Prospective Students – Learn More About Law & Informatics
Discover Opportunities with the NKU Chase Law & Informatics Institute
Law & Informatics is everywhere
Our modern, global society is held together by information moving at the speed of light. Smart phones, cloud computing, search engines, electronic medical and financial records, credit cards, email – the list is endless. Over 80% of the S&P 500 value is held in intangible assets.
The NKU Chase Law & Informatics Institute represents an interdisciplinary partnership of the law school, College of Informatics, College of Business, Small Business Development Center and other programs throughout NKU to prepare students with the practical skills to be a twenty-first century lawyer working on the cutting edge of law and technology.
Working with faculty, attorneys, students from a multitude of disciplines, and real clients, Chase law students will be prepared to solve the problems facing their clients and prepare strategies for the future.
What is Law & Informatics?
We define Law & Informatics as "the rules, principles and regulations involving the collection, classification, storage, retrieval, and dissemination of recorded knowledge." This means that we study the laws, regulations, organizational rules, and other codes that govern the creation, acquisition, aggregation, security, manipulation, and exploitation of information.
Law and informatics includes the traditional fields of patent law, copyright law, trademark law, trade secret law and the protection of publicity rights, but it includes much more such as data security, privacy, international trade, criminal law, and national security law.
Student opportunities let you be part of the institute
While the Law & Informatics Institute is primarily a research institute, Chase Law School is part of a comprehensive university dedicated to creation, exploration and dissemination of new knowledge in close partnership with our students, alumni and community.
- Substantive Courses
- Practical Skills Courses
- Competition Teams in Intellectual Property
- Small Business and Nonprofit Law Clinic
- Field Placement Opportunities
- Research Opportunities
- Special Projects and Programming
- Chase Intellectual Property Law Student Association
- Entertainment & Sports Law Student Association
- Alumni Mentoring
Do I need a technical degree to participate?
In a word: No. Students planning to work with patents often find such a technical background is helpful, and a qualifying technical degree or academic credit hours are required to become a patent lawyer who is admitted to practice before the patent and trademark office. Download PTO Eligibility Guidelines to learn more. Patent lawyers often have undergraduate degrees in chemistry, mechanical, electrical or polymer engineering, or computer science.
For the other fields of informatics, no particular undergraduate degree is required. The program includes partnerships in entrepreneurship and communications, so no particular degree is necessary. Students with backgrounds in journalism, business, theatre, psychology, computer science, political science, literature and music all find a home in the Law & Informatics Institute. Just as the field of informatics informs almost every discipline, students from every discipline bring insights into the field.
Joint Degrees
In 2011 Chase College of Law developed two joint degree programs with the College of Informatics: the JD/MBI in Business Informatics and the JD/MHI in Health Care Informatics, and approved the launch of the new Law & Informatics Institute to work closely with the College of Informatics and partners from across the globe to provide innovative curriculum, training, and scholarship for informatics.
For students considering one of the Chase joint degree programs, they should consider the course requirements carefully. Typically students in the JD/MHI and JD/MBA will not require any particular expertise before entering the program. Students considering the JD/MBI will be expected to be prepared for an advanced masters program in computer programming, so those students should have undergraduate coursework or professional training to prepare them for the program.
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Juris Doctor/Master of Business Informatics
The Business informatics joint program focuses on the study of information technology in the context of business and law. With an MBI earned through NKU’s College of Informatics, students with a computer science background will develop skills to manage vital information resources found throughout the business world today. JD/MBI graduates will be able to participate in strategic planning regarding data management in business, NGOs and government. -
Juris Doctor/Master of Health Informatics
The Health Informatics joint program is an attractive alternative for individuals who wish to practice health law with a greater understanding of the underpinnings of regulatory compliance and data-driven health practices. With an MHI earned through NKU’s College of Informatics, students will develop skills to manage vital information resources found throughout the healthcare profession, develop institutional policies, and address regulatory needs. -
Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration
Law & Informatics students without a technical computer science background may elect to participate in the standard JD/MBA. With an MBA earned through NKU’s Haile/US Bank College of Business, students will develop skills to lead business organizations and provide legal counseling integrated with a client’s fundamental business needs. The JD/MBA brings critical management, accounting and finance, and leadership skills to enhance the student's understanding of law.
Lead Partner: NKU College of Informatics
In July 2005, Northern Kentucky University created the College of Informatics, realizing that traditional academic structures do not provide an optimal approach to the digital and information revolutions that are profoundly changing every aspect of human activity. The College of Informatics consists of three academic departments: Business Informatics (accredited by the AACSB), Communication, and Computer Science. In August 2011, the College of Informatics moved into Griffin Hall, a new $53 million, state-of-the-art, LEED certified building. A close partner of the Law & Informatics Institute, the NKU College of Informatics explains the field as follows: "The common thread of informatics is information - its acquisition, collection, analysis, manipulation, application, packaging, presentation, and marketing. Today there is virtually no area of business, science, industry, or entertainment that does not use some aspect of informatics." Learn more: http://informatics.nku.edu/.