KGI Partners with Southwestern Law School to Offer Certificate of Bioscience Industry Law and Practice

Beginning in the fall of 2013, KGI and Southwestern Law School will offer a Certificate of Bioscience Industry Law and Practice to students at both institutions. Attorneys and business leaders knowledgeable about business practices and intellectual property rights are in high demand in the bioscience industry. This certificate program provides an avenue for students at both institutions to develop expertise in areas that are critical for success in this field.

Qualified students from KGI can take courses at Southwestern in intellectual property law, patent and trademark law and regulatory law as it applies to health care and the bioscience industry. Qualified students from Southwestern can take courses at KGI in the area of technology management, entrepreneurship, and bioscience-related industry dynamics. Students from both schools who complete the required coursework will earn a Certificate in Bioscience Industry Law and Practice.

"As the life sciences become more integral to our health, our food and our environment, the legal dimensions of the business become more complex and important," said KGI President Sheldon Schuster. "It is a wonderful opportunity to develop a program with a leading law school so students can gain the skills and knowledge necessary to navigate this crucial interface."

Southwestern professor Ryan Abbot says the certificate program will help to provide graduates with skills and knowledge that are in demand in the bioscience industry, as well as in government agencies, law firms and related private-sector corporations.

"The biosciences industry has an unmet need for attorneys who are knowledgeable about business practices and intellectual property rights," explained Abbott, who is also an MD. "There is also a strong demand for business leaders who know the law and industry regulations."

Students interested in learning more about the program can contact Steve Casper, associate dean for faculty development, at Steve_Casper@kgi.edu. Two information sessions are scheduled at Southwestern with representatives from KGI on Tuesday, March 19, at 12:30 and 5:30 p.m. in Room W336.