Director of the Intellectual Property Clinic

(434) 592-5300

Education

  • J.D., Liberty University School of Law
  • B.S. (Applied Mathematics), University of Virginia

Areas of Interest/Teaching

  • Intellectual Property
  • Internet/Technology/Cyberlaw
  • Mediation

Experience

  • Worked as a technology associate developing software for the U.S. Marine Corps and FBI.
  • Has 13 years of experience working for law firms on cases involving patents, trademark and copyright infringements, and breach of contracts.
  • Clerked for the Honorable William G. Petty of the Virginia Court of Appeals from 2010–2012.
  • Provided pro bono legal services for Christian nonprofit organizations and the Montgomery County Friends of Animal Care and Control.

Biography

Andrew P. Connors serves as the Director of the Legal Writing Center and Director of the Intellectual Property Clinic at Liberty University School of Law, where he teaches classes including trademarks, intellectual property, and mediation. He is a Virginia attorney and a former partner at Connors & Brenke. He still represents clients through his firm, Darkhorse Law, where he focuses principally on disputes involving intellectual property, technology law, and business contracts.

As a litigator, he has represented clients in all state trial courts in Virginia, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia, the Court of Appeals of Virginia, including the full Court of Appeals sitting en banc, and the Supreme Court of Virginia. He has handled cases involving all kinds of intellectual property matters, including trademark, trade secret, patent, and copyright suits or potential suits. His business counseling practice focuses on business formation, intellectual property protection, intellectual property licensing, and contract drafting, including technology-related contract and licensing agreements.

He speaks regularly to various groups about intellectual property law, contract law, and business litigation issues. Before entering private practice, Mr. Connors served as a law clerk for two years to the Honorable William G. Petty at the Court of Appeals of Virginia. In law school, he was a Managing Editor of the Liberty University Law Review and won several moot court awards.

Super Lawyers magazine has named Mr. Connors a “Rising Star” in Virginia from 2013–2020 for Intellectual Property, Appeals, and Business Litigation. Virginia Business magazine named Mr. Connors as part of its “Legal Elite” for Intellectual Property for 2017 and 2019. He is a member of the Board of Governors of the Virginia State Bar Litigation Section and a Barrister with the Ted Dalton Inns of Court in Roanoke.

Publications

  • Andrew P. Connors et al., Understanding Intellectual Property: A Guide for Artists, 7 Liberty U. L. Rev. 317 (2013).
  • Andrew P. Connors et al., Writing for the Bar Exam (2011).
  • Andrew P. Connors, Dissecting Electronic Arts’ Spore: An Analysis of the Illicit Transfer of Copyright Ownership of User-Generated Content in Computer Software, 4 Liberty U. L. Rev. 405 (2010).