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SKILL SHARPENER
Wide Spectrum of Science and Law Converges at Arizona State Center [by Erica Winter] The Center for Study of Law, Science, and Technology at The College of Law at Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ, takes law and brings it together with health care, biotechnology, intellectual property, environmental science, and several other disciplines in certificate programs, courses, and conferences. The center, in its 20th year, covers so much ground that one-third of The College of Law’s permanent faculty is affiliated with it.
Students take a lead role here too. It is “very
in the field came to present new research
Accommodating all approaches to science,
much a student- and faculty-run center,”
illuminating the growing study of how scien-
as well as a wide variety of legal inquiry,
says Executive Director, Professor Gary
tific evidence—such as DNA—can be used in
is a strength of the Arizona State center,
Marchant. There are 30 law students, in
courts and to what effect.
says Askland. It encourages interdisciplin-
direction. Ten students from each class are
From global to local, the law center last
students’ legal careers that come from a
selected each year to be Center Scholars.
fall hosted a conference called the Wildlife
multifaceted approach.
Each receives $1,000, a seat at meetings, and
Water Development Workshop. Primarily for
roles in conference planning and research
government agency officials, this conference
“No single thing in law school will get you
assistant positions.
was a follow-up session seven years ago,
that job,” says Askland. Each aspect of a stu-
ary scholarship. Also, there are benefits for
fact, who contribute ideas to the center’s
examining the impact of providing artificial
dent’s work is like “an arrow in your quiver…
water sources to wildlife. Participants dis-
and you want as much in there as possible.”
journal Jurimetrics, the journal for the ABA
cussed the issue and its intersection among
Having a specialty certificate is one strong
section on science law. And next year, the
policy, law, and science.
“arrow,” he says.
LL.M. program in the nation in Biotechnology
Not long ago, science and law rarely over-
On a larger scale, Askland says, it is good for
and Genomics. Marchant will head the pro-
lapped, says Professor Andrew Askland,
a lawyer to know the issues that sit next to
gram, which will include intellectual property
Director of the center. Now, science is far
his/her specialty. An environmental lawyer,
law, biotechnology law, and forensics, among
more involved in a wide range of legal cases,
for example, may be working with a client
other topics.
he says, citing the Chakrabarty case of 1980,
whose issues intersect with IP law and health
allowing for patenting of natural things (a
law. Having access to all these fields under
Currently, there are 81 Arizona State J.D.
modified bacteria), thus opening up the doors
one roof serves students well.
students pursuing specialization certificates
for patenting of genetic material.
The center also hosts the peer-reviewed
center and the law school will start the first
The range of topics covered at the center is
through the center, says Marchant. There are five specialty certificate programs: general
Marchant concurs that there is a great need
good on both theoretical and practical levels,
law and science, health, biotechnology,
for lawyers who know science. Many firms
says third-year law student and Center
intellectual property, and environmental
represent technology companies or are
Scholar Kindra Deneau. Separating the disci-
law. Many students involved with the center
involved in IP matters. Marchant, who has a
plines into separate groups might make them
have advanced degrees in the sciences, says
Ph.D. in Genetics, was on the hiring commit-
compete for funding, she points out. Since
Marchant, but “it is also exciting to see those
tee for a large national law firm. “We were
all scientific fields are important, it would
who do not who are interested in the field” of
always looking for people who understood
not be fair to prioritize one over another, she
science and law, he says.
technology and law,” he says.
says. On a scholarly level, it is good to have
The center hosts conferences every se-
Many law schools have science and law
mester, including the Sixth International
centers and/or specialty certificate pro-
Conference on Forensic Statistics, which was
grams—Boalt Hall has one for environmental
The wide range of topics covered by the
held last week. This was the sixth meeting
law; Emory, for IP, for example. Not many
center are tied together well by the jour-
of this conference in 18 years and the first
law schools, however, have one center for
nal Jurimetrics, says law student Amelia
at Arizona State. Top international experts
several scientific topics together.
Morrow, Executive Editor of the journal and
science and legal study moving forward col-
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laboratively instead of competitively.
continued on back
SKILL SHARPENER
Center Scholar, also in her third year. The center “bridges so many different disciplines,” says Laura Lawless, another Center Scholar who is pursuing a specialization certificate in health law. Having a range of topics at the center allows for dialogue among them, she says. The center’s not having one sole focus will allow her, she says, to provide “more dynamic representation for clients” in her future work. Another manifestation of the interdisciplinary center is a course in mental health law—and the students who are taking it. The eight-student class, Lawless says, includes herself, one person with a child-advocacy focus, another with an interest in criminal law, and one who wants to learn about mental health issues in trusts and estates law. This mix is “amazing,” she says, and demonstrates the wide range of legal arenas impacted by this one scientific topic.
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