Mediation Clinic, which provides students with intensive training before placing them in cohorts to perform mediation work on actual New York Small Claims Court matters throughout the semester.
Students can also hone their appellate advocacy, brief-writing, and ADR skills by joining one of our moot court and competition teams, which offer numerous opportunities to compete nationally and internationally. In the past semester, NYLS’s Moot Court Association (MCA) and Dispute Resolution Team (DRT) have excelled across multiple national competitions, earning top honors.
Nationally Recognized Academic Programs
We’re proud to be recognized by preLaw not only as a top school in alternative dispute resolution and intellectual property but as a top school in government law (A+), real estate law (A), and trial advocacy (A-); racial justice (A-), business law (A-), and criminal law (A-); and technology law (top 20), family law (A+), and human rights law (A).