From Marlo Anderson in Dept of Aeroautics & Astronautics:
I am pleased to announce that we will be offering a new, 1-credit seminar course in Spring Quarter, titled “Law for Engineers.” It is designated AA498A/598F, and will be open to all undergraduate and graduate students. The class will meet Mondays at 3:30 PM in Guggenheim 218, beginning April 5 and ending May 24 (8 lectures), and will be graded C/NC.
The lectures will be presented by Joel Lohrmeyer, an alumnus of our department (BSAA 2002, MSAA 2004), who received his JD from the Oregon School of Law in 2008. The course description and Joel’s biography are attached.
An add code is required to enroll in this class. Please send an email to Marlo Anderson marlo@aa.washington.edu along with your student number if you wish to register or you have any questions.
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Overview:
Engineering and legal principles govern most everything in our society today. This course examines and explains the practical application of the law to engineering, and assists the engineer in industry, higher education, and life. Topics focus on intellectual property law, business and contract law, tort law, and engineering ethics. Discussions explore patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets, specifically what they are, how to obtain them, how to use them, and how to lose them. Additionally, the class considers how businesses are started and governed, product liability law, and the ethical duties an engineer owes to an employer and the public. This course is applicable to all engineering disciplines.
Schedule:
Eight 50-minute class periods beginning April 5, Mondays 3:30-4:20, Guggenheim 218
Instructor:
Joel Lohrmeyer, JD
Student Learning Goals:
Gain an introductory understanding of the law as it applies to all engineering disciplines.
Educate engineers to identify possible legal issues and to recognize situations when turning to legal resources is necessary.
Course Topics:
Introduction and overview of the law
– What is a law, who makes it?
Intellectual Property Law
– Patent, Trademarks, Copyrights, and Trade Secrets
– Acquisition, use, and termination
- New, Useful, Non-obvious/Use in Commerce/Original works.
- Licenses, investor enticement, competition exclusion.
- Fraud, tying, nonuse, abuse.
Contract and Business law
– Employment contracts
- Covenants not to compete and IP assignments
- Contract/freelance v. full employee/At-will employment
– Business operations and entrepreneurs
– Government Contracts
– Unions/NLRA
Tort Law
– Product Liability/Negligence
Engineering Ethics
– Duty to employer and public
– Associated legal ramifications
Discipline Specific Sample Topics
– Aviation law, International Space Law, Computer, Chemical, Auto, Civil.
Course Source Materials (Sample):
Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology Code of Ethics of Engineers
Allan, Young, Farnsworth, and Sanger, Contracts: Cases and Materials
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Code of Ethics
Ginsburg, Trademark and Unfair Competition Law: Cases and Materials
Gorman and Ginsburg, Copyright Cases and Materials
Merges and Duffy, Patent Law and Policy
Nimmer, Licensing of Intellectual Property and Other Information Assets
Posin, The Law of Corporations and Other Business Entities: A Socratic Approach
United States Constitution, statutes, case law
Vetri, Tort Law and Practice
Washington State Constitution, statutes, case law
General Method of Instruction:
Lecture with in-class examples and discussion.
Post lecture summary emails with additional resource information.
Guest speakers – possibly a senior engineer from Philips and one from the university’s office of technology transfer.
Online discussion forum.
Recommended Preparation:
Students are not expected to have detailed knowledge of the law, but rather, that laws, in general, exist.
Course Assignments and Grading:
Course will be graded C/NC
In-class participation. Optional out of class exercises.
Remit feedback to the instructor.
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Instructor Biography:
Joel Lohrmeyer is an attorney in Washington State focusing on intellectual property and business law. Mr. Lohrmeyer graduated from the University of Washington with a BSAA in 2002 and a MSAA in 2004. He received his JD from the University of Oregon School of Law in 2008. While at the University of Washington Mr. Lohrmeyer worked as an undergraduate researcher in the Multifunctional Aerospace Structures Laboratory and served as Secretary of the AIAA Student Chapter, the department outreach program, and on the department accreditation review committee. While in graduate school, Mr. Lohrmeyer researched advanced lightweight Hall Effect Thruster magnetic coils. Additionally, Mr. Lohrmeyer taught AA 409 Computer Tools for Aerospace Engineers and AA 331 Aerospace Structures in 2003-04 academic year. Mr. Lohrmeyer worked as a Project Engineer at Aerojet in Redmond, WA developing, building, and testing earth storable in-space propulsion systems and new engine technologies. While in law school, Mr. Lohrmeyer served as a Technology Entrepreneurship Fellow working on an interdisciplinary team to bring university-developed technology to market. This work led to a successful startup company: Armozyme™. Mr. Lohrmeyer has also worked as a summer associate at Seed Intellectual Property Law Group in Seattle where he focused on patent and trademark matters. Mr. Lohrmeyer is licensed to practice in Washington, Montana, and before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Instructor Remarks:
Engineering was my first professional passion, however, even though I had a topnotch education I still had questions. Questions such as when I write an idea on paper that is new, or when I build a prototype or model that has never been seen before, how do I protect it? Can it even be protected? How can you not own what you create? These questions were raised when I read my first engineering employment contract and the search for the answers led me to law school.
As an engineer, it is easy to get swept up in the pure science and intellectual stimulation that the field generates, and to lose track of the rules society requires us to follow. However, breaking those rules can cause damaging setbacks to the program or project. Therefore, it is important to know the rules, or know of the rules and seek guidance early in the process.
Having the exposure to the law that this class gives will help engineers design, develop, and build successfully within the bounds of the law set by mother nature and man.