Innovation Law Center to offer virtual office hours this spring at the LaunchPad

The Syracuse University College of Law Innovation Law Center (ILC) is once again partnering with the Blackstone LaunchPad & Techstars at Syracuse University Libraries to hold bi-weekly virtual office hours this spring semester for innovators and inventors this spring. The Innovation Law Center helps Syracuse startups with four aspects of developing a comprehensive landscape: IP, competition, market and regulatory environment.

Third year Syracuse University law students lending their technical expertise to SU innovators working to commercialize their ideas include:  Viviana Bro, Kaitlyn Crobar, Nikkia Knudsen, Rickson Galvez, Sohela Suri and Sehseh Sanan.

Hours for the spring 2021 semester are below:

  • Thursday, January 28: (3-5 p.m.) Sohela Suri
  • Wednesday, February 10: (3-5 p.m.) Nikkia Knudsen
  • Thursday, February 25: (3-5 p.m.) Sehseh Sanan
  • Wednesday, March 10: (3-5 p.m.) Kaitlyn Crobar
  • Thursday, March 25: (3-5 p.m.) Rickson Galvez
  • Wednesday, April 7: (noon-2 p.m.) Viviana Bro

From market landscapes to intellectual property protection, to licensing options and potential funding sources, the ILC helps companies turn their technology into a commercial reality.  While the ILC does not file for or prosecute patents, and does not provide legal advice or opinions, the LaunchPad can refer inventors and entrepreneurs to IP law firms to implement patent, trademark, copyright filings, licensing agreements and other legal work.

In the past two years, the partnership between the ILC and the LaunchPad helped Syracuse University students produce solid patent research and landscape reports that positioned them for winnings in campus, state and national business plan competitions. 

Working collaboratively with programs such as Invent@SU, students were able to complete patent searches that helped them file more than 60 provisional patents, and go on to work with outside counsel to turn seven of them into non-provisional patent applications. 

To schedule an appointment with the ILC team, e-mail LaunchPad@syr.edu. Reservations are highly suggested to plan for individual time.  Appointments during the pandemic will be by video conference.