Welcome!

Background Information
The Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences was established as an undergraduate, graduate and professional school. In September 2001 a new curriculum, the law of media and information technology ("Informationsrecht") was inaugurated. The new curriculum is in response to the demands of the internet economy for legal competence in the ever growing number of legal problems associated with the internet, with emphasis on German, European and international legal implications. The body of law dealing with intellectual property and data security in the specific fields of IT-Law, eCommerce, eGovernment and media law has become increasingly important as the Global economy has shifted from a predominantly manufacturing economy to an information economy.

We are proud that the Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences is the first German university to offer IT-Law as a unique curriculum leading to the eight semester diploma-degree "Diplom Informationsjurist".

As jurists of the future will be well-versed not only in legal tradition but also in the broader fields of our society, we offer an interdisciplinary curriculum, specialized programs and a dynamic learning environment.

Mission
Our mission is to prepare students for responsible and productive careers in the legal profession, specifically in the area of IT-Law.  As an alternative to the broad legal education within the German universities we offer this specialized program in the area of IT-Law with a strong focus on Intellectual Property and Cyberlaw.

Faculty
Our faculty consists of professors, experienced lawyers and counsels who have significant professional experience working for internationally active IT-companies on a global basis. The law faculty members are accessible to and engaged with their students, with courses that do not exceed 40 students.

We are committed to assisting students with their professional and academic growth. Our students are aware of, and greatly appreciate, the quality of instruction, the accessibility of the faculty and their opportunities for education outside the classroom as well as inside.

To visit our faculty please look under "Personen".

Content of the Education
The students study rules and regulations governing control and dissemination in a computer mediated world. Because information is distributed through computers capable of copying, filtering and altering information, a strong focus is on the following topics:

• Privacy and data protection laws,
• Laws applicable to electronic commerce,
• Electronic government,
• Intellectual property law,
• Software and cyberspace law.

Increasingly, intellectual property is an international rather than a national issue. Classes in International law are mandatory for our students. In this field our students hear the following lectures:

• European Union law
• International intellectual property law (including treaties)
• Introduction into the Anglo-American U.S. legal system consisting of an overview of civil procedure, contract law, constitutional law, criminal law, the law of torts, evidence and real property. In addition, our students can take classes in Anglo-American law focussing on U.K. law.
• Copyright, Patent and Trademark Law

The focus of these lectures is to present  international law (case and statutory law) as if the students were taking these classes abroad, e.g. at a U.S. law school. This is  assured through our international faculty with native English speakers and membership in the New York Bar.

In addition, the students learn about the social implications of new techniques and principles of the communication society, as well as the internet economy. They take up to two foreign languages at the University’s language department, with English being mandatory.

Practical Semester – Internships
Apart from the legal studies, the students spend one semester doing practical work with an employer or study at a partner university in an English speaking country. Here, they gain practical experience and train on the job. The internships vary from those in international software companies with a strong emphasis on software and copyright law to companies in the pharmaceutical branch where the students increase their knowledge in patent and trademark law. In addition, many students work for national or international law firms where they join client meetings, draft contracts and write memoranda. Follow up conversation with these employers have shown that our students are being well prepared for the practical work of a jurist through our lectures due to the fact that our faculty follows this practical approach.
If you are interested in offering an internship to our students for four months or less please see our contact information below.

Contact
You can contact us at:

Hochschule Darmstadt / University of Applied Sciences Darmstadt
Department of Social and Cultural Studies and Social Work
IT-Law Studies
Prof. Dr. Diana D. Chiampi Ohly, LL.M. (Duke)
Attorney-at-Law (New York)
Haardtring 100
64295 Darmstadt
Email: diana.chiampi-ohly@h-da.de

For questions related to the practical semester and for possible job or internship offers please contact:

Hochschule Darmstadt / University of Applied Sciences Darmstadt
Nicole Steinberg
Schöfferstr. 3
64295 Darmstadt
eMail: sekretariatir@h-da.de
Monday through Friday from 8:00 - 12:00 a.m.
Phone: +49-6151-16-8748