Jeffrey Lefstin, Professor of Law

Professor Jeffrey Lefstin graduated from Brown University, Sc.B., Biology, magna cum laude (1989); University of California, San Francisco, Ph.D., Biochemistry (1997); and StanfordLaw School , J.D., Order of the Coif (2000). He teaches and writes about patent and intellectual property law. He joined the UC Hastings faculty in 2003 after serving as a law clerk to Judge Raymond C. Clevenger, III, at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, DC. Prior to his clerkship, he practiced patent and antitrust law with the biotechnology and litigation groups at Townsend, Townsend & Crew in San Francisco.

In his previous life he was a molecular biologist, studying mammalian gene regulatory mechanisms and DNA-protein interactions. His scientific papers appeared in Nature, Genes & Development, and the Journal of Molecular Biology. His current research focuses on the intellectual architecture of patent law and problems of interpretation in patent litigation. He has served as an expert witness on patent law matters, and lectured for Patent Bar Review courses.

Courses Taught: Intellectual Property Capstone Seminar, Contracts, Patents and Trade Secrets, and Advanced Topics in Patent Law

Expertise: Patent Law, Patent Litigation, Biotechnology, and Contracts

My favorite part about teaching you is... what you teach me. Law touches upon so many walks of life, and with their diverse backgrounds UC Hastings students bring vital experiences and perspectives into the classroom.