Home Law School News Drake Law School to host second Biotech Summer Institute

Drake Law School to host second Biotech Summer Institute

The Intellectual Property Law Center at Drake University will again draw industry leaders, attorneys, academics and scientists to its second Summer Institute in Intellectual Property, Biotechnology and Agricultural Sciences on June 1-2.

The event will be held at the Law School’s Neal and Bea Smith Law Center Courtroom, 2400 University Ave.

This event, which takes advantage of Drake’s strategic location in what some have called the “Silicon Valley” of agricultural biotechnology, features presentations on the latest developments and research in the area

Presenters include leading biotechnology experts from across the United States, as well as Australia, Brazil, Canada and the United Kingdom. Among the topics covered are traditional farming, synthetic biology, biofuel, food production, regulation of biologics, biosafety and related environmental challenges.

“Every year, we bring to Central Iowa a group of internationally-recognized experts from around the world to explore issues that are of great importance to the agricultural biotechnology industry,” said Peter K. Yu, the Kern family chair in intellectual property law and founding director of the Drake Intellectual Property Law Center.

“This year, we’ll focus on biotechnology issues as they relate to intellectual property protection and global development,” Yu added. “We’ll also explore challenges that are emerging on the frontlines, thanks in no small part to the tremendous support we’ve received from Drake law graduates working in the field.”

The summer institute was made possible by a leadership gift from Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., a subsidiary of DuPont.

The Intellectual Property Group Leader of Pioneer — Daniel Cosgrove — and the general counsel of Stine Seed Co. — Joseph Saluri — will speak on the opening panel. Both of them are graduates from Drake University Law School.

Established in fall 2007, the Drake Intellectual Property Law Center offers an innovative curriculum, providing students with a solid foundation in both the theoretical and practical aspects of intellectual property law. The center also serves as an international hub for research and education in the intellectual property area. Most recently, the U.S. News and World Reports ranks the center among the top 25 intellectual property law programs in the United States.

The conference program and a list of participants are available online.The registration fee is $200, which includes lunch and coffee breaks. The fee is waived for Drake faculty and students.

For more information or to register for the summer institute, contact Landra Carty at 515-271-2141or landra.carty@drake.edu.