From Fragmentation to Integration: UNH Franklin Pierce’s Hybrid JD and the Future of Global IP Education by Professor Seth C. Oranburg

From Fragmentation to Integration: UNH Franklin Pierce’s Hybrid JD and the Future of Global IP Education, written by Professor Seth C. Oranburg of UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law, USA. In The Global IP Matrix Magazine Issue 23, Professor Seth C. Oranburg of UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law, USA, shares invaluable insights into the growing disconnect between traditional legal education and the realities of modern intellectual property practice. As IP disputes increasingly span borders, technologies, and doctrines, he argues that siloed teaching models no longer serve students or clients. Drawing on global case studies and UNH Franklin Pierce’s pioneering Hybrid JD in Intellectual Property, Technology & Information Law, Professor Oranburg outlines a future-focused approach to training lawyers for an interconnected IP economy.

Why Fragmented IP Education No Longer Works

Modern IP disputes rarely fit neatly into single legal categories. A single matter may involve patents, copyrights, trade secrets, competition law, and cross-border enforcement simultaneously. Yet many law schools still teach these areas in isolation.

Professor Oranburg highlights research showing that even designated IP institutions often focus narrowly on patents, leaving other IP disciplines fragmented and underdeveloped. This lack of systemisation produces graduates who understand individual doctrines but struggle to manage complex, real-world IP portfolios. A New Model: Integration from Day One

UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law has taken a different approach. Its Hybrid JD, launched in 2019, is the only ABA-accredited JD programme built entirely around IP and delivered primarily online. Every student begins with a foundational course that maps the relationships between patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets before advancing to specialised subjects. As Professor Oranburg notes: “Students learn to think across geographic and doctrinal boundaries from day one.”

This integrated structure mirrors how IP issues arise in practice, not how they are traditionally taught.

Blending Online Access with Practical Immersion

Distance learning is central to the programme, but not at the expense of hands-on experience. The Hybrid JD combines asynchronous online learning with in-person immersion sessions in New Hampshire, Silicon Valley, and Hawaii. Students also participate in the Intellectual Property and Transaction Clinic, providing real-world IP services to entrepreneurs and innovators who might otherwise lack access to legal counsel. This model enables working professionals, engineers, and technologists to transition into IP law without leaving their careers or relocating.

A Truly Global Perspective on IP

Globalisation is built into the curriculum. Visiting faculty from WIPO and the European Patent Office contribute comparative insights, while students collaborate across jurisdictions from a single virtual classroom. Graduates now practise in more than eighty countries, holding leadership roles in law firms, corporations, government IP offices, and multinational organisations.

Conclusion

As innovation increasingly revolves around intangible assets, legal education must evolve accordingly. UNH Franklin Pierce’s Hybrid JD demonstrates how integrated doctrine, global exposure, and practical training can prepare lawyers for the realities of modern IP practice.

Read the full article in The Global IP Matrix Issue 23, essential reading for IP professionals, educators, and legal strategists shaping the future of global intellectual property education.

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