He teaches intellectual property, patent law, copyright law, cyberlaw and property. He has authored numerous articles in the areas of patent law and federal courts. Cotropia received a B.S. degree in both electrical engineering and computer engineering from Northwestern University. He received a J.D. from The University of Texas School of Law, where he graduated Order of the Coif and served as editor of the Texas Intellectual Property Law Journal. He then clerked for the Hon. Alvin A. Schall of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and practiced at the Washington, D.C. office of Fish & Richardson PC. Before joining the faculty at Richmond, he was an associate professor of law at Tulane University School of Law where he was the C.J. Morrow Research Professor for 2005-06 in recognition of his productivity as a scholar.