The present invention is directed to copolymers of norbornene and functional group containing norbornene comonomers and processes for the preparation thereof. These polymers may be random, alternating or block copolymers or terpolymers, etc. In general, the present invention describes a polymer composition of the formula: [A]S— and —[B]T wherein A is monomer repeat unit derived from one or more norbornene or substituted norbornene monomers and B is a monomer repeat unit derived from one or more functionalized norbornene compounds.