Nearly thirty years after graduating, Ed Yee ’97 finds himself in a principal role as the newest professor of Maryland Carey Law’s Intellectual Property Law Survey.
The Intellectual Property Law Survey course is most students’ first academic exposure to the complexities of intellectual property law. The course explores the foundational principles of key federal and state intellectual property areas, including patents, trade secrets, copyrights, trademarks, false advertising, and publicity rights. Yee is enthusiastically up to the challenge of guiding law students into his area of expertise.
Yee has been an instructor for the patent section of the Intellectual Property and Entrepreneurship Clinic and in the skills-based Patent Drafting class, but this is his first time teaching a more traditional doctrinal class. He approaches the IP Law Survey course like a conversation saying, “My approach is evolving, and I’m already thinking about how to improve the conversation for next semester. Law school has a well-deserved reputation as an ordeal. I’m not convinced that this always has to be the way.” In addition to this semester, Yee is slated to teach the IP Law Survey course in Fall ’25 and again in the Spring 2026 semester.
Coming from a STEM field, Yee is well aware of the difficulties that some STEM students coming to law school face and is proud to provide his students with the benefit of his perspective as both a student and a member of the faculty. “A lot of perspective has come from years between student Ed and professor Ed. It’s led me to think about the aspects of my legal education that have been especially helpful, the particular courses, the particular teachers, and teaching styles. In the end it’s all about growth and there was plenty of that when I was a student here. And I’ve learned to appreciate what worked for me, and what might work for students heading into the real world.”
His experience as a nearly thirty-year IP Law practitioner informs just about everything Yee does inside the classroom and it pays dividends for his students. Third-year evening student Elyshia Menkin found Yee’s time as a practitioner particularly valuable in the classroom. “Professor Yee’s real-world experience as a practicing attorney greatly enriches the IP Survey course. His approachable and supportive nature is appreciated, and he has made himself available to chat openly and honestly with our class not only about IP but legal practice in general.”
With his unique blend of real-world experiences and academic insights, Yee is poised to continue to make his mark on Maryland Carey Law’s IP Law Survey course and the IP Law Program. As he continues to evolve his teaching methods, his students are sure to benefit from his expertise and passion for intellectual property law.