Certificate in IP,
Sports & Entertainment Law

Nationwide-Recognized JD Specialization • Oklahoma City University School of Law

About the IPSEL Certificate Program

The Certificate in Intellectual Property, Sports & Entertainment Law (IPSEL) is designed to equip Oklahoma City University School of Law students with the foundational doctrine, analytical acumen, and practical skills necessary to launch successful legal careers across creative, athletic, and technological industries.

Whether aspiring to practice as an intellectual property attorney, patent prosecutor or litigator, trademark examining attorney, copyright advocate, entertainment counsel, sports agent or lawyer, technology transactions advisor, antitrust attorney, judicial clerk, studio executive, or administrative patent/trademark judge, the IPSEL curriculum delivers rigorous classroom instruction combined with real-world client advocacy.

Certificate Eligibility: A student shall receive the Certificate in IPSEL upon completing all requirements for the Juris Doctor degree, submitting an official Intent to Pursue a Certificate form, and satisfying the three core curriculum pillars outlined below.

Faculty Leadership & Program Oversight

The IPSEL Certificate program at OCU Law is directed and mentored by distinguished faculty dedicated to experiential advocacy, clinical practice, and student career placement.

Professor Tia Ebarb-Matt
Email Professor Ebarb-Matt Schedule Office Hours

Professor Tia Ebarb-Matt

Clinical Professor of Law & Director of Experiential Education
Program Director for the IPSEL Certificate Program

Director of Experiential Learning J.D. - Univ. of Washington (1999) B.S. Criminal Justice - Arizona (1995) Estate & Business Planning Asset Protection Choctaw-Apache Tribe of Ebarb Solicitor - England & Wales U.S. Tax Court & 9th District Court Univ. of Exeter Law School (UK)

Professor Tia Ebarb-Matt joined OCU Law in July 2022 as a Clinical Professor of Law and the Director of Experiential Learning. In her role, she oversees the entire Experiential Learning program, including law clinics, externships, LLI, skills competitions, experiential courses, and pro bono initiatives, providing supportive leadership to students and program directors across each opportunity.

Professor Ebarb-Matt received her Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice in 1995 and attended the University of Washington School of Law, earning her Juris Doctor in 1999. Following law school, she established her own legal practice in Washington and Arizona, focusing on Estate and Business Planning with a specialized emphasis on Asset Protection. Her clients were primarily physicians and real estate developers—two professional groups with acute legal vulnerabilities. Utilizing legal entities such as LLCs, LPs, Corporations, FLPs, and Trusts, she developed tailored asset protection structures in manageable, legally sound frameworks.

Prior to arriving at OCU Law, Professor Ebarb-Matt spent eight years at the University of Exeter Law School in England, where she served as an Associate Professor of Law and the Director of Clinical Legal Education. She built a vibrant pro bono program from scratch featuring 20+ individual options, including six legal advice clinics serving community members across South West England. Over 400 law students participated each year. She established extensive working partnerships with local and national entities, including the police, magistrates, the judiciary, Members of Parliament (MPs), legal practitioners, charities, industry leaders, and university faculties.

Professor Ebarb-Matt is admitted to practice before the United States 9th District Court and the United States Tax Court, and is a qualified solicitor in England and Wales. She is an enrolled member of the Choctaw-Apache Tribe of Ebarb and is the first female in her family to graduate high school and attend university. She believes that learning through practical, experiential legal work instills critical thinking, ethical leadership, self-efficacy, empathy, and a lasting sense of belonging.

Direct Inquiries & Certificate Advising: Email tebarbmatt@okcu.edu or book an appointment via her Calendly office hours portal.

Nationwide Recognition & Industry Access

Honored in national legal education rankings for experiential excellence and direct industry access in sports, entertainment, and intellectual property law.

Specialties Honor Roll: Entertainment Law Access

The National Jurist / preLaw Magazine • By PreLaw Editors • Published December 23, 2025
Read Full Article on National Jurist

“With its Certificate in Intellectual Property, Sports, & Entertainment Law (IPSEL), Oklahoma City University School of Law gives students a direct way to focus on the legal issues shaping creative and athletic industries. The program blends coursework in IP and contracts with experiential opportunities, preparing students to work with artists, athletes, and media professionals.”

“The Collaborative: Law Clinic for Business and Innovation gives students hands-on client experience. Under faculty supervision, they advise startups, nonprofit organizations, and entrepreneurs on matters such as intellectual property protection, entity formation, and contract drafting. The clinic is also a certified USPTO and Copyright Claims Board Clinic, which allows students to assist with patents and copyright claims.”

“Oklahoma City University provides more than 90 externship opportunities, many within walking distance of campus. These placements take students to courtrooms, boardrooms, nonprofits, government agencies, and other organizations where they can earn academic credit while working under the guidance of supervising lawyers and judges.”

“Community is another strength: the Sports, IP & Entertainment Law Association creates a hub for students to connect with peers, faculty, and practitioners, hosting events that showcase career pathways and industry challenges.”

Curriculum & Certificate Requirements

To qualify for the IPSEL Certificate, candidates must complete all requirements for the Juris Doctor degree, submit an Intent to Pursue Certificate form, and satisfy the requirements across each of the three foundational pillars.

Pillar I: Substantive Course Requirements

Foundational and specialized legal doctrines across IP, sports, entertainment, and technology law.

B- Average Minimum

A. Required Core Courses (Completion of all 3 with a B- average):

Intellectual Property 3 Credits • Required
Antitrust 3 Credits • Required
Sports Law OR Entertainment Law 3 Credits • Required

B. Optional Elective Courses (Completion of at least 2 courses, minimum 5 additional credits, B- average):

Copyright 3 Credits
Patent Law 3 Credits
Trademark Law 3 Credits
Information Privacy Law 3 Credits
Cybersecurity Law 2 Credits
Law Practice Technology 3 Credits
Law and Film 1 Credit
The Law of Blockchain 1 Credit
Financing the Start-Up 2 Credits
First Amendment Law 3 Credits
Sports & Entertainment Law Seminar 2 Credits
Approved Elective with Significant IPSEL Content Director Approved

* Note: If a student completes both Sports Law and Entertainment Law, or completes the Sports & Entertainment Law Seminar, one may be applied toward the optional elective requirement with program director approval.

Pillar II: Skills Development & Experiential Learning

Hands-on simulation advocacy and real-world client legal casework.

Practical Experience

A. Advocacy & Simulation Skills (Completion of at least 1 course):

Arbitration Advocacy 2 Credits
Interviewing, Counseling & Negotiation Advocacy 2 Credits
Mediation Advocacy 2 Credits
Pre-trial Litigation (Civil Focus) 3 Credits
Trial Practice 4 Credits
Forensic Evidence in the Courtroom 3 Credits

B. Practical Fieldwork & Clinical Experience (Completion of at least 1 placement):

The Collaborative: Law Clinic for Business and Innovation Certified Clinic

Advise real startups, entrepreneurs, and artists on entity formation, contract drafting, and intellectual property protection. Certified by the USPTO for patent representation and by the Copyright Claims Board (CCB).

Corporate Externship (in an IPSEL Law Field) Academic Credit
Litigation Practice Externship (in an IPSEL Law Field) Academic Credit
Pro Bono Work in IPSEL Law Field (70 hours minimum) Director Approved
Paid Employment in IPSEL Law Field (100 hours minimum) Director Approved
Other Substantial Experiential Work on Actual IPSEL Cases Director Approved

Pillar III: Scholarly Research & Writing Requirement

Rigorous academic writing and deep scholarly analysis in intellectual property, sports, or entertainment law.

Faculty Sponsored

Completion, to the satisfaction of a full-time law faculty sponsor, of a scholarly work of writing based upon substantial research and of publishable quality focused upon a topic in the field of IPSEL law and approved by the program director.

Accepted Scholarly Pathways:
  • Specialized IPSEL Seminar Paper
  • Law Review Note or Comment
  • Directed Research Project
  • Supervised Academic Paper
  • Approved Appellate Moot Court Brief (with program director approval)

* Dual Satisfaction: This scholarly writing requirement may concurrently be used to satisfy the OCU Law Upper-Class Writing Requirement.

Official Certificate Documents & Forms

Download the official certificate curriculum guidelines and access the OCU Law academic certificate forms.

Download IPSEL Certificate Program Guidelines (.DOCX) OCU Law Academic Opportunities & Certificates Portal The National Jurist Feature Article

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