The Austin Community
The Austin community is an environment uniquely suited to the study of intellectual property law. Austin offers the unparalleled resources of the University of Texas, one of the premier national research universities. Its physics and engineering departments are among the best in the nation. The University of Texas offers opportunities for motivated students to obtain joint degrees, to take courses outside the law school, or simply to discuss intellectual property issues with scientists and scholars who are directly affected by the law. The University also offers a wide array of library resources, including the McKinney Engineering Library, a federal depository for all United States patents.
The business community within Austin is particularly interested in intellectual property law. Austin is the fastest-growing center for computer technology in the United States today. Its favorable scientific and business climate has attracted such companies as 3M, Advanced Micro Devices, Apple Computer, Applied Materials, Compaq, Continuum, Dell Computer, IBM, Intel, Lockheed, Motorola, National Instruments, Origin Systems, Samsung and Texas Instruments. Austin is also home to two large national research consortia, MCC and Sematech. Finally, Austin is home to a number of small start-up companies, companies which will shape intellectual property law in the years to come. In all, there are over 1,800 technology companies in the central Texas area. The University of Texas encourages technology start-ups through the Austin Technology Incubator, an innovative program for providing assistance to companies with promising new technologies. A number of local intellectual property law firms, as well as local offices of many national firms, have come to Austin to serve this growing clientele.