A $750,000 leadership gift from Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc. is earmarked for a dynamic, new program in intellectual property law, Walker said.
“We want the Drake Law School to be a national and international leader in intellectual property law,” Drake Law School Dean David Walker said. “Pioneer’s gift will help us reach out to a variety of communities and make intellectual property another excellent discipline for our experience-based learning.”
Along with augmenting its classroom offerings, Drake will add an endowed chair in Intellectual Property Law and also plans to partner with other agricultural science and biotechnology businesses to create a summer institute in IP law and internships with the businesses.
The institute will be designed to attract students and lawyers from foreign countries as well as the United States to Drake for sessions on international property law.
“This will be a multi-disciplinary and international approach,” Walker said. “We will develop a program that will bring people from around the world exposure to the latest practical application and scholarly research on intellectual property law. People will come for the internship opportunities and classroom experiences.”