SGR attorneys have a long-standing tradition of teaching at colleges and universities across the country, and SGR’s intellectual property (IP) attorneys are no exception.

SGR IP partner Gregory J. Kirsch has served as an adjunct professor of IP law at Emory University School of Law for over 20 years, most recently co-teaching a Patent Practice and Procedure class for the last 16 years.  Kirsch will next teach this class at Emory Law during the Spring of 2018. The class is tailored to second and third-year law students who are interested in pursuing a career in patent law and teaches them practical skills regarding patent application preparation, prosecution, patent opinions, and freedom-to-operate analysis. Kirsch co-developed the teaching materials for the class from scratch and conducts the class using both lectures and hands-on in-class exercises and discussions.

Kirsch also serves as an adjunct professor at Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, where he teaches an intensive class over the course of one long-weekend each Fall, on the topic of IP protection for computer software.  The class includes a mix of lectures by Kirsch, guest speakers (in-person and via Skype), and interactive discussion and debates.  Kirsch has been teaching the class for six years, most recently November 3-5, 2017.

SGR IP partner Matthew Warenzak serves as an adjunct professor of patent law at University of Georgia School of Law, where he teaches the Patent Prosecution and Procedure class, a class similar in scope to Kirsch’s class at Emory Law.  Warenzak has been teaching the class since 2014, and will next be teaching it during the Fall of 2018.

In addition to enjoying the interaction with the law students at the different law school, Kirsch and Warenzak both find their teaching gigs to be a great way to stay tuned to recent developments in patent/IP law.  The students constantly provide interesting and constructive feedback during class, enhancing the experience for both teachers and fellow students.