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SKILL SHARPENER
Agricultural Law Center at Drake Law School is a Hub with Many Spokes [by Erica Winter] Drake Law School, Des Moines, IA, is the only law school in the nation to offer a certificate in agricultural law and is one of the few with an Agricultural Law Center.
The center, open since 1983, was formed in
courses do not stay on the theoretical side,
an effort to give focus to the study of agricul-
using agriculture only as an example of larg-
cultural topics, such as estate planning for
tural law, says its Director, Professor Neil
er issues. Instead, the courses and agricul-
farmers, the law of rural development, and
Hamilton. There are courses on agricultural
tural center here “take a farm-level approach
taxation. The summer institute, which has
and food law for current J.D. students and
with practical applications” for legal study,
been running for about 20 years, is a series
also continuing education courses for lawyers
says Hamilton.
of one-week, one-credit classes, with immersion in one topic from Monday through
in the region who work with clients in the agricultural field.
which includes courses on several agri-
Students come to Drake specifically for
Thursday night and a final exam on Friday.
the agricultural law program, says Hamil-
Students then move on to the next course the
Also, the center’s formation was a response
ton, with many coming from rural farming
following week.
to farmers’ concerns that lawyers simply did
backgrounds and seeking a foundation in the
not understand the issues related to rural
agricultural legal field. Graduates go on to
In addition to its mission of education for law
and agricultural life. By training new lawyers
careers in “a diverse field of practice,” says
students and lawyers, the center supports
who understand agricultural law, Drake has
Hamilton.
writing and research through the Drake Jour-
here in Iowa and the Midwest,” says Hamil-
Third-year Drake Law student Amber Brady
about 10 years ago, and also through faculty
ton.
grew up on a family farm in central Texas and
scholarship. Brady is the Editor of the journal
earned a Master’s degree in Animal Science,
this year.
“certainly helped to change that situation
nal of Agricultural Law, created by students
The food and agricultural law specialization
with an emphasis on food production, before
certificate program at Drake started four
coming to law school. Her interest in food
The center also focuses on public policy work
years ago. Six J.D. students will graduate
production issues continued, including food
as host to the nonpartisan State and Local
with certificates this year, and eight students
safety regulation and litigation. She decided
Food Policy Councils. Drake Law’s Agricul-
expect to do so next year.
not to pursue the certificate program, Brady
tural Law Center faculty works on developing
says, opting instead to join the moot court
effective food and agriculture policy ideas and
and mock trial teams.
then provides the information to those shap-
issues regarding the agricultural impact on a
Still, Brady praises Drake’s agricultural law
towns, or tribes.
region’s natural environment, land ownership
program for the range and flexibility of its
questions, and estate planning. Then there
curriculum. If a student wanted to return to a
The Agricultural Law Center’s website acts
are agricultural issues in international trade
rural hometown and open a general prac-
as a clearinghouse for policy information
law, intellectual property issues, and health
tice, she says, there are classes in wills and
developed there and for information and
policy regulations. Drake’s center “casts the
trusts and business tax with an agricultural
strategies developed by local food councils.
net wider” to include food law, dealing with
focus; or if the student were more interested
It also advocates for formation of new food
food labeling and safety, says Hamilton.
in policy, he/she could opt for that side of
policy councils. For this project, Drake has
agricultural law. “You can make it your own,”
teamed up with the USDA Risk Management
she says of Drake’s program.
Agency, the National Agricultural Law Center,
Agricultural law reaches into areas both expected and unexpected, including covering
The study of agricultural law not only looks
ing local food policies in their own states,
at the law’s impact on agriculture and food,
various nonprofit groups, and local govern-
says Hamilton, but it also acts as “a window
Students can even opt to study agricultural
or portal into all legal issues.” Still, Drake’s
law through the summer institute at Drake,
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ment agencies.
continued on back
SKILL SHARPENER
Drake Law alumni have gone on to practice in law firms that have agricultural companies or farmers for clients, says Hamilton. They have also gone to work in Washington, DC, for law and agricultural policymakers, have become in-house attorneys for the Farm Bureau Federation; or gone on to the University of Arkansas’ LL.M. program in Agricultural Law (which Hamilton helped to create before coming to Drake). Brady will be one of those taking a firm job after graduation. She will return to her native Texas and work in the litigation section of a law firm, dealing primarily with oil and gas issues. Eventually, she hopes to work in agricultural litigation, she says.
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