Newswise — Michigan State University-DCL College of Law has launched a new Intellectual Property and Communications Law Program.

Aligned closely with various internationally recognized colleges and research centers at MSU, and with the intellectual property and technology law faculty at the University of Ottawa, the program promotes global, interdisciplinary understanding in both the theoretical and practical aspects of intellectual property and communications law.

Directed by MSU-DCL professor Peter K. Yu, a leading expert in international intellectual property and communications law, the program offers an innovative curriculum. Students can participate in an externship program, joint J.D./LL.B. and other multi-degree programs, and study abroad opportunities in Canada and Mexico. The program also offers opportunities to attend symposia, lectures, career panels and occasional papers featuring distinguished speakers and internationally renowned experts.

"Michigan State University is an ideal home for this new program," Yu said. "MSU is not only a leading research institution in the country, but also has a long and rich tradition of international engagement that is recognized around the world."

Professor Yu is joined by professors Adam Mossoff, an expert in patent law and property theory, and Kevin Saunders, a leading scholar in the First Amendment and media law. The program also boasts faculty associates from other MSU colleges and the University of Ottawa.

"We look forward to making this program an international focal point for promoting a global, interdisciplinary understanding of intellectual property and communications law, and for training the next generation of technology lawyers," said Yu.

MSU-DCL College of Law, formerly known as Detroit College of Law, was founded in 1891 and was the first law school in Detroit. To extend its commitment to educational excellence, the Detroit College of Law affiliated with Michigan State University in 1995 and moved to MSU's East Lansing campus in 1997. The move to MSU enabled the law college to build a $28 million facility and provides law students the benefits of a Big Ten university while maintaining its private law school status. Today, MSU-DCL remains the nation's oldest continuously operating independent law school.