Contact: Janet Harvey Clark, MSU College of Law, (517) 432-6959; or Russ White, University Relations, (517) 432-0923, whiterus@msu.edu

4/15/2005

EAST LANSING, Mich.  U.S. News & World Report has named the Intellectual Property and Communications Law Program at Michigan State University College of Law one of the top intellectual property law programs in the country in its 2006 rankings of law schools.

Out of the 179 law schools accredited by the American Bar Association, the magazine ranked the MSU law program among the nation’s top 20, ahead of the University of California at Los Angeles, Fordham, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Michigan.

Founded less than two years ago by Professor Peter K. Yu, the program was the newest program to receive recognition of its superior curriculum, legal training, scholarship and academic enrichment.

“We are exceptionally proud of the Intellectual Property and Communications Law Program that Professor Yu and his colleagues have built in such a short period of time,” said Terence L. Blackburn, MSU College of Law dean. “The internationally recognized scholars Professor Yu has brought to our campus to enrich the educational program of our students and enlighten the community of practicing attorneys have been simply outstanding.”

Since its establishment, the program has hosted a wide variety of conferences and symposia, covering such topics as the information ecosystem, intermediaries in the information age, challenges in patent practice, international trade and counterfeiting, and Internet law and policy in China.

In addition, its annual distinguished lectures have featured such prominent scholars as professors Lawrence Lessig of Stanford Law School and Jack Balkin of Yale Law School. The program also offers regular lectures and workshops featuring policy makers, government officials and partners in major law firms.

“We are deeply honored to be recognized along with the many well-established and heavily endowed programs in the country,” said Professor Yu, a leading expert in international intellectual property and communications law “Such recognition will enhance our efforts to attract top students and faculty to this very new program. The strength of our program is its strong global and interdisciplinary focus. As with other programs here at Michigan State University, we designed it with our students and the community in mind.”

The program’s full-time faculty consists of two distinguished scholars in intellectual property, a former attorney-adviser from the Federal Communications Commission, a leading scholar in First Amendment and communications law and two nationally recognized experts in international trade and sports law. It offers more than 25 courses in the field, a new master’s program in intellectual property and communications law, and a first-year legal writing course focused on intellectual property,

The program is strongly supported by the MSU College of Communication Arts and Sciences, which has the nation’s best doctoral program in communication technology, according to the National Communication Association. It also works closely with the Quello Center for Telecommunication Management and Law and the highly respected technology law faculty of the University of Ottawa, with which the MSU College of Law offers the joint American J.D. and Canadian LL.B. program.

MSU College of Law was founded as the Detroit College of Law in 1891. The college affiliated with MSU in 1995 and moved to MSU’s East Lansing campus in 1997. The move enabled the law college to build state-of-the-art facilities and to provide the benefits of a Big Ten campus.

MSU College of Law strengthened its affiliation with MSU last year, becoming more closely aligned academically. The association between the two schools has led to a comprehensive interdisciplinary legal education program at the law college. Today, the college remains one of the nation’s oldest continually operating independent law schools and one of only two private law schools to be affiliated with a research university.

For detailed information about the Intellectual Property and Communications Law Program, visit www.law.msu.edu/ipclp