As part of Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s (HBKU) continuous effort to extend legal thought leadership from classroom to practice and to promote an active exchange between academia and practice, the College of Law and Public Policy (CLPP) recently joined Qatar Shell Legal in hosting a half-day workshop on Intellectual Property Rights.

The workshop – offered to third-year Juris Doctor (JD) students – provided attendees with the opportunity to work alongside industry representatives and legal teams from Qatar Shell, Qatar Petroleum, and QatarGas. 

The workshop addressed various forms of intellectual property (IP) such as patents and trademarks from an in-house lawyer’s perspective, as well as created discussions on the lifecycle of IP, commercialization and licensing arrangements and challenges of jointly creating and owning IP. 

During the course of their training, all of the participants worked together on a hands-on mini case study, based on a real-life scenario, to determine first-hand how to best protect intellectual, business and legal interests and practice decision-making that minimizes risks. 

HBKU CLPP’s Founding Dean Professor Clinton W. Francis said “We are grateful to Qatar Shell for offering our first JD graduating class such an invaluable opportunity for learning by bringing practitioners into academic life to augment their education alongside seasoned legal counsel and industry representatives.”

HBKU’s CLPP offers plenty of opportunities to students and alumni who want to maximize on their education and pave their way to success in the legal profession. In addition to being the first degree of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa region, the Juris Doctor program utilizes a selective and unique educational approach, which often intertwines hands-on experience and theory.

For more information about HBKU’s CLPP, visit www.hbku.edu.qa/clpp.