Centers of Excellence

Professor Alexandra Roberts, faculty director of Center for Law, Information and Creativity, is quoted in Fast Company on the trademark implications of the Alaska Senate race, where two candidates named Dan Sullivan are running with nearly identical logos. Roberts notes that simply adding your name to a ballot is unlikely to meet the legal definition of trademark infringement — but using a similar logo in connection with goods or event tickets could be more actionable.

Professor Alexandra Roberts, faculty director of the Center for Law, Information and Creativity, is quoted in WWD on the trademark dispute between Patagonia and drag performer and climate activist Pattie Gonia. Roberts noted that Patagonia is not seeking to end the use of the stage name altogether, but rather to avoid commercial use that creates a likelihood of confusion or dilution — and pushed back on the notion that brands are legally obligated to pursue every potential infringement aggressively. “The supposed ‘duty to police’ in trademark law is often overblown,” she said.

Professor Alexandra J. Roberts, faculty director of Northeastern Law’s Center for Law, Information and Creativity, is quoted in Bloomberg Law on the role of “dupe culture” in an upcoming design patent trial between Ugg brand owner Deckers Outdoor Corp. and affordable-luxury retailer Quince.

A legal theory developed at Northeastern Law’s Action Lab at the Center for Health Policy and Law has produced its first landmark result: a federal settlement in Gather Church v. Lewis County that establishes new protections for syringe service programs and other harm reduction services under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Northeastern Law’s Center for Public Interest Advocacy and Collaboration (CPIAC) has named Amy Romero as its 2026–2027 Visiting Fellow.

In March, Northeastern Law’s Center for Public Interest Advocacy and Collaboration and Immigrant Justice Clinic partnered with Greater Boston Legal Services to host an immigration relief screening clinic for community members in the Greater Boston area.

Professor Martha Davis has published a new analysis in State Court Report, “State Courts Offer Protection Against Pregnancy Discrimination,” examining how courts in nearly two dozen states have rejected the U.S. Supreme Court’s reasoning in Geduldig v. Aiello — that discrimination based on pregnancy does not constitute sex discrimination — and what that means for the future of equal protection law.

Northeastern University School of Law has been ranked No. 9 for health care law in U.S. News & World Report's 2026 Best Graduate Schools rankings.