Adjunct Lecturer in Law - Intellectual Property and Technology

Intellectual Property and Technology (4 units)

USC Gould School of Law is seeking a part-time lecturer to teach an undergraduate law class, Intellectual Property and Technology. The instructor will begin work this fall 2025 to develop the course. The instructor will then teach the course during the spring 2026 semester - from January 12 to May 1, 2026 (final exam period from May 6-13). The lectures are scheduled on-campus, once a week for 3 hours and 20 minutes, on Wednesdays from 5:00 to 8:20PM. The schedule is firm so candidates must be able to teach on campus at the scheduled time.

Candidates should have strong legal professional backgrounds, with experience in the subject matter and preferably teaching experience. The course will be taught exclusively to enrolled undergraduate students. A PhD or Juris Doctor degree is required.

Course Description:

Intellectual property forms the backbone of the modern economy. This course provides students with an understanding of how American law protects and facilitates the creation of intellectual property. The course begins with a short introduction to the origins of American intellectual property law and the policies that the law is designed to further. The course will then move on to cover the basics of patent, copyright, trademark, and trade secrets, as well as some of the current controversies in intellectual property law. After finishing this course, students will understand the relevance of copyrights, patents, trademarks, trade secrets, industry contracts, and other legal instruments they may encounter in their careers.

This class may be postponed to a later semester if fewer than 6 students enroll.

Undergraduate Academic Calendar Spring 2026:

Classes Begin: Mon, January 12

Martin Luther King Holiday: Mon, January 19

President's Day Holiday: Mon, February 16

Spring Recess: Sun-Sun, March 15-22

Classes End: Fri, May 1

Study Days: Sat-Tue, May 2-5

Exams: Wed-Wed, May 6-13

Final Grading Deadline: TBA

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USC reserves the "Adjunct" appointment for faculty teaching less than full-time at USC, who are employed full-time in a primary profession or career elsewhere. Adjunct faculty typically teach only one course per year but, in exceptional cases, may teach one course per semester, if approved by the dean.

To ensure compliance with federal, state or local regulatory requirements as well as university policy and procedures, Adjunct Lecturers are required to complete specific training requirements as a condition of employment. Adjuncts Lecturers must complete mandated training by a required deadline. Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination, in accordance with the Faculty Handbook. Trainings that are required for all faculty and staff include USC's Harassment Prevention Training at the time of hire and every two years thereafter, USC's Integrity and Accountability Code Training at the time of hire, Information Security training annually, and Workplace Violence Prevention Plan training annually. A variety of other trainings may be required based on specific job responsibilities.

https://policy.usc.edu/training-requirements-and-opportunities/

https://employees.usc.edu/learn-grow/learning-and-professional-development/required-training/

The base salary range for this position is $2,684 - $12,250 per semester. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the number of units per course, the candidate's work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.

The Gould School of Law (Gould) considers candidates that demonstrate, through ideas, words and actions, a strong commitment to USC's Unifying Values (link). Gould holds a unique position in society, and within the university, as every aspect of these principles are influenced by and can be protected through legal rules and institutions. At Gould, we are proudly committed to maintaining a community in which each person respects the rights of others to live, work, and learn in peace and dignity, to be proud of who and what they are, and to have equal opportunity to realize their full potential as individuals and members of society.