“After completing my Ph.D. research and assisting patent attorneys drafting my patent applications, I knew patent law was a perfect fit for me. I needed an IP Law program that would allow me to work full-time while still pursuing my law degree. I chose the Hybrid JD in IP due to the flexibility it provided — which allowed me to watch lecture videos, study, or answer discussion posts when I had the opportunity and still spend time with my family. I was able to maintain balance with my family, career, and law school studies all at one time.
The connections I made with my classmates, faculty, staff, and alumni will be long-lasting. The in-person immersion periods solidified these relationships. We looked forward to attending the in-person periods as a check-in to see how everyone was doing and to provide encouragement — knowing that we were all in this together. The connections that I have developed at UNH Franklin Pierce would rival some of my longest lasting connections. We didn’t just go to law school together — we built a family.”
“There are several part-time JD program available for working professionals; none, however, offer the flexible hybrid model with the IP focus that UNH Franklin Pierce does. The Hybrid JD’s specialization into deeper IP topics such as IP taxation, monetization, and negotiations, was indisputably helpful for my day-job working in tech transfer as a licensing manager at a hospital. The mostly online delivery model also offered a schedule that did not require nightly presence in-person like other part-time JD programs.
Moreover, the leaders and faculty of the Hybrid JD have been incredibly thoughtful about how to constantly improve the delivery of content and learning. Even considering the well-planned in-person immersions held for 3-4 days at a time, I could intentionally integrate law school into my day-to-day life. For those of us with multiple responsibilities such as children, aging parents, deployed spouses, injuries, and/or demanding jobs, this hybrid model was the only way we could have fathomed affording the time and resources to complete a JD.”
“I could not commit to the demands of commuting to a part-time law school four nights a week for four years. The Hybrid JD at UNH Franklin Pierce offered me the ability to stay at my full-time job at the USPTO. Because of the flexibility of most lectures being pre-recorded and available on-demand, I was also able to attend to my family's needs, including being able to be at almost all my children’s activities.
In addition to the immense flexibility, the Hybrid JD offered another thing that many other non-residential programs did not: immersion programs. These in-person learning sessions allow students to travel to various locations to interact with legal and industry professionals in important IP rolls. My cohort was filled with a diverse group of people, and I established great relationships with these classmates, especially at these immersions. Among our group were engineers, scientists, doctors, veterans, and other patent examiners. The atmosphere was very collaborative and everyone was willing to help each other succeed.”
“It would be very difficult for me to attend a traditional law program. The Hybrid JD program allows me to attend work meetings or to travel and not miss any classes. For someone who is a non-traditional student, this program is perfect. Most of the students have professional experience and family commitments. It allows for a great deal of flexibility which is great for someone who has a busy schedule.”
“It was always a dream of mine to go to law school, and the Hybrid JD program has enabled me to do as such. The professors not only have hands-on experience in law but they also are scholars; so you are getting the best of both worlds. They can really understand and empathize with us as students, especially Hybrid students, for where we are in our lives.”
“I was looking for the best intellectual property programs, and specifically ones for people who were working full-time. I didn’t want to give up my job in the music industry because its such a passion for me. I found that UNH had a great powerhouse IP program. You have so much help around you and the student camaraderie actually helps you keep going. You really grow a support system where they look out for you.”